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/ 

HISTORY 



HANCOCK COUNTY, 



OHIO 



Containing A History of the County, its Townships, Towns, 
Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, etc.; Portraits of 
Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; 
History of the Northwest Territory: His- 
tory OF Ohio; Statistical and Mis- 
cellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. 



IXjLTJSTI^j^TEID. 



CHICAGO: 

WARNER, BEERS & CO 

1886. 






<6 



CHICAGO: 

JOHN MORRIS COMPANY. PRINTERS 

118 AND 120 MONROE STREET. 



PREFACE. 



AFTER surmounting many unlocked for obstacles and overcoming un 
expected difficulties, we are enabled to present to our patrons the 
History of Hancock County, which has been in course of preparation for 
more than a year past. A desire has long existed for a work that would 
faithfully [ -osent a correct, concise and clear record of events, beginning 
with the Mound-Builders and Indian tribes that once inhabited Ohio, thence 
tracing the history of this portion of the State down to the present period. 
That such an undertaking is attended with no little difficulty none will deny, 
and to procure the material for the compilation of the work, every avenue of 
reliable information has been diligently and carefully explored. The data 
have been culled, item by item, from books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspa- 
per files and manuscripts, from State, county and private records, charters, 
manuals, letters and diaries, as well as from the testimony of living wit- 
nesses to many of the events related. 

The general history of the county, including its townships and villages, 
was compiled by Mi'. R. C. Brown, of Chicago, 111. , whose many years of 
experience in the field of historical research have competently fitted him for 
the work. His efPort was more to give a plain and con-ect statement of facts 
than to indulge in polished sentences or to attempt a literary tone, for 
which, it is needless to add, there is little opportunity in a book of this kind. 
Dviring his labors in Hancock County, Mr. Brown received generous assist- 
ance from scores of citizens whose names it is impossible to mention here, biit 
to whom we return our sincere thanks for the interest which they manifested 
in the progress of the history. VCe, however, desire to specially acknowl- 
edge the valuable services rendered our historian by Messrs. Squire Carlin, 
Job Chamberlin and Henry Byal, Dr. Charles Oestei'len, Hon. James M. 
Coffinberry, of Cleveland, Hon. M. C. Whiteley, Heniy Brown, Esq., and 
Willis H. Whiteley, Esq., all of whom freely assisted him to the full ex- 
extent of their ability. 

THE PUBLISHERS. 

June, 1886. 



^*> 




CONTENTS. 

PART I. 

HISTORY OP THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 



freographical Position 

Early Explorations 

Discovery of the Ohio 

English Explorations and Settlements 



17 ' American Settlements 

17 i Division of the Northwest Territory 

26 ! Tecumseh and the War of 1812 

28 Black Hawk and the Black Hawk War.. 



PART 11. 

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 



History of Ohio 

French History 

Ordinance of 17S7,No.32 .••• 

Comments upon the Ordinance ol 1787, from the 
Statutes of Ohio. Edited by Salmon l^ 
Chase, and Published in the year 18.33 

The War of 1812 

Banking 

The Canal System 

Ohio Land Tracts 

Improvements 

State Boundaries 



Organization of Counties 12^ 

Description of Counties l^ 

Early Events |2- 

Governors of Ohio l** 

Ancient Works |57 

Some General Characteristics InO 

Outline Geology of Ohio 162 

Ohio's Rank During the War of the Rebellion... 16.-) 
A Brief Mention of Prominent Ohio Generals... 172 

Some Discussed Subjects 177 

Conclusion 1°^ 



PART III. 

HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER I.— .Vrch.wjlogy— Indians 187 201 

The Mound-Builders— Their Great An- 
tiquity — Character of Their Works— The 
Wonderful Monuments which Attest their 
Occupation of this State— Some Evidences of 
their Presence in Hancock County— The 
North American Indians,and their Supposed 
Origin— Brief Sketch of Them— The Ohiu 
Tribes —Purchase of Their Lands by the 
United States— Ohio Reservations.and Final 
Extinction of the Indian Title— Indian Vil- 
lages in this County — Extracts from the 
"Personal Reminiscences" of Job Chamber- 
lin— His Recollections of the Indians Who 
Frequented this Portion of the State— Their 
Social Relations with the First Settlers. 

CHAPTER II.— Pioneers 2ol-22(i 

The Pioneers of Hancock County— Their 
Sacrifices and Heroic Perseverance — 
Blanchard, the French Exile— Erection and 
Occupation of Fort Findlay— Thorp, the Sut- 



ler— First Permanent White Settlers— Birth 
of the First White Child in Hancock County 
—Pioneers of the County Prior to 1830— 
Immigration to Northwestern Ohio and Its 
Accompanying Hardships — Beginning 
Work in the Unbroken Forest— The Pioneer 
Cabin and Its Furniture— Table Ware, Food 
and Medicine of the Pioneers— Habits, La- 
bor and Dress— Early Manners and Customs 
—Social Gatherings- First Marriage in the 
County— The (irater and Hominy Block- 
Pioneer Mills of Hancock County— DitHcul- 
ties of (ioing to Mill— Prices of Store Goods, 
Produce and Furs During Early Days- 
Mode of Living— The Pioneer Church and 
School— Rapid Growth and Material Prog- 
ress of the Countv After Its Organization 
—The Hancock County Pioneer and Histor- 
ical Association. 

HAPTER III. — Occupation and Settle- 
ment 221- 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

The Claims of Virginia, Connecticut, Mas- 
sachusetts and New York to the Northwest 
Territory— Purchase of the Lands from the 
Indian Tribes — Indian Reservations and 
Their Final Purchase by the United States 
—Civil fiovernment Established by the Ordi- 
nance of 1787 — Successive Erections of 
Wayne, Greene, Champaign and Logan 
Counties — Survey of Northwestern Ohio and 
Its Division into Counties — Organization 
and First Election in Wood County — 
Waynesfield Township — Erection and First 
Elections in Findlay Township — Selection 
of Findlay as the Seat of Justice— Organiza- 
tion of Hancock County— County Elections 
of 1828 and Lists of Electors— Oflicers Chosen 
in April and October, 1828— Derivation of 
Name— Brief Sketch of John Hancock- 
Original and Present Areas and Boundaries 
of the County— Dates of Township Erections 
— Population of County, Townships and 
Towns — Present Condition of the Countv 
Compared With What it was One Hundred 
Years Ago. 

CHAPTER IV.— Topography 235-247 

Original Appearance of Hancock County 
—Its Forest and Fruit-Bearing Trees and 
Vines— The Wild Animals, Birds, Reptiles 
and Fish Found in this Portion of the State, 
and Their Gradual Extermination — The 
Wild Honey Bee— General Topography of 
the County— Its Streams and Water Privi- 
leges—Marsh and Prairie Lands— The Wild 
Cat Thicket, Swamp and Fallen Timber 
Tracts— Diversity of Soil —The Sand and 
Limestone Ridges— Agriculture in Hancock 
County— Implements used by the Early Set- 
tlers, and the Introduction of Better Ma- 
chinery—Pioneer Stock Compared with that 
of the Present— Number of Horses and Cat- 
tle Assessed in the County in 1824 and 1829 
—Stock and Crop Statistics— The Hancock 
County Agricultural Society— Its Small Be- 
ginning, Steady Growth and Present Pros- 
perity. 

CHAPTER v.— Organic 248-262 

Public Officials — Members of Congress — 
State Senators — State Representatives — 
Presidential Electors, and Members of Con- 
stitutional Conventions — Commissioners — 
Auditors— Treasurers— Recorders— Clerks— 
Sheriflfs — Surveyors — Coroners — Probate 
Judges — Public Buildings— Court Houses, 
Jails and Infirmary— Political Statistics. 

CHAPTER VI.— Judiciary 26.5 286 

The Judiciary— Organization of the Court 
of Common Pleas in Ohio and Its Subsequent 
Changes— Pioneer Courts of Hancock Coun- 
ty—Sessions Held at Findlay in 1828, 1829 
and 1830- The Juries Impaneled and Princi- 
pal Business Transacted During Those 
Years— Items of Interest (Tathered from the 
Court Journals— The Bench and Bar— Com- 
mon Pleas Judges— Associate Judges— Pros- 
ecuting Attorneys— Pioneer Visiting Law- 
yers— Reminiscences of Pioneer Practice in 
Northwestern Ohio— Incidents of the Cir- 
cuit Riding Period— First Lawyers Who Lo- 
cated in Findlay— Brief Sketches of Resi- 
dent Attorneys Who Practiced in Hancock 
County Prior to 1860— Present Bar of the 
County. 

CHAPTER VII.— Educationai 287 2!in 

Education in Ohio— Lands Originally 
Granted for Educational Purposes— Com- 
missioners of Schools and School Lands in 
1822— The School Lands Sold and a School 
Fund Established— Annual Distribution of 
School Money— Pioneer Schools, School- 
houses and Books in Hancock County— 



PAGE 

Character of the Early Teacliers—" Barring 
Out" the Master— How Pioneer Teachers 
were Usually Paid— (Growth of Education- 
Government and Progress of Schools Prior 
to 18.51— Schools for Colored Youth Estab- 
lished — Reorganization of Schools Under 
the Laws of 185.3— Their Present Govern- 
ment and the Educational Advantages They 
Afl^brd. 

CHAPTER VIII.— Internal Improvements 

300-318 

Internal Improvements— Hull's Trace— 
I Opening of the Perrysburg & Bellefontaine 

and Other State Roads through Hancock 
County— Pioneer County Roads — First 
j Bridge Built Across the Blanchard at Find- 

I lay, and its Successors— Early Navigation on 

I the Blanchard— First Mail Route Established 

Through the County— Joseph Gordon, the 
Veteran Mail Carrier— History of the Rail- 
roads—The Proposed Bellefontaine & 
Perrysburg Railroad— Findlay Branch of 
the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western- 
Lake Erie & Western— Baltimore & Ohio— 
MeComb, Deshler & Toledo— New York, 
Chicago & St. Louis— Cleveland, Delphos & 
St. Louis Narrow (iuage — Toledo, Columbus 
& Southern- Proposed Railroad Enterprises 
that have Failed During the Past Forty- 
seven Years. 

CHAPTER IX.— Military 319-346 

Military History of Hancock County- 
War of 1812— March of Hull's Army from 
Urbana to the Maumee River^Site of Fort 
Necessity, and Line of Hull's Trace— Fort 
Findlay Erected and ( Garrisoned- Descrip- 
tion of the Fort — Gen. Tupper's Campaign — 
Indians Pursue Capt. Oliver from Fort 
Meigs to Fort Findlay- Evacuation of the 
Fort by Capt. Thomas, and His Murder by 
the Indians — Pioneer Reminiscences of Fort 
Findlay audits Final Destruction — Mexican 
War— The Great Rebellion— Sublime Pati-i- 
otism of the People — Enthusiastic Demon- 
strations in Findlay at the Outbreak of the 
War— Stirring Scenes of Preparation for the 
Conflict— Enrollment and Organization of 
Volunteers and their Subsequent Departure 
for Cleveland— Brief Sketches of the Com- 
mands Wherein the Soldiers of Hancock 
Served, also the Names and Promotions of 
Commissioned Officers in each from this 
County— Number of Volunteers from each ' 
Township up to September 1, 1862, and Total 
Estimated Number of Soldiers from the 
Whole County During the War— Relief Af- 
forded by the County to Soldiers' Families — 
Good Work of the Military Committees and 
Aid Societies— Closing Scenes of the Rebell- 
ion—Celebration at Findlay over the Capt- 
ure of Richmond and the Surrender of 
Lee's Army — Joy Turned to Grief by the 
Assassination of Lincoln — Conclusion. 

CHAPTER X.— Allen Township 347 .355 

Erection, Name, Area, Population and 
Boundaries — Wildcat Thicket — Streams, 
Topography and Soil — Pioneers — First Mar- 
riage and Death — The Burman and Ensmin- 
fer Mills — Killing of John Gilchrist and 
on— First Electors— Justices— Early Schools 
—Churches— Villages— Van Buren and Stu- 
artville. 

CHAPTER XL— Amanda Township 3.5.5-367 

Formation, Taxable Lands in 1829, and 
Changes in Territory— Area, Boundaries and 
Population — Physical Features — Soil — 
Streams and Big Spring — Pioneers — Justices 
of the Peace— Schools— Churches— Early 
Mills— Postoffices and Villages— The Pro- 
posed Town of Capernaum— Vanlue, its 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Postmasters, Early Business Men and Pres- 
ent Material and Social Interests. 

CHAPTER XII.— Big Lick Township 368-377 

Events leading to the Erection of this 
Township— Subsequent Changes in its Ter- 
ritory, and Present Area — Boundaries and 
Derivation of Name — A Hunters' Resort — 
Topography and Streams — Prairie Marsh, 
Soil and Original Appearance— First Elec- 
tion and Population by Decades — First 
Settlers — Justices of the Peace — Schools — 
Churches — Villages and Postotfices. 

CHAPTER XIII.— Blanchard Township-..377-389 
Its Historic Name — Erection, Area, Loca- 
tion and Population by Decades— Streams 
and Runs— Destruction of the Timber— Soil 
and Topography— Tile Factory and what it 
has Accomplished — Pioneers — First Deaths 
and Marriage — Samuel Edwards, the Noted 
Hunter and Subsequent Author — Justices — 
Churches— Education— Villages— < )ak Ridge 
Postoffice — Cemeteries. 

CHAPTER XIV.— Cass Township 389-396 

Erection, Organization, Changes in Terri- 
tory, Area, Boundaries and Population — 
Derivation of Name— Topography— Wild- 
cat Thicket — Soil and Water Privileges- 
First Land Entries and Pioneers — Mills- 
Schools — Religious Societies — Justices — Cass 
and Wineland Postoffices — Frankford. 

CHAPTER XV.— Delaware Township 397-406 

Erection. Subsequent Changes and Area- 
Location, Boundaries and Population— Tim- 
ber, Streams and Soil — Pioneers — A Noted 
Hunter — First Marriages and Births — Early 
Mills— Churches — Schools — Justices of the 
Peace— Mt. Blanchard— Its First Business 
Men— Postmasters— Mayors— Railroad and 
Telegraph Facilities — Present Material and 
Social Interests of the Village. 

CHAPTER XVI.— Eagle Township 407^16 

Erection, Name and Area — Location and 
Population by Decades— Topography and 
Water Privileges — Timber and Soil — Milk 
Sickness— Pioneers Prior to 1839 — Grist and 
Saw Mills — Early Education — Religious 
Societies— Justices— Towns and Postoffices 
—Railroad Facilities and Present Appear- 
ance of the Country. 

CHAPTER XVII.— Jackson Township 417-422 

Erection of the Township and Origin of 
its Name— Area, Boundaries and Population 
— Drainage and Soil — First Settlers — Going 
to Mill — Justices — Schools — Churches — 
Towns and Postoffices. 

CHAPTER XVIII.-LiBEKTY Township.. ..422-438 
Erection of Old Town and the Trouble 
Which Arose Therefrom — Liberty Erected, 
and First Election for Justice of the Peace 
Held in the Township— Changes in its Ter- 
ritory — Area, Boundaries and Population by 
Decades — Streams and Runs — Topography 
and Soil — Indian Green, Cemetery and Plum 
Orchard— First Settlers— First Marriage and 
Birth — Justices — Mills — Early Schools — Re- 
ligious Societies — Alba Postoffice — Ceme- 
teries. 

CHAPTER XIX.— Madison Township 439-449 

First Attempt Made to Erect the Town- 



ship, and its Failure — Subsequent Erection 
—Derivation of Name, Area and Population 
— Surface Features and Streams — Forest and 
Soil — Milk Sickness — Pioneers— Justices — 
Grist-Mills — Schools— Religious Societies- 
Villages— Past and Present of Williamstown 
and Arlington. 

CHAPTER XX.— Marion Township 449-459 

j Erection, Area, Boundaries and Popula- 

tion—Timber—Streams and Deer Licks— 
I Soil— Pioneers— Early Elections and Elec- 

i tors — Justices of the Peace — Schools — 

I Churches— Crow Postoffice— Mills. 

CHAPTER XXI. -Orange Township 459-468 

Formation, Choosing a Name, and First 
Election of Township Officers — Area, Boun- 
daries, and Population by Decades — Topog- 
raphy and Soil— Stream.s— Pioneers- I'irst 
Birth, Death and Marriage in the Township 
— Religious Societies — Early Schools — Jus- 
tices—Hassan and Cordelia Postoffices- An 
Embryo Village— Railroad Facilities. 

CHAPTER XXII.— Pleasant Township.. ..468-178 
Erection, Area, Early Election and List of 
Voters — Boundaries, and Population by Dec- 
ades — Primitive Appearance, Topographv, 
Soil and Streams— First Land Entries and 
Early Settlers— Justices— Religious Societies 
— Schools — Mills — Towns and Villages — A 
Paper Town — McComb, Its First Busine.ss 
Men, Postmasteri and Mayors— Railroads, 
JNIaterial Progress and Present Business and 
Educational Interests of McComb — Its Secret 
Societies and Fire Department — McComb 
fferald—Stendy Growth of the Town— Dew- 
eyville—Shawtown— North Ridgeville Post- 



CH AFTER XXIII.— Portage Township 478-485 

Territory from which it was Formed— 
Erection and Subsequent Changes — Area, 
Boundaries and Population — General Topog- 
raphy, Soil and Streams— First Settlers— 
Schools— Churches— Lafayette and Portage 
Center Postoffice — Justices. 

(CHAPTER XXIV.— Union Township 485-497 

Erection, First Election of Township Offi- 
cers, Area, Boundaries, and Population by 
Decades — Physical Features — Streams and 
Soil — Pioneers — First Marriage in the Town- 
ship — Justices — CJrist-Mills — Religious Soci- 
eties — Schools — Villages — Cannonsburg, 
Rawson and Cory. 

CHAPTER XXV.— Van Buren Township 

498-501 

Location, Erection, Name, Subsequent 
Changes in Territory, Area and Population 
—Streams, Wells, Topography and Soil- 
First Settlers — Their Characteristics — Jus- 
tices — Schools — Churches — Villages and 
Railroads. 

CHAPTER XXVI.— Washington Township 

502-511 

Derivation of Name, Erection, Area, 
Boundaries and Population— Disappearance 
of the Forest, and Wildcat Thicket— Soil 
and Topography — Streams — Early Settlers — 
First Birth in the Township — Churches— 
Education— Early Election and Justices— 
Risdon and Arcadia— Their Past and Pres- 
ent. 



CONTENTS. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 



PAGE. 

CHAPTER XXVII.— FiNDLAY Township....512-529 
Erection of the Township, and Derivation 
of Name — Subsequent Change.s in its Terri- 
tory, and Present Area — Boundaries, Streams 
and Water Privileges — Topography and 
Soil— Pioneers— Coming of Benjamin J. Cox 
to Fort Findlay — First White ( hild Born in 
the Township— Sketches of the Shirleys, 
Morelands, Simpsons, Chamberlins, Hamil- 
tons, Slights, Gardners, Hedgeses, and all of 
the Earliest Settlers of the Township Out- 
■ side of the Village — Suspicious Disappear- 
ance of Dr. Wolverton from Whitlock's 
Tavern — First Elections and Township Of- 
ficers, and List of .) ustices — Churches and 
Schools— Roads and Population— Factories. 

CII.'VPTER XXVIII.— Village op Findlay. .530-5.59 
Beginning of the Town — Site of the Orig- 
inal Plat Entered, and Coming of Wilson 
Vance— Survey of the Town Plat— Selection 
of Findlay as the Seat of .Justice of Han- 
cock County — Derivation of its Name, and 
Correct Orthography of the Word — Brief 
Sketch of Col. James Findlay— The Plat as 
Acknowledged and Recorded— Ambiguity 
in the Acknowledgment Regarding the 
Public Square Cleared Up — Lots Donated 
by the Proprietors to Erect ('ounty Build- 
ings, and First Public Sale of the Same- 
Business Men of Findlay in 1829-30, and 
Appearance of the Village at that Period- 
Names of Those Who Have Laid Out Addi- 
tions to the Original Plat, and Dates of Sur- 
veys— The Present Streets of the Town- 
Sketches of its Pioneer Business Men — First 
White Male Child Born on the Site of Find- 
lay — Early Physicians of the Village, and 
the Difficulties of Medical Practice During 
Pioneer Days. 

CHAPTER XXIX.— Village of Findlay 

(Continued) 569-.576 

Progress of the Village — Postoffice Estab- 
lished — List of Postmasters— Incorporation 
of Findlay, and its Subsequent Mayors and 
Clerks— The Old Graveyard on Eagle Creek 
—Maple Grove Cemetery— California Move- 
ment of 1849 — Underground Railroad — First 
Fire Engines, and Organization of the First 
Fire Company— The Fire Department Or- 
ganized— Roster of Chief Engineers— Devel- 
opment and Present Efficiency of the De- 
partment—Town Buildings— AdVent of Rail- 
roads, Express, Telegraph and Telephone 
Lines — Findlay's Sewerage System and its 
Benefits— Mon umental Park — Organization 
of the Hancock Monumental Association 
— Brief History and Description of the Sol- 
diers' Monument — The Old Findlay Gas 
Light Company — Erection of the Gas Works 
and First Lighting of the Town With-Gas- 
The Works Closed Upon the Development of 
Natural Gas — Growth of Findlay Since 1831 
— Her Present Appearance and Business In- 
terests, and Future Prospects. 

( IIAPTER XXX.— Village of Findlay (Con- 
tinued) 576-.59.5 

Schools and Newspapers — First School 
Opened In the Village— The Old Log School- 
house and its Successor — Pioneer Schools 
and Teachers of Findlay— Progress of Edu- 
cation — Past and Present Schools of District 
No. 9, and Their Superintendents Since 1864 
— Organization of the Union School District 
— Its First Teachers and Schools— Early 



page. 
Members of the Board of Education— Super- 
intendents of the Union Schools Since 1854 
—Growth of the Schools and Their Present 
Efficiency— Findlay Academical Institute— 
. Hancock Wesleyan Seminary— Findlay Col- 
lege—History of the Newspapers of Findlay— 
The Hancock Courier— Hancock Republican 
—Hancock Farmer— Western Herald— Han- 
cock Whig and Journal — Home Companion, 
and Findlay Weekly Jeffersonian— Daily 
Jefersonian—The Reporter— Findlay Weekly 
Republican — Findlay Daily Star — Improve- 
ment in the Press Within the Past Thirtv 
i'ears. 

CHAPTER XXXI. -Village of Findlay 

(Continued) 59G-612 

Churches and Societies— First Religious 
Services Held in Findlay ,'and Names of its 
Pioneer Preachers— Methodist Episcopal 
Church— First Presbyterian Church— Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Church— St. Michael's 
Catholic Church and School — United 
Brethren Church— German Reformed Con- 
gregation—German Evangelical Lutheran— 
St. John's Congregation— First Regular 
Baptist Church— "Church of God"— First 
Congregational Church— St. Paul's Church 
of the Evangelical Association— Trinity 
Mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church— 
"Church of Christ "—Secret and Other 
Societies— Odd Fellows— Masons— Knights 
of Pythias— Knights of Honor— Royal Ar- 
canum — American Legion of Honor — Grand 
Army of the Republic— National Union- 
Good Templars. 

CHAPTER XXXIL— Village of Findlay 

(Continued) 612-631 

Hotels Manufactories, Banks and Public 
Places of Amusement — Pioneer Taverns and 
Present Hotels of Findlay— Leading Manu- 
facturing Establishments of the Pa.st and 
Present— History of the Successive Banking 
Institutions of the Town — Building and 
Loan Associations— Early Amusements and 
Public Halls of the Village— Brass Bands. 

CHAPTER XXXIII.— Village of Findlay 

(Concluded) 631-647 

Natural Gas in Hancock County— Its 
Discovery in 1836— First Natural Gas Found 
and Used in Findlay— Numerous Evidences 
of its Presence— Dr. Osterleu's Belief in its 
Plentiful Existence, and His Early Investi- 
gations of the Subject — The Gas on the Fos- 
ter Lot Utilized by Jacob Carr — Oil Excite- 
ment in Findlay— Attempts to Find Oil and 
Their Failure— Dr. 0.sterlen's Persistent 
Advocacy of a Great Natural Gas Deposit- 
Organization of the Findlay Natural Gas 
Company— The Men Who First Risked 
Their Money in the Enterprise— The First 
Well Drilled, and Gas Developed in Paying 
Quantities — To Whom the Credit is Due — 
Mains Laid and Gas Piped Into Findlay — 
Other Wells Put Down— Consolidation of 
the Old and New Companies— Subsequent 
Enterprises, and Number of Wells Now 
Drilled— Their Capacity, Product and Per- 
manency—Later Companies in the Field- 
Description of the Great Karg Well— Abun- 
dant Supply of Gas, its Superiority as Fuel 
and <'omparative Safety — Cost to the Con- 
sumer—A Few Cases Illustrating Its Won- 
derful Cheapness— What Natural Gas Hus 
Accomplished for Findlay. 



CONTENTS. 

PART lY. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



Allen Township 

Amanda Township , 

Big Lick Township 

Blanchard Township 

Cass Township 

Delaware Township 

Eagle Township 

Findlay Township and Village- 
Jackson Township 



PAGE. 
.... 651 

.... 657 
.... 671 
.... 682 



I PAGE. 

I Liberty Township 792 

j Madison Township 798 

j Marion Township 802 

j Orange Township 806 

! Pleasant Township 822 

j Portage Township 848 

I Union Township 853 

Van Buren Township 873 



788 I Washington Township '.'.'.'.'.".".'.'.'.'.!'.'.'.'.'.".".'.'.".""'.*.'.'. 876 



PORTRAITS. 



Baldwin, Dr. W. H., Findlay Township 203 " 

Barnhill, Robert, Liberty Township 503 I ■ 

Brown. Henry, Findlay Township 313 ,• 

Byal, Hon. A. P., Findlay Township 303 ^ 

Chamberlin, Job, Findlay Township 47 : ' 

Chase Justus, Liberty Township 413 '■ 

Colfinberry. Judge,J. M., Cleveland, Ohio 273 t 

Coleman, Thomas, Union Township 663 [' 

- Cory, Judge D. J.. Findlay Township 263 . 

Cummins, E. T., Pleasant Township 423 j 

Deter, James, Portage Township 493 • 

Dewese, Flavins J, Orange Township 523 

Dukes, Lewis, Sr., Blanchard Township 81 ' 

Dulin, S.F., Portage Township 403 

Feller, Daniel, Eagle Township 453 ( 

Feller, Jacob, Findlay Township 149 f 

Firmin, Dr. F. W., Findlay Township 293 ■ 

Fry, Henry, Liberty Township 623 \ 

Ghaster, Solomon, Union Township 633 [' 

' Glessner, Lewis, Findlay Township 323 \ 

Hamlin, M. S., Delaware Township 363 • 

Huber, Benjamin, Findlay Township 253 i 

Hard, Hon. Anson. M. D., Findlay Township.... 283 ' 

Hyatt, A. H., Findlay Township 233 

Keel, Samuel, Blanchard Township 383 ' 

Luneack, Louis, Van Buren Township 573 '■ 

. McClish, N. B., Blanchard Township 483 I 



McKinley, Wm. M., Orange Township 513 

McKinnis, Thomas, Blanchard Township 373 

Marshall, Wm. M., Orange Township 563 

Miller, Wm. B., Marion Township 433 

Moore, John, Big Lick Township 443 

Nigh, Andrew, Portage Township 543 

Oesterlen, Dr. Chas., Findlay Township 243 

Oman, Joseph, Eagle Township 553 

O'Neal, Chas. \V., Findlay Township 213 

Parker, Jonathan, Findlay Township 193 

Pennington, Henrv, Pleasant Township 643 

Phillips, Eli P., Findlay Township 343 

Powell, B. B., Blanchard Township 673 

Powell, Geo. W., Findlay Township 353 

Rawson Dr. Bass, Findlay Township 183 

Sheets, Hon. Henry, Washington Township 603 

Shoop, Samuel, Pleasant Township 613 

Showalter, Levi, Union Township 533 

Snyder, W. E., Findlay Township 333 

Spitler, Samuel, Allen Township 583 

Stough, George, Allen Township 653 

Strother, Judge Robt. L., Findlay Township 115 

Turner, Dr. G. L., Pleasant Township 593 

Ward, N. H., Big Lick Township 463 

Weisel, Lloyd, Allen Township 473 

Wilson, J. H.. Findlay Township 223 

Wiseley, Allen, Marion Township 393 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Map of Hancock County 12-13 

Population of the UnitedStates 69 

Area of the United States 69 

Area of the Principal Countries in the World... 69 



Population of Principal Countries in the World. 69 

Population of Ohio by Counties 70 

List of Ohio's Governors 72 

Population of Hancock County by Townships.... 232 



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OCITOTTY 




PART L 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 



The JSTorthwest Territory. 



GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. 

When the Norihwestern Territory was ceded to the United States 
l)y Virginia in 1784, it embraced only the territory lying between the 
Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers, and north to the northern limits of the 
United States. It coincided with the area now embraced in the States 
ot Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and that portion of 
Minnesota lying on the east side of the Mississippi River. The United 
Slates itself at that period extended no farther west than the Mississippi 
River ; but by the purchase of Louisiana in 1803, the western boundary 
of the United States was extended to the Rocky Mountains and the 
Noiihern Pacific Ocean. The new territory thus added to the National 
(Uimain, and subsequently opened to settlement, has been called the 
" New Northwest," in contradistinction from the old '' Northwestern 
Teiiitory." 

In comparison with the old Northwest this is a territory of vast 
magnitude. It includes an area of 1,887,850 square miles ; being greater 
in extent than the united areas of all the Middle and Southern States,, 
including Texas. Out of this magnificent territory have been erected 
eleven sovereign States and eight Territories, with an aggregate popula- 
tion, at the present time, of 18,000,000 inhabitants, or nearly one-third of 
the entire population of the United States. 

Its lakes are fresh-water seas, and the larger rivers of the continent 
flow for a thousand miles through its rich alluvial valleys and far- 
stretching prairies, more acres of wliich are arable and productive of tlie 
highest percentage of the cereals than of any other area of like extent 
on the globe. 

For the last twenty years the increase of population in the North- 
west has been about as three to one in any other portion of the United 
States. 

EARLY EXPLORATIONS. 

In the year 1541, DeSoto first saw the Great West in the New 
World. He, however, penetrated no farther north than the 35th parallel 



18 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

of latitude. The expedition resulted in his death and that of more than 
half his armjs the remainder of whom found their way to Cuba, thence 
to Spain, in a famished and demoralized condition. DeSoto founded no 
settlements, produced no results, and left no traces, unless it were that 
he awakened the hostility of tlie red man against the white man, and 
disheartened such as might desire to follow up the career of discovery 
for better purposes. The French nation were eager and ready to seize 
upon any news from this extensive domain, and were the first to profit by 
DeSoto's defeat. Yet it was more than a century before any adventurer 
took advantage of these discoveries. 

In 1616, four years before the pilgrims " moored their bark on the 
wild New England shore," Le Caron, a French Franciscan, had pene- 
trated through the Iroquois and Wyandots (Hurons) to the streams which 
run into Lake Huron ; and in 1634, two Jesuit missionaries founded the 
first mission among the lake tribes. It was just one hundred years from 
the discovery of the Mississippi by DeSoto (1541) until the Canadian 
envoys met the savage nations of the Northwest at the Falls of St. Mary, 
below the outlet of Lake Superior. This visit, led to no permanent 
result ; yet it was not until 1659 that any of the adventurous fur traders 
attempted to spend a Winter in the frozen wilds about the great lakes, 
nor was it until 1660 that a station was established upon their borders by 
Mesnard, who perished in the woods a few months after. In 1665, Claude 
Allouez built the earliest lasting habitation of the white man among the 
Indians of the Northwest. In 1668, Claude Dablon and James Marquette 
founded the mission of Sault Ste. Marie at the Falls of St. Mary, and two 
years afterward, Nicholas Perrot, as agent for M. Talon, Governor Gen- 
eral of Canada, explored Lake Illinois (Michigan) as far south as the 
present City of Chicago, and invited the Indian nations to meet him at a 
gland council at Sault Ste. Marie the following Spring, where they were 
taken under the protection of the king, and formal possession was taken 
of the Northwest. This same year Marquette established a mission at 
Point St. Ignatius, where was founded the old town of Michillimackinac. 

During M. Talon's explorations and Marquette's residence at St. 
Ignatius, they learned of a great river away to the west, and fancied — 
as all others did then — that upon its fertile banks whole tribes of God's 
children resided, to whom the sound of the Gospel had never come. 
Filled with a wish to go and preach to them, and in compliance with a 
lequest of M. Talon, who earnestly desired to extend the domain of his 
king, and to ascertain whether the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico 
or tlie Pacific Ocean, Marquette with Joliet, as commander of the expe- 
dition, prepared for the undertaking. 

On the 13th of May, 1673, the explorers, accompanied by five assist- 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 19 

ant French Canadians, set out from Mackinaw on their daring voyage of 
discovery. The Indians, who gathered to witness their departure, were 
astonished at the boldness of the undertaking, and endeavored to dissuade 
them from their purpose by representing the tribes on the Mississippi as 
exceedingly savage and cruel, and the river itself as full of all sorts of 
frightful monsters ready to swallow them and their canoes together. But, 
nothing daunted by these terrific descriptions, Marquette told them he 
was willing not only to encounter all the perils of the unknown region 
they were about to explore, but to lay down his life in a cause in which 
the salvation of souls was involved ; and having prayed together they 
separated. Coasting along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, the 
adventurers entered Green Bay, and passed thence up the Fox River and 
Lake Winnebago to a village of the Miamis and Kickapoos. Here Mar- 
quette was delighted to find a beautiful cross planted in the middle of the 
town, ornamented with white skins, red girdles and bows and arrows, 
which these good people had offered to the Great Manitou, or God, to 
thank him for the pity he had bestowed on them during the Winter in 
giving them an abundant " chase." This was the farthest outpost to 
which Dablon and AUouez had extended their missionary labors the 
year previous. Here Marquette drank mineral waters and was instructed 
in the secret of a root which cures the bite of the venomous rattlesnake. 
He assembled the chiefs and old men of the village, and, pointing to 
Joliet, said : " My friend is an envoy of France, to discover new coun- 
tries, and I am an ambassador from God to enlighten them with the truths 
of the Gospel." Two Miami guides were here furnished to conduct them 
to the Wisconsin River, and they set out from the Lidian village on 
the 10th of June, amidst a great crowd of natives who had assembled to 
witness their departure into a region where no white man had ever yet 
ventured. The guides, having conducted them across the portage, 
returned. The explorers launched their canoes upon the Wisconsin, 
which they descended to the Mississippi and proceeded down its unknown 
waters. What emotions must have swelled their breasts as they struck 
out into the broadening current and became conscious that they were 
now upon the bosom of the Father of Waters. The mystery was about 
to be lifted from the long-sought river. The scenery in that locality is 
beautiful, and on that delightful seventeenth of June, must have been 
clad in all its primeval loveliness as it had been adorned by the hand of 
Nature. Drifting rapidly, it is said that the bold bluffs on either hand 
" reminded them of the castled shores of their own beautiful rivers of 
France." By-and-by, as they drifted along, great herds of buffalo 
appeared on the banks. On going to the heads of the valley they could 
see a country of the greatest beauty and fertility, apparently destitute of 



20 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

inhabitants, yet preseutiug the appearance of extensive manors, under 
the fastidious cultivation of lordly proprietors. 

On June 25, they went asliore and found some fresh traces of men 
upon the sand, and a path which led to the prairie. The men remained in 
the boat, and Marquette and Joliet followed the path till they discovered a 
village on the banks of a river, and two other villages on a hill, within a 
half league of the first, inhabited by Indians. They were received most 
hospitably by these natives, who had never before seen a white person. 
After remaining a few days they re-embarked and descended the river to 
about latitude 33°, where they found a village of the Arkansas, and being 
satisfied that the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, turned their couise 
up the river, and ascending the stream to the mouth of the Illinois, 
rowed up that stream to its source and procured guides from tliat point 
to the lakes. " Nowhere on this journey," says Marquette, " did we see 
such grounds, meadows, woods, stags, buffaloes, deer, wildcats, bustards, 
swans, ducks, parroquets, and even beavers, as on the Illinois River." 
The party, without loss or* injury, reached Green Bay in September, and 
reported their discovery — one of the most important of the age, but of 
which no record was preserved save Marquette's, Joliet losing ^his by 
the upsetting of his canoe on his way to Quebec. Afterward Marquette 
returned to the Illinois Indians by their request, and ministered to them 
until 1675. On the 18th of May, in that year, as he was passing the 
mouth of a stream — going with his boatmen up Lake Michigan — he asked 
to land at its mouth and celebrate Mass. Leaving his men with the canoe, 
he retired a short distance and began his devotions. As much time 
passed and he did not return, his men went in search of him, and found 
him upon his knees, dead. He had peacefully passed away while at 
prayer. He wal buried at this spot. Charlevoix, who visited the place 
fifty years after, found the waters had retreated from the grave, leaving 
the beloved missionary to repose in peace. The river has since been 
called Marquette. 

While Marquette and his companions were pursuing their labors in 
the West, two men, difi'ering widely from him and each other, were pre- 
paring to follow in his footsteps and perfect the discoveries so well begun 
by him. These were Robert de LaSalle and Louis Hennepin. 

After LaSalle's return from the discovery of the Ohio River (see 
the narrative elsewhere), he established himself again among the French 
trading posts in Canada. Here he mused long upon the pet project of 
those ages — a short way to China and the East, and was busily planning an 
expedition up the great lakes, and so across the continent to the Pacific, 
when Marquette returned from the Mississippi. At once the vigorous mind 
of LaSalle received from liis and his companions' stories the idea that by fol- 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 21 

lowing the Great River northward, or by turning up some of the numerous 
western tributaries, the object could easily be gained. He applied to 
Frontenac, Governor General of Canada, and laid before him the plan, 
dim but gigantic. Frontenac entered warmly into his plans, and saw that 
LaSalle's idea to connect the great lakes by a chain of forts with the Gulf 
of Mexico would bind the country so wonderfully together, give un- 
measured power to France, and glory to himself, under whose adminis- 
tration he earnestly hoped all would be realized. 

LaSalle now repaired to France, laid his plans before the King, who 
warmly approved of them, and made him a Chevalier. He also received 
from all the noblemen the warmest wishes for his success. The Chev- 
alier returned to Canada, and busily entered upon his work. He at 
once rebuilt Fort Frontenac and constructed the first ship to sail on 
these fresh-water seas. On the 7th of August, 1679, having been joined 
by Hennepin, he began his voyage in the Grififiu up Lake Erie. He 
passed over this lake, through the straits beyond, up Lake St. Clair and 
into Huron. In this lake they encountered heavy storms. They were 
some time at Michillimackinac, where LaSalle founded a fort, and passed 
on to Green Bay, the " Bale des Puans " of the French, where he found 
a large quantity of furs collected for him. He loaded the Griffin with 
these, and placing her under the care of a pilot and fourteen sailors, 
started her on her return voyage. The vessel was never afterward heard 
of. He remained about these parts until early in the Winter, when, hear- 
ing nothing from the Griffin, he collected all the men — thirty working 
men and three monks — and started again upon his great undertaking. 

By a short portage they passed to the Illinois or Kankakee, called by 
the Indians, " Theakeke," wolf^ because of the tribes of Indians called 
by that name, commonly known as the Mahingans, dwelling there. The 
French pronounced it Kiakiki, which became corrupted to Kankakee. 
"Falling down the said river by easy journeys, the better to observe the 
country," about the last of December they reached a village of the Illi- 
nois Indians, containing some five hundred cabins, but at that moment 
no inhabitants. The Sieur de LaSalle being in want of some breadstuffs, 
took advantage of the absence of the Indians to help himself to a suffi- 
ciency of maize, large quantities of which he found concealed in holes 
under the wigwams. This village was situated near the present village 
of Utica in LaSalle County, Illinois. The corn being securely stored, 
the voyagers again betook themselves to the stream, and toward evening, 
on the 4th day of January, 1680, they came into a lake which must have 
been the lake of Peoria. This was called by the Indians Pim-i-te-u'i, that 
is, a place where there are many fat beasts. Here the natives were met 
with in large numbers, but they were gentle and kind, and having spent 



22 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

some time with them, LaSalle determined to erect another fort in that 
place, for he had heard rumors that some of the adjoining tribes were 
trying to disturb the good feeling which existed, and some of his men 
were disposed to complain, owing to the hardships and perils of the travel. 
He called this fort " Creveeoeur " (broken-heart), a name expressive of the 
very natural sorrow and anxiety which the pretty certain loss of his ship. 
Griffin, and his consequent impoverishment, the danger of hostility on the 
part of the Indians, and of mutiny among his own men, might well cause, 
him. His fears were not entirely groundless. At one time poison was 
placed in his food, but fortunately was discovered. 

While building this fort, the Winter wore away, the prairies began to 
look green, and LaSalle, despairing of any reinforcements, concluded to 
return to Canada, raise new means and new men, and embark anew in 
the enterprise. For this purpose he made Hennepin the leader of a party 
to explore the head waters of the Mississippi, and he set out on his joui- 
ney. This journey was accomplished with the aid of a few persons, and 
was successfully made, though over an almost unknown route, and in a 
bad season of the year. He safely reached Canada, and set out again for 
the object of his search. 

Hennepin and his party left Fort Creveeoeur on the last of February^ 
1680. When LaSalle reached this place on his return expedition, he 
found the fort entirely deserted, and he was obliged to return again to 
Canada. He embarked the third time, and succeeded. Seven days after 
leaving the fort, Hennepin reached the Mississippi, and paddling up the 
icy stream as best he could, reached no higher than the Wisconsin River 
by the 11th of April. Here he and his followers were taken prisoners by a 
band of Northern Indians, who treated them with great kindness. Hen- 
nepin's comrades were Anthony Auguel and Michael Ako. On this voy- 
age they found several beautiful lakes, and "saw some charming prairies." 
Their captors were the Isaute or Sauteurs, Chippewas, a tribe of the Sioux 
nation, who took them up the river until about the first of May when 
tlie}'^ reached some falls, which Hennepin christened Falls of St. Anthony 
in honor of his patron saint. Here they took the land, and traveling 
nearly two hundred miles to the northwest, brought them to their villages* 
Here they were kept about three months, were treated kindly by their 
captors, and at the end of that time, were met by a band of Frenchmen, 
headed by one Sieur de Luth, who, in pursuit of trade and game, had pene- 
trated thus far by the route of Lake Superior ; and with these fellow- 
countrymen Hennepin and his companions were allowed to return to the 
borders of civilized life in November, 1680^ just after LaSalle had 
returned to the wilderness on his second trip. Hennepin soon after went 
to France, where he published an account of his adventures. 



THE NORTHWEST TEKRITORY. 23 

The Mississippi was first discovered by De Soto in April, 1541, in his 
vain endeavor to find gold and precious gems. In the following Spring, 
De Soto, weary with hope long deferred, and worn out with his wander- 
ings, fell a victim to disease, and on the 21st of May, died. His followers, 
reduced by fatigue and disease to less than three hundred men, wandered 
about the country nearly a year, in the vain endeavor to rescue them- 
selves by land, and finally constructed seven small vessels, called brig- 
antines, in which they embarked, and descending the river, supposing it 
would lead them to the sea, in July they came to the sea (Gulf of 
Mexico), and by September reached the Island of Cuba. 

They were the first to see the great outlet of the Mississippi ; but, 
being so weary and discouraged, made no attempt to claim the country, 
and hardly had an intelligent idea of what they had passed through. 

To La Salle, the intrepid explorer, belongs the honor of giving the 
first account of the mouths of the river. His great desire was to possess 
this entire country for his king, and in January, 1682, he and his band of 
explorers left the shores of Lake Michigan on their third attempt, crossed 
the Portage, passed down the Illinois River, and on the 6th of February 
reached the banks of the Mississippi. 

On the 13th they commenced their downward course, which they 
pursued with but one interruption, until upon the 6th of March they dis- 
covered the three great passages by which the river discharges its waters 
into the gulf. La Salle thus narrates the event : 

" We landed on the bank of the most western channel, about three 
leagues (nine miles) from its mouth. On the seventh, M. de La Salle 
went to reconnoiter the shore of the neighboring sea, and M. de Tonti 
meanwhile examined the great middle channel. They found the main 
outlets beautiful, large and deep. On the eighth, we reascended the 
river, a little above its confluence with the sea, to find a dry place beyond 
the reach of inundations. The elevation of the North Pole was here 
about twenty-seven degrees. Here we prepared a column and a cross, 
and to the column were affixed the arms of France with this inscription : 

"Louis Le Grand, Roi de France et de Navarre, regne ; Le neuvieme April, 1682." 

The whole party, under arms, chanted the Te Deum^ and then, after 
a salute and cries of " Vive le Moi,'^ the column was erected by M. de 
La Salle, who, standing near it, proclaimed in a loud voice the authority 
of the King of France. La Salle returned and laid the foundations of the 
Mississippi settlements in Illinois ; thence he proceeded to France, where 
another expedition was fitted out, of which he was commander, and in 
two succeeding voyages failed to find the outlet of the river by sailing 



Si THE N01:TH\VEST TEURiTOKV. 

along the shore of the gulf. On the third voyage he was killed, through 
the treachery of his followers, and the object of his expeditions was not 
accomplished until 1699, when D'Iberville, under the authority of the 
crown, discovered, on the second of March, by way of the sea, the mouth 
of the " Hidden River." This majestic stream was called by the natives 
" Malbouchia,'" and by the Spaniards, '' la Palissade,^^ from the great 
number of trees about its mouth. After traversing the several outlets, 
and satisfying himself as to its certainty, he erected a fort near its western 
outlet, and returned to France. 

An avenue of trade was now opened out which was fully improved. lu 
1718, New Orleans was laid out and settled by some European colonists. In 
1762, tlie colony was made over to Spain, to be regained by France under 
the consulate of Napoleon. In 1803, it was purchased by the United 
States for the sum of fifteen million dollars, and the territory of Louisiana 
and commerce of the Mississippi River came under the charge of the 
United States. Although La Salle's labors ended in defeat and death, 
he had not worked and suffered in vain. He had thrown open to France 
and the world an immense and most valuable country ; had established 
several ports, and laid the foundations of more than one settlement there. 
" Peoria, Kaskaskia and Cahokia, are to this day monuments of LaSalle's 
labors ; for, though he had founded neither of them (unless Peoria, 
which was built nearly upon the site of Fort Crevecoeur,) it was by those 
whom he led into the West that these places were peopled and civilized. 
H;.' was, if not the discoverer, the first settler of the Mississippi Valley, 
and as such deserves to be known and honored." 

The French early improved the opening made for them. Before the 
year 1698, the Rev. Father Gravier began a mission among the Illinois, 
and founded Kaskaskia. For some time this Avas merely a missionary 
station, where none but natives resided, it being one of three such vil- 
lages, the other two being Cahokia and Peoria. What is known of these 
missions is learned from a letter written by Father Gabriel Marest, dated 
'" Aux Cascaskias, autrementdit de I'lmmaculate Conception de la Sainte 
Vierge, le 9 Novembre, 1712." Soon after the founding of Kaskaskia, 
the missionary, Pinet, gathered a flock at Cahokia, while Peoria arose 
near the ruins of Fort Crevecoeur. This must have been about the year 
1700. The post at Vincennes on the Oubache river, (pronounced Wa-ba, 
meaning summer cloud moving swiftly,') was established in 1702, according 
to the best authorities.* It is altogether probable that on LaSalle's last 

* There is considerable dispute about tliis date, some asserting it was founded as late as 1T42. When the 
new court house at Vincennes was erected, all authorities on the subject were carefully examined, and 1702 fixed 
upon as the correct date. It was accordingly engraved on the comer-stone of the court house. 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY 25 

trip he established the stations at Kaskaskia and Cahokia. In July, 
1701, the foundations of Fort Ponchartrain were laid by De la Motte 
Cadillac on the Detroit River. These stations, with those established 
further north, were the earliest attempts to occupy the Northwest Terri- 
tory. At the same time efforts were being made to occupy the Southwest, 
which finally culminated in the settlement and founding of the City of New 
Orleans by a colony from England in 1718. This was mainly accom- 
plished through the efforts of the famous Mississippi Company, established 
by the notorious John Law, who so quickly arose into prominence in 
France, and who with his scheme so quickly and so ignominiously passed 
away. 

From the time of the founding of these stations for fifty years the 
French nation were engrossed with the settlement of the lower Missis- 
sippi, and the war with the Chickasaws, who had, in revenge for repeated 
injuries, cut off the entire colony at Natchez. Although the company 
did little for Louisiana, as the entire West was then called, yet it opened 
the trade through the Mississippi River, and started the raising of grains 
indigenous to that climate. Until the year 1750, but little is known of 
the settlements in the Northwest, as it was not until this time that the 
attention of the English was called to the occupation of this portion of the 
New World, which they then supposed they owned. Vivier, a missionary 
among the Illinois, writing from '' Aux Illinois," six leagues from Fort 
Chartres, June 8, 1750, says: "We have here whites, negroes and 
Indians, to say nothing of cross-breeds. There are five French villages, 
and three villages of the natives, within a space of twenty-one leagues 
situated between the Mississippi and another river called the Karkadaid 
(Kaskaskias). In the five French villages, are perhaps, eleven hundred 
whites, three hundred blacks and some sixty red slaves or savages. The 
three Illinois towns do not contain more than eight hundred souls all 
~told. Most of the French till the soil ; they raise wheat, cattle, pigs and 
horses, and live like princes. Three times as much is produced as can 
be consumed ; and great quantities of grain and flour are sent to New 
Orleans." This city was now the seaport town of the Northwest, and 
save in the extreme northern part, where only furs and copper ore were 
found, almost all the products of the country found their way to France 
by the mouth of the Father of Waters. In another letter, dated Novem- 
ber 7, 1750, this same priest says : " For fifteen leagues above the 
mouth of the Mississippi one sees no dwellings, the ground being too low 
to be habitable. Thence to New Orleans, the lands are only partially 
occupied. New Orleans contains black, white and red, not. more, I 
think, than twelve hundred persons. To this point come all the lumber, 
bricks, salt-beef, tallow, tar, skins and bear's grease ; and above all, pork 



26 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

and flour from the Illinois. These things create some commerce, as forty 
vessels and more have come hither this year. Above New Orleans, 
plantations are again met with ; the most considerable is a colony of 
Germans, some ten leagues up the river. At Point Coupee, thirty-five 
leagues above the German settlement, is a fort. Along here, within five 
or six leagues, are not less than sixty habitations. Fifty leagues farther 
up is the Natchez post, where we have a garrison, who are kept prisoners 
through fear of the Chickasaws. Here and at Point Coupee, they raise 
excellent tobacco. Another hundred leagues brings us to the Arkansas, 
where we have also a fort and a garrison for the benefit of the river 
traders. * * * From the Arkansas to the Illinois, nearly five hundred 
leagues, there is not a settlement. There should be, hower, a fort at 
the Oubache (Ohio), the only path by which the English can reach the 
Mississippi. In the Illinois country are numberless mines, but no one to 
work them as they deserve." Father Marest, writing from the post at 
Vincennes in 1812, makes the same observation. Vivier also says : " Some 
individuals dig lead near the surface and supply the Indians and Canada. 
Two Spaniards now here, who claim to be adepts, say that our mines are 
like those of Mexico, and that if we would dig deeper, we should find 
silver under the lead ; and at any rate the lead is excellent. There is also 
in this country, beyond doubt, copper ore, as from time to time large 
pieces are found in the streams. 

At the close of the year 1750, the French occupied, in addition to the 
lower Mississippi posts and those in Illinois, one at Du Quesne, one at 
the Maumee in the country of the Miamas, and one at Sandusky in what 
may be termed the Ohio Valley. In the northern part of the Northwest 
they had stations at St. Joseph's on the St. Joseph's of Lake Michigan, 
at Fort Ponchartrain (Detroit), at Michillimackanac or Massillimacanac, 
Fox River at Green Bay, and at Sault Ste. Marie. The fondest dreams 
of LaSalle were now fully realized. The French alone were possessors of 
this vast realm, basing their claim on discovery and settlement. Another 
nation, however, was now turning its attention to this extensive country, 
and hearing of its wealth, began to lay plans for occupying it and for 
securing the great profits arising therefrom. 

The French, however, had another claim to this country, namely, the 



DISCOVERY OF THE OHIO. 

This " Beautiful " river was discovered by Robert Cavalier de La- 
Salle in 1669, four years before the discovery of the Mississippi by Joliet 
and Marquette. 



THE t;ORTHWEST TERRITORY. '^^ 

,0 travel -|^ -£ ae"™l\ o^: e^^^^^^ expedition, 
soon occurred which deuaea mm i learned of a river called the 

distance that it lequued ei i considered as one stream. 

„,ei,t the Mississippi and '»; "";" J^.^^ ,;„, did, that the great 

conduct them to the Ohio, but in this they were ^^W^"'^^' 

The Indians seemed unfriendly to the enterprise LaSaUe suspected 
that the Jesuits had prejudiced their n.inds ''f-" P'^'^j^ ,^^^ 

heard for the first time the distant thunder of the cataract. Arriving 
::ng the t,„ois, they met with a «endly recep^.n an^l«u.ed 

fromaShawanee prisoner that they could '^'^'^h the Ohio in sk weeks. 

Delighted with the unexpected good fortune, they made -f^y to resume 

theii iournev but just as they were about to start they heaid ot the 
'; -^fof ::o'Frenchmen in a ifeig.iboring village One of tliem P--^ 

to be Louis JoUet, afterwards famous as an explorer in the West. 



28 THE NORTHWEST TERRITOR-i:, 

had been sent by the Canadian Government to explore the copper mines 
on Lake Superior, but had failed, and was on his way back to Quebec. 
He gave the missionaries a map of the country he had explored in the 
lake region, together with an account of the condition of the Indians in 
that quarter. This induced the priests to determine on leaving the 
expedition and going to Lake Superior. LaSalle warned them that the 
Jesuits were probably occupying that field, and that they would meet 
with a cold reception. Nevertheless they persisted in their purpose, and 
after worship on the lake shore, parted from LaSalle. On arriving at 
Lake Superior, they found, as LaSalle had predicted, the Jesuit Fathers, 
Marquette and Dablon, occupying the field. 

These zealous disciples of Loyola informed them that they wanted 
no assistance from St. Sulpice, nor from those who made him their patron 
saint ; and thus repulsed, they returned to Montreal the following June 
without having made a single discovery or converted a single Indian. 

After parting with the priests, LaSalle went to the chief Iroquois 
village at Onondaga, where he obtained guides, and passing thence to a. 
tributary of the Ohio south of Lake Erie, he descended the latter as far 
as the falls at Louisville. Thus was the Ohio discovered by LaSalle, the 
persevering and successful French explorer of the West, in 1669. 

The account of the latter part of his journey is found in an anony- 
mous paper, which purports to have been taken from the lips of LaSalle 
himself during a subsequent visit to Paris. In a letter written to Count 
Frontenac in 1667, shortly after the discovery, he himself says that he 
discovered the Ohio and descended it to the falls. This was regarded as 
an indisputable fact by the French authorities, who claimed the Ohio 
Valley upon another ground. When Washington was sent by the colony 
of Virginia in 1753, to demand of Gordeur de St. Pierre why the French 
had built a fort on the Monongahela, the haughty commandant at Quebec 
replied : " We claim the country on the Ohio by virtue of the discoveries 
of LaSalle, and will not give it up to the English. Our orders are to 
make prisoners of every Englishman found trading in the Ohio Valley." 



ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 

When the new year of 1750 broke in upon the Father of Waters 
and the Great Northwest, all was still wild save at the French posts 
already described. In 1749, when the English first began to think seri- 
ously about sending men into the West, the greater portion of the States 
of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were yet 
under the dominion of the red men. The English knew, however, pretty 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 29 

conclusively of the nature of the wealth of these wilds. As early as 
1710, Governor Spotswood, of Virginia, had commenced movements to 
secure the country west of the Alleghenies to the English crown. In 
Pennsylvania, Governor Keith and James Logan, secretary of the prov- 
ince, from 1719 to 1731, represented to the powers of England the neces- 
sity of securing the Western lands. Nothing was done, however, by that 
power save to take some diplomatic steps to secure the claims of Britain 
to this unexplored wilderness. 

England had from the outset claimed from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 
on the ground that the discovery of the seacoast and its possession was a 
discovery and possession of the country, and, as is well known, hergrallts 
to the colonies extended " from sea to sea." This was not all her claim. 
She had purchased from the Indian tribes large tracts of land. This lat- 
ter was also a strong argument. As early as 1684, Lord H oward, Gov- 
ernor of Virginia, held a treaty with the six nations. These were the 
great Northern Confederacy, and comprised at first the Mohawks, Onei- 
das, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. Afterward the Tuscaroras were 
taken into the confederacy, and it became known as the Six Nations. 
They came under the protection of the mother country, and again in 
1701, they repeated the agreement, and in September, 1726, a formal deed 
was drawn up and signed by the chiefs. The validity of this claim has 
often been disputed, but never successfully. In 1741, a purchase was 
made at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, of certain lands within the " Colony of 
Virginia," for which the Indians received .£200 in gold and a like sum in 
goods, with a promise that, as settlements increased, more should be paid. 
The Commissioners from Virginia were Colonel Thomas Lee and Colonel 
William Beverly. As settlements extended, the promise of more pay was 
called to mind, and Mr. Conrad Weiser was sent across the mountains with 
presents to appease the savages. Col. Lee, and some Virginians accompa- 
nied him with the intention of sounding the Indians upon their feelings 
regarding the English. They were not satisfied with their treatment, 
and plainly told the Commissioners why. The English did not desire the 
cultivation of the country, but the monopoly of the Indian trade. In. 
1748, the Ohio Company was formed, and petitioned the king for a grant 
of land beyond the Alleghenies. This was granted, and the government 
of Virginia was ordered to grant to them a half million acres, two hun- 
dred thousand of which were to be located at once. Upon the 12th of 
June, 1749, 800,000 acres from the line of Canada north and west was 
made to the Loyal Company, and on the 29th of October, 1751, 100,000 
acres were given to the Greenbriar Company. All this time the Frencli 
were not idle. They saw that, should the British gain a foothold in the 
West, especially upon the Ohio, they might not only prevent the French 



30 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

settling upon it, but in time would come to the lower posts and so gain 
possession of the whole country. Upon the 10th of May, 1747, Vaud- 
reuil, Governor of Canada and the French possessions, well knowing the 
consequences that must arise from allowing the English to build trading 
posts in the Northwest, seized some of their frontier posts, and to further 
secure the claim of the French to the West, he, in 1749, sent Louis Cel- 
eron with a party of soldiers to plant along the Ohio River, in the mounds 
and at the mouths of its principal tributaries, plates of lead, on which 
were inscribed the claims of France. These were heard of in 1752, and 
within the memory of residents now living along the " Oyo," as the 
beautiful river was called by the French. One of these plates was found 
with the inscription partly defaced. It bears date August 16, 1749, and 
a copy of the inscription with particular account of the discovery of the 
plate, was sent by DeWitt Clinton to the American Antiquarian Society, 
among whose journals it may now be found.* These measures did not, 
however, deter the English from going on with their explorations, and 
though neither party resorted to arms, yet the conflict was gathering, and 
it was only a question of time when the storm would burst upon the 
frontier settlements. In 1750, Christopher Gist was sent by the Ohio 
Company to examine its lands. He went to a village of the Twigtwees, 
on the Miami, about one hundred and fifty miles above its mouth. He 
afterward spoke of it as very populous. From there he went down 
the Ohio River nearly to the falls at the present City of Louisville, 
and in November he commenced a survey of the Company's lands. Dur- 
ing the Winter, General Andrew Lewis performed a similar work for the 
Greenbriar Company. Meanwhile the French were busy in preparing 
their forts for defense, and in opening roads, and also sent a small party 
of soldiers to keep the Ohio clear. This party, having heard of the Eng- 
lish post on the Miami River, early in 1652, assisted by the Ottawas and 
Chippewas, attacked it, and, after a severe battle, in which fourteen of 
the natives were killed and others wounded, captured the garrison. 
(They were probably garrisoned in a block house). The traders were 
carried away to Canada, and one account says several were burned. This 
fort or post was called by the English Pickawillany. A memorial of the 
king's ministers refers to it as " Pickawillanes, in the center of the terri- 
tory between the Ohio and the Wabash. The name is probably some 
variation of Pickaway or Picqua in 1773, written by Rev. David Jones 
Pickaweke." 

* The following is a translation of the inscription on the plate: "In the year 1749, reign of Louis XV., 
King of France, we, Celeron, commandant of a detachment by Monsieur the Marquis of Gallisoniere, com- 
mander-in-chief of New France, to establish tranquility in certain Indian villages of these cantons, have 
buried this plate at the confluence of the Toradakoin, this twenty- ninth of July, near the river Ohio, otherwise 
Beautiful River, as a monument of renewal of possession which we have taken of the said river, and all its 
tributaries; inasmuch as the preceding Kings of France have enjoyed it, and maialaiued it by their arms and 
treaties; especially by those of Ryswick, Utrecht, and Aix La Chapelle." 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITOE:i:. 31 

This was the first blood shed between the French and English, and 
occurred near the present City of Piqua, Ohio, or at least at a point abou': 
forty-seven miles north of Dayton. Each nation became now more inter- 
ested in the progress of events in the Northwest. The English deter- 
mined to purchase from the Indians a title to the lands they wished to 
occupy, and Messrs. Fry (afterward Commander-in-chief over Washing- 
ton at the commencement of the French War of 1775-1763), Lomax and 
Patton were sent in the Spring of 1752 to hold a conference with the 
natives at Logstown to learn what they objected to in the treaty of Lan- 
caster already noticed, and to settle all difficulties. On the 9th of June, 
these Commissioners met the red men at Logstown, a little village on thj 
north bank of the Ohio, about seventeen miles below the site of Pitts- 
burgh. Here had been a trading point for many years, but it was aban- 
doned by the Indians in 1750. At first the Indians declined to recognize 
the treaty of Lancaster, but, the Commissioners taking aside Montour, 
the interpreter, who was a son of the famous Catharine Montour, and a 
chief among the six nations, induced him to use his influence in theij 
favor. This he did, and upon the loth of June they all united in signing 
a deed, confirming the Lancaster treaty in its full extent, consenting to a 
settlement of the southeast of the Ohio, and guaranteeing that it should 
not be disturbed by them. These were the means used to obtain the firsi 
treaty with the Indians in the Ohio Valley. 

Meanwhile the powers beyond the sea were trying to out-manoeuvre 
€ach other, and were professing to be at peace. The English generally 
outwitted the Indians, and failed in many instances to fulfill their con- 
tracts. They thereby gained the ill-will of the red men, and further 
increased the feeling by failing to provide them with arms and ammuni- 
tion. Said an old chief, at Easton, in 1758 : '' The Indians on the Ohio 
left you because of your own fault. When we heard the French were 
coming, we asked you for help and arms, but we did not get them. The 
French came, they treated us kindly, and gained our affections. The 
Governor of Virginia settled on our lands for his own benefit, and, when 
we wanted help, forsook us." 

At the beginning of 1653, the English thought they had secured by 
title the lands in the West, but the French had quietly gathered cannon 
and military stores to be in readiness for the expecte(? blow. The Eng- 
lish made other attempts to ratify these existing treaties, but not until 
the Summer could the Indians be gathered together to discuss the plans 
of the French. They had sent messages to the French, warning them 
away ; but they replied that they intended to complete the chain of forts 
already begun, and would not abandon the field. 

Soon after this, no satisfaction beiny- obtained from the Ohio recjard- 



32 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

ing the positions and purposes of the French, Governor Dinwiddle of 
Virginia determined to send to them another messenger and learn from 
them, if possible, their intentions. For this purpose he selected a young 
man, a surveyor, who, at the early age of nineteen, had received the rank 
of major, and who was thoroughly posted regarding frontier life. This 
personage was no other than the illustrious George Washington, who then 
held considerable interest in Western lands. He was at this time just 
twenty-two years of age. Taking Gist as his guide, the two, accompanied 
by four servitors, set out on their perilous march. They left Will's 
Creek on the 10th of November, 1753, and on the 22d reached the Monon- 
gahela, about ten miles above the fork. From there they went to 
Logstown, where Washington had a long conference with the chiefs of 
the Six Nations. From them he learned the condition of the French, and 
also heard of their determination not to come down the river till the fol- 
lowing Spring. The Indians were non-committal, as they were afraid to 
turn either way, and, as far as they could, desired to remain neutral. 
Washington, finding nothing could be done with them, went on ta 
Venango, an old Indian town at the mouth of French Creek. Here the 
French had a fort, called Fort Machault. Through the rum and flattery 
of the French, he nearly lost all his Indian followers. Finding nothing 
of importance here, he pursued his way amid great privations, and on the 
11th of December reached the fort at the head of French Creek. Here 
he delivered Governor Dinwiddle's letter, received his answer, took his 
observations, and on the 16th set out upon his return journey with no one 
but Gist, his guide, and a few Indians who still remained true to him, 
notwithstanding the endeavors of the French to retain them. Their 
homeward journey was one of great peril and suffering from the cold, yet 
they reached home In safety on the 6th of January, 1754. 

From the letter of St. Pierre, commander of the French fort, sent by 
Washington to Governor Dinwiddle, it was learned that the French would 
not give up without a struggle. Active preparations were at once made 
in all the English colonies for the coming conflict, while the French 
finished the fort at Venango and strengthened their lines of fortifications, 
and gathered their forces to be in readiness. 

The Old Dominion was all alive. Virginia was the center of great 
activities ; volunteers were called for, and from all the neighboring 
colonies men rallied to the conflict, and everywhere along the Potomac 
men were enlisting under the Governor's proclamation — which promised 
two hundred thousand acres on the Ohio. Along this river they were 
gathering as far as Will's Creek, and far beyond this point, whither Trent 
had come for assistance for his little band of forty-one men, who were 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 33 

working away in hunger and want, to fortify that point at the fork of 
the Ohio, to which both parties were looking with deep interest. 

'' The first birds of Spring filled the air with their song ; the swift 
river rolled by the Allegheny hillsides, swollen by the' melting snows of 
Spring and the April showers. The leaves were appearing ; a few Indian 
scouts were seen, but no enemy seemed near at hand ; and all was so quiet, 
that Frazier, an old Indian scout and trader, who had been left by Trent 
in command, ventured to his home at the mouth of Turtle Creek, ten 
miles up the Monongahela. But, though all was so quiet in that wilder- 
ness, keen eyes had seen the low intrenchment rising at the fork, and 
swift feet had borne the news of it up the river ; and upon the morning 
of the 17th of April, Ensign Ward, who then had charge of it, saw 
upon the Allegheny a sight that made his lieart sink — sixty batteaux and 
three hundred canoes filled with men, and laden deep with cannon and 
stores. * * * That evening he supped with his captor, Contrecoeur, 
and the next day he was bowed off by the Frenchman, and with his men 
and tools, marched up the Monongahela." 

The French and Indian war had begun. The treaty of Aix la 
Chapelle, in 1748, had left the boundaries between the French and 
English possessions unsettled, and the events already narrated show the 
French were determined to hold the country watered by the Mississippi 
and its tributaries ; while the English laid claims to the country by virtue 
of the discoveries of the Cabots, and claimed all the country from New- 
foundland to Florida, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The 
first decisive blow had now been struck, and the first attempt of the 
English, through the Ohio Company, to occupy these lands, had resulted 
disastrously to them. The French and Indians immediately completed 
the fortifications begun at the Fork, which they had so easily captured, 
and when completed gave to the fort the name of DuQuesne. Washing- 
ton was at Will's Creek when the news of the capture of the fort arrived. 
He at once departed to recapture it. On his way he entrenched him- 
self at a place called the " Meadows," where he erected a fort called 
by him Fort Necessity. From there he surprised and captured a force of 
French and Indians marching against him, but was soon after attacked 
in his fort by a much superior force, and was obliged to yield on the 
morning of July 4th. He was allowed to return to Virginia. 

The English Government immediately planned four campaigns ; one 
against Fort DuQuesne ; one against Nova Scotia ; one against Fort 
Niagara, and one against Crown Point. These occurred during 1755-6, 
and were not successful in driving the French from their possessions. 
The expedition against Fort DuQuesne was led by the famous General 
Braddock, who, refusing to listen to the advice of Washington and those 



34 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

acquainted with Indian warfare, suffered such an inglorious defeat. This 
occurred on the morning of July 9th, and is generally known as the battle 
of Monongahela, or " Braddock's Defeat." The war continued with 
A arious vicissitudes through the years 1756-7 ; when, at the commence- 
ment of 1758, in accordance with the plans of William Pitt, then Secre- 
tary of State, afterwards Lord Chatham, active preparations were made to 
carry on the war. Three expeditions were planned for this year : one, 
under General Amherst, against Louisburg ; another, under Abercrombie, 
against Fort Ticonderoga ; and a third, under General Forbes, against 
Fort DuQuesne. On the 26th of July, Louisburg surrendered after a 
desperate resistance of more than forty days, and the eastern part of the 
Canadian possessions fell into the hands of the British. Abercrombie 
captured Fort Frontenac, and when the expedition against Fort DuQuesne, 
of which Washington had the active command, arrived there, it was 
found in flames and deserted. The English at once took possession, 
rebuilt the fort, and in honor of their illustrious statesman, changed the 
name to Fort Pitt. 

The great object of the campaign of 1759, was the reduction of 
Canada. General Wolfe was to lay siege to Quebec ; Amherst was to 
reduce Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and General Prideaux was to 
capture Niagara. This latter place was taken in July, but the gallant 
Prideaux lost his life in the attempt. Amherst captured Ticonderoga 
and Crown Point without a blow ; and Wolfe, after making the memor- 
able ascent to the Plains of Abraham, on September 13th, defeated 
Montcalm, and on the 18th, the city capitulated. In this engagement 
Montcolm and Wolfe both lost their lives. De Levi, Montcalm's successor, 
marched to Sillery, three miles above the city, with the purpose of 
defeating the English, and there, on the 28th of the following April, was 
fought one of the bloodiest battles of the French and Indian War. It 
resulted in the defeat of the French, and the fall of the City of Montreal. 
Tlie Governor signed a capitulation by which the whole of Canada was 
surrendered to the English. This practically concluded the war, but it 
was not until 1763 that the treaties of peace between France and England 
Avere signed. This was done on the 10th of February of that year, and 
under its provisions all the country east of the Mississippi and north of 
the Iberville River, in Louisiana, were ceded to England. At the same 
time Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain. 

On the 13th of September, 1760, Major Robert Rogers was sent 
from Montreal to take charge of Detroit, the only remaining French post 
in the territory. He arrived there on the 19th of November, and sum- 
moned the place to surrender. At first the commander of the post, 
Beletre, refused, but on the 29th, hearing of the continued defeat of the 



THE NORTHWEST TERKITORY. 



35 



French arms, surrendered. Rogers remained there until December 28d 
under the personal protection of the celebrated chief, Pontiac, to whom, 
no doubt, he owed his safety.* Pontiac had come here to inquire the 
purposes of the EngUsh in taking possession of the country. He was 
assured that they came simply to trade with the natives, and did not 
desire their country. This answer conciliated the savages, and did much 
to insure the safety of Rogers and his party during their stay, and while 
on their journey home. 

Rogers set out for Fort Pitt on December 23, and was just one 
month on the way. His route was from Detroit to Maumee, thence 
across the present State of Ohio directly to the fort. This was the com- 
mon trail of the Indians in their journeys from Sandusky to the fork of 
the Ohio. It went from Fort Sandusky, where Sandusky City now is, 
crossed the Huron river, then called Bald Eagle Creek, to " Mohickon 
John's Town" on Mohickon Creek, the northern branch of White 
Woman's River, and thence crossed to Beaver's Town, a Delaware town 
on what is now Sandy Creek. At Beaver's Town were probably one 
hundred and fifty warriors, and not less than three thousand acres of 
cleared land. From there the track went up Sandy Creek to and across 
Big Beaver, and up the Ohio to Logstown, thence on to the fork. 

The Northwest Territory was now entirely under the English rule. 
New settlements began to be rapidly made, and the promise of a large 
trade was speedily manifested. Had the British carried out their promises 
with the natives none of those savage butcheries would have been perpe- 
trated, and the country would have been spared their recital. 

The renowned chief, Pontiac, was one of the leading spirits in these 
atrocities. We will now pause in our narrative, and notice the leading 
events in his life. The earliest authentic information regarding this 
noted Indian chief is learned from an account of an Indian trader named 
Alexander Henry, who, in the Spring of 1761, penetrated his domains as 
far as Missillimacnac. Pontiac was then a great friend of the French, 
but a bitter foe of the English, whom he considered as encroaching on his 
hunting grounds. Henry was obliged to disguise himself as a Canadian 
to insure saiety, but was discovered by Pontiac, who bitterly reproached 
him and the English for their attempted subjugation of the West. He 
declared that no treaty had been made with them ; no presents sent 
them, and that he would resent any possession of the West by that nation. 
He was at the time about fifty years of age, tall and dignified, and was 
civil and military ruler of the Ottawas, Ojibwas and Pottawatamies. 

The Indians, from Lake Michigan to the borders of North Carohna, 
were united in this feeling, and at the time of the treaty of Paris, ratified 
February 10, 1763, a general conspiracy was formed to fall suddenly 



3(3 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

upon the frontier British posts, and with one blow strike every man dead. 
Pontiac was the marked leader in all this, and was the commander 
of the Chippewas, Ottawas, Wyandots, Miamis, Shawanese, Delawares 
and Mingoes, who had, for the time, laid aside their local quarrels to unit© 
in this enterprise. 

The blow came, as near as can now be ascertained, on May 7, 1768. 
Nine British posts fell, and the Indians drank, " scooped up in the hollow 
of joined hands," the blood of many a Briton. 

Pontiac's immediate field of action was the garrison at Detroit. 
Here, however, the plans were frustrated by an Indian woman disclosing 
the plot the evening previous to his arrival. Everything was carried out, 
however, according to Pontiac's plans until the moment of action, when 
Major Gladwyn, the commander of the post, stepping to one of the Indian 
chiefs, suddenly drew aside his blanket and disclosed the concealed 
musket. Pontiac, though a brave man, turned pale and trembled. He 
saw his plan was known, and that the garrison were prepared. He 
endeavored to exculpate himself from any such intentions ; but the guilt 
was evident, and he and his followers were dismissed with a severe 
reprimand, and warned never to again enter the walls of the post. 

Pontiac at once laid siege to the fort, and until the treaty of peace 
between the British and the Western Indians, concluded in August, 1764, 
continued to harass and besiege the fortress. He organized a regular 
commissariat department, issued bills of credit written out on bark, 
which, to his credit, it may be stated, were punctually redeemed. At 
the conclusion of the treaty, in which it seems he took no part, he went 
further south, living many yeass among the Illinois. 

He had given up all hope of saving his country and race. After a 
time he endeavored to unite the Illinois tribe and those about St. Louis 
in a war with the whites. His efforts were fruitless, and only ended in a 
quarrel between himself and some Kaskaskia Indians, one of whom soon 
afterwards killed him. His death was, however, avenged by the northern 
Indians, who nearly exterminated the Illinois in the wars which followed. 
Had it not been for the treachery of a few of his followers, his plan 
for the extermination of the whites, a masterly one, would undoubtedly 
have been carried out. 

It was in the Spring of the year following Rogers' visit that Alex- 
ander Henry went to Missillimacnac, and everywhere found the strongest 
feelings against the English, who had not carried out their promises, and 
were doing nothing to conciliate the natives. Here he met the chief, 
Pontiac, who, after conveying to him in a speech the idea that their 
French father would awake soon and utterly destroy his enemies, said: 
"• Englishman, although you have conquered the French, you have not 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. -37 

yet conquered us ! We are not your slaves I These lakes, these woods, 
these mountains, were left us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, 
and we will part with them to none. Your nation supposes that we, like 
the white people, can not live without bread and pork and beef. But you 
ought to know that He, the Great Spirit and Master of Life, has provided 
food for us upon these broad lakes and in these mountains." 

He then spoke of the fact that no treaty had been made with them, 
no presents sent them, and that he and his people were yet for war. 
Such were the feelings of the Northwestern Indians immediately after 
the English took possession of their country. These feelings were no 
doubt encouraged by the Canadians and French, who hoped that yet the 
French arms might prevail. The treaty of Paris, however, gave to the 
English the right to this vast domain, and active preparations were going 
on to occupy it and enjoy its trade and emoluments. 

In 1762, France, by a secret treaty, ceded Louisiana to Spain, to pre- 
vent it falling into the hands of the English, who were becoming masters 
of the entire West. The next year the treaty of Paris, signed at Fon- 
tainbleau, gave to the English the domain of the country in question. 
Twenty years after, by the treaty of peace between the United States 
and England, that part of Canada lying south and west of the Great 
Lakes, comprehending a large territory which is the subject of these 
sketches, was acknowledged to be a portion of the United States ; and 
twenty years still later, in 1803, Louisiana was ceded by Spain back to 
France, and by France sold to the United States. 

In the half century, from the building of the Fort of Crevecoeur by 
LaSalle, in 1680, up to the erection of Fort Chartres, many French set- 
tlements had been made in that quarter. These have already been 
noticed, being those at St. Vincent (Vincennes), Kohokia or Cahokia, 
Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher, on the American Bottom, a large tract 
of rich alluvial soil in Illinois, on the Mississippi, opposite the site of St. 

Louis. 

By the treaty of Paris, the regions east of the Mississippi, including 
all these and other towns of the Northwest, were given over to England; 
but they do not appear to have been taken possession of until 1765, when 
Captain Stirling, in the name of the Majesty of England, established him- 
self at Fort Chartres bearing with him the proclamation of General Gage, 
dated December 30, 1764, which promised religious freedom to all Cath- 
olics who worshiped here, and a right to leave the country with their 
effects if they wished, or to remain with the privileges of Englishmen. 
It was shortly after the occupancy of the West by the British that the 
war with Pontiac opened. It is already noticed in the sketch of that 
chieftain. By it many a Briton lost his hfe, and many a frontier settle- 



38 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

ment in its infancy ceased to exist. This was not ended until the year 
1764, when, failing to capture Detroit, Niagara and Fort Pitt, his confed- 
(Tacy became disheartened, and, receiving no aid from the French, Pon- 
tiac abandoned the enterprise and departed to the Illinois, among whom, 
he afterward lost his life. 

As soon as these difficulties were definitely settled, settlers began 
rapidly to survey the country and prepare for occupation. During the 
year 1770, a number of persons from Virginia and other British provinces 
explored and marked out nearly all the valuable lands on the Mononga- 
hela and along the banks of the Ohio as far as the Little Kanawha. This, 
was followed by another exploring expedition, in which George Washing- 
ton was a party. The latter, accompanied by Dr. Craik, Capt. Crawford 
and others, on the 20th of October, 1770, descended the Ohio from Pitts- 
burgh to the mouth of the Kanawha ; ascended that stream about fourteen 
miles, marked out several large tracts of land, shot several buffalo, which 
were then abundant in the Ohio Valley, and returned to the fort. 

Pittsburgh was at this time a trading post, about which was clus- 
tered a village of some twenty houses, inhabited by Indian traders. This 
same year, Capt. Pittman visited Kaskaskia and its neighboring villages. 
He found there about sixty-five resident families, and at Cahokia only 
forty-five dwellings. At Fort Chartres was another small settlement, and 
jit Detroit the garrison were quite prosperous and strong. For a year 
or two settlers continued to locate near some of these posts, generally 
Fort Pitt or Detroit, owing to the fears of the Indians, who still main- 
tained some feelings of hatred to the English. The trade from the posts 
was quite good, and from those in Illinois large quantities of pork and 
flour found their way to the New Orleans market. At this time the 
policy of the British Government was strongly opposed to the extension 
of the colonies west. In 1763, the King of England forbade, by royal 
proclamation, his colonial subjects from making a settlement beyond the 
sources of the rivers which fall into the Atlantic Ocean. At the instance 
of the Board of Trade, measures were taken to prevent the settlement 
without the limits prescribed, and to retain the commerce within easy 
reach of Great Britain. 

The commander-in-chief of the king's forces wrote in 1769 : " In the 
course of a few years necessity will compel the colonists, should they 
extend their settlements west, to provide manufactures of some kind for 
themselves, and when all connection upheld by commerce with the mother 
country ceases, an independency in their government will soon follow." 

In accordance with this policy. Gov. Gage issued a proclamation, 
ill 1772, commanding the inhabitants of Vincennes to abandon their set- 
tlements and join some of the Eastern English colonies. To this they 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 39 

strenuously objected, giving good reasons therefor, and were allowed to 
remain. The strong opposition to this policy of Great Britain led to its 
change, and to such a course as to gain the attachment of the French 
population. In December, 1773, influential citizens of Quebec petitioned 
the king for an extension of the boundary lines of that province, which 
was granted, and Parliament passed an act on June 2, 1774, extend- 
ing the boundary so as to include the territory lying within the present 
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. 

In consequence of the liberal policy pursued by the British Govern- 
ment toward the French settlers in the West, they were disposed to favor 
that nation in the war which soon followed with the colonies ; but the 
early alliance between France and America soon brought them to the side 
of the war for independence. 

In 1774, Gov. Dunmore, of Virginia, began to encourage emigration 
to the Western lands. He appointed magistrates at Fort Pitt under the 
pretense that the fort was under the government of that commonwealth. 
One of these justices, John Connelly, who possessed a tract of land in the 
Ohio Vallc} , gathered a force of men and garrisoned the fort, calling it 
Fort Dunmore. This and other parties were formed to select sites for 
settlements, and often came in conflict with the Indians, who yet claimed 
portions of the valley, and several battles followed. These ended in the 
famous battle of Kanawha in July, where the Indians were defeated and 
driven across the Ohio. 

During the years 1775 and 1776, by the operations of land companies 
and the perseverance of individuals, several settlements were firmly estab- 
lished between the Alleghanies and the Ohio River, and western land 
speculators were busy in Illinois and on the Wabash. At a council held 
in Kaskaskia on July 5, 1773, an association of English traders, calling 
themselves the " Illinois Land Company," obtained from ten chiefs of the 
Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Peoria tribes two large tracts of land lying on 
the east side of the Mississippi River south of the Illinois. In 1775, a mer- 
chant from the Illinois Country, named Viviat, came to Post Vincennes 
as the agent of the association called the " Wabash Land Company." On 
the 8th of October he obtained from eleven Piankeshaw chiefs, a deed for 
37,497,600 acres of land. This deed was signed by the grantors, attested 
by a number of the inhabitants of Vincennes, and afterward recorded in 
the office of a notary public at Kaskaskia. This and other land com- 
panies had extensive schemes for the colonization of the West ; but all 
were frustrated by the breaking out of the Revolution. On the 20th ot 
April, 1780, the two companies named consolidated under the name of the 
" United Illinois and Wabash Land Company." They afterward made 



40 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

Strenuous efforts to have these grants sanctioned by Congress, but all 
signally failed. 

When the War of the Revolution commenced, Kentucky was an unor- 
ganized country, though there were several settlements within her borders. 

In Hutchins' Topography of Virginia, it is stated that at that time 
" Kaskaskia contained 80 houses, and nearly 1,000 white and black in- 
habitants — the whites being a little the more numerous. Cahokia con- 
tains 50 houses and 300 white inhabitants, and 80 negroes. There were 
east of the Mississippi River, about* the year 1771 " — when these observa- 
tions were made — " 300 white men capable of bearing arms, and 230 
negroes.'' 

From 1775 until the expedition of Clark, nothing is recorded and 
nothing known of these settlements, save what is contained in a report 
made by a committee to Congress in June, 1778. From it the following 
extract is made : 

" Near the mouth of the River Kaskaskia, there is a village which 
appears to have contained nearly eighty families from the beginning of 
the late revolution. There are twelve families in a small village at la 
Prairie du Rochers, and near fifty families at the Kahokia Village. There 
are also four or five families at Fort Chartres and St. Philips, which is five 
miles further up the river." 

St. Louis had been settled in February, 1764, and at this time con- 
tained, including its neighboring towns, over six hundred whites and one 
hundred and fifty negroes. It must be remembered that all the country 
west of the Mississippi was now under French rule, and remained so until 
ceded again to Spain, its original owner, who afterwards sold it and the 
country including New Orleans to the United States. At Detroit there 
were, according to Capt. Carver, who was in the Northwest from 1766 to 
1768, more than one hundred houses, and the river was settled for more 
than twenty miles, although poorly cultivated — the people being engaged 
in the Indian trade. This old town has a history, which we will here 
relate. 

It is the oldest town in the Northwest, having been founded by 
Antoine de Lamotte Cadillac, in 1701. It was laid out in the form of an 
oblong square, of two acres in length, and an acre and a half in width. 
As described by A. D. Frazer, who first visited it and became a permanent 
resident of the place, in 1778, it comprised within its limits that space 
between Mr. Palmer's store (Conant Block) and Capt. Perkins' house 
(near the Arsenal building), and extended back as far as the public barn, 
and was bordered in front by 'the Detroit River. It was surrounded by 
oak and cedar pickets, about fifteen feet long, set in the ground, and had 
four gates — east, west, north and south. Over the first three of these 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 41 

gates were block houses provided with four guns apiece, each a six- 
pounder. Two six-gun batteries were planted fronting the river and in a 
parallel direction with the block houses. There were four streets running 
east and west, the main street being twenty feet wide and the rest fifteen 
feet, while the four streets crossing these at right angles were from ten 
to fifteen feet in width. 

At the date spoken of by Mr. Frazer, there was no fort within the 
enclosure, but a citadel on the ground corresponding to the present 
northwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Wayne Street. The citadel was 
inclosed by pickets, and within it were erected barracks of wood, two 
stories high, sufficient to contain ten officers, and also barracks sufficient 
to contain four hundred men, and a provision store built of brick. The 
citadel also contained a hospital and guard-house. The old town of 
Detroit, in 1778, contained about sixty houses, most of them one story, 
with a few a story and a half in height. They were all of logs, some 
hewn and some round. There was one building of splendid appearance, 
called the " King's Palace," two stories high, which stood near the east 
gate. It was built for Governor Hamilton, the first governor commissioned 
by the British. There were two guard-houses, one near the west gate and 
the other near the Government House. Each of the guards consisted of 
twenty-four men and a subaltern, who mounted regularly every morning 
between nine and ten o'clock. Each furnished four sentinels, who were 
relieved every two hours. There was also an officer of the day, who p jr- 
formed strict duty. Each of the gates was shut regularly at sunset , 
even wicket gates were shut at nine o'clock, and all the keys were 
delivered into the hands of the commanding officer. They were opened 
in the morning at sunrise. No Indian or squaw was permitted to enter 
town with any weapon, such as a tomahawk or a knife. It was a stand- 
ing order that the Indians should deliver their arms and instruments of 
every kind before they were permitted to pass the sentinel, and they were 
restored to them on their return. No more than twenty-five Indians were 
allowed to enter the town at any one time, and they were admitted only 
at the east and west gates. At sundown the drums beat, and all the 
Indians were required to leave town instantly. There was a council house 
near the water side for the purpose of holding council with the Indians. 
The population of the town was about sixty families, in all about two 
hundred males and one hundred females. This town was destroyed by 
fire, all except one dwelling, in 1805. After which the present "new " 
town was laid out. 

On the breaking out of the Revolution, the British held every post of 
importance in the West. Kentucky was formed as a component part of 
Virginia, and the sturdy pioneers of the West, alive to their interests, 



/■J THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

Lzid recognizing the great benefits of obtaining the control of the trade in 
.his part of the New World, held steadily to their purposes, and those 
within the commonwealth of Kentucky proceeded to exercise their 
civil privileges, by electing John Todd and Richard Gallaway, 
burgesses to represent them in the Assembly of the parent state. 
Early in September of that year (1777) the first court was held 
in Harrodsburg, and Col. Bowman, afterwards major, who had arrived 
ill August, was made the commander of a militia organization which 
had been commenced the March previous. Thus the tree of loyalty 
was growing. The chief spirit in this far-out colony, who had represented 
her the year previous east of the mountains, was now meditating a move 
iniequaled in its boldness. He had been watching the movements of the 
British throughout the Northwest, and understood their whole plan. Ht 
caw it was through their possession of the posts at Detroit, Vincennes, 
Kaskaskia, and other places, which would give them constant and easy 
access to the various Indian tribes in the Northwest, that the British 
intended to penetrate the country from the north and soucn, ana annihi- 
late the frontier fortresses. This moving, energetic man was Colonel, 
afterwards General, George Rogers Clark. He knew the Indians were not 
unanimously in accord with the English, and he was convinced that, could 
the British be defeated and expelled from the Northwest, the natives 
might be easily awed into neutrality ; and by spies sent for the purpose, 
he satisfied himself that the enterprise against the Illinois settlements 
might easily succeed. Having convinced himself of the certainty of the 
project, he repaired to the Capital of Virginia, which place he reached on 
November 5th. While he was on his way, fortunately, on October 17th, 
Burgoyne had been defeated, and the spirits of the colonists greatly 
encouraged thereby. Patrick Henry was Governor of Virginia, and at 
once entered heartily into Clark's plans. The same plan had before been 
agitated in the Colonial Assemblies, but there was no one until Clark 
came who was sufficiently acquainted with the condition of affairs at the 
scene of action to be able to guide them. 

Clark, having satisfied the Vii-ginia leaders of the feasibility of his 
plan, received, on the 2d of January, two sets of instructions — one secret, 
the other open — the latter authorized him to proceed to enlist seven 
companies to go to Kentucky, subject to his orders, and to serve three 
months from their arrival in the West. The secret order authorized him 
to arm these troops, to procure his powder and lead of General Hand 
at Pittsburgh, and to proceed at once to subjugate the country. 

With these instructions Clark repaired to Pittsburgh, choosing rather 
to raise his men west of the mountains, as he well knew all were needed 
in the colonies in the conflict there. He sent Col. Wc B. Smith to Hoi- 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 43 

stou for the same purpose, but neither succeeded in raising the required 
number of men. The settlers in these parts were afraid to leave their 
own firesides exposed to a vigilant foe, and but few could be induced to 
join the proposed expedition. With three companies and several private 
volunteers, Clark at length commenced his descent of the Ohio, which he 
navigated as far as the Falls, where he took possession of and fortified 
Corn Island, a small island between the present Cities of Louisville, 
Kentucky, and New Albany, Indiana. Remains of this fortification may 
yet be found. At this place he appointed Col. Bowman to meet him 
with such recruits as had reached Kentucky by the southern route, and 
as many as could be spared from the station. Here he announced lo 
the men their real destination. Having completed his arrangements, 
and chosen his party, he left a small garrison upon the isl&nd, and on the 
24th of June, during a total eclipse of the sun, which to them augured 
no good, and which fixes beyond dispute the date of starting, he with 
his chosen band, fell down the river. His plan was to go by water as 
far as Fort Massac or Massacre, and thence march direct to Kaskaskia. 
Here he intended to surprise the garrison, and after its capture go to 
Cahokia, then to Vincennes, and lastly to Detroit. Should he fail, he 
intended to march directly to the Mississij)pi River and cross it into the 
Spanish country. Before his start he received two good items of infor- 
mation : one that the alliance had been formed between France and the 
United States ; and the other that the Indians throughout the Illinois 
country and the inhabitants, at the various frontier posts, had been led to 
believe by the British that the " Long Knives" or Virginians, were the 
most fierce, bloodthirsty and cruel savages that ever scalped a foe. With 
this impression on their minds, Clark saw that proper management would 
cause them to submit at once from fear, if surprised, and then from grati- 
tude would become friendly if treated with unexpected leniency. 

The march to Kaskaskia was accomplished through a hot July sun, 
and the town reached on the evening of July 4. He captured the fort 
near the village, and soon after the village itself by surprise, and without 
the loss of a single man or by killing any of the enemy. After sufficiently 
working upon the fears of the natives, Clark told them they were at per- 
fect liberty to worship as they pleased, and to take whichever side of tlie 
great conflict they would, also he would protect them from any barbarity 
from British or Indian foe. This had the desired effect, and the inhab- 
itants, so unexpectedly and so gratefully surprised by the unlocked 
for turn of affairs, at once swore allegiance to the American arms, and 
when Clark desired to go to Cahokia on the 6th of July, they accom- 
panied him, and through their influence the inhabitants of the place 
surrendered, and gladly placed themselves under his protection. Thus 



44 THE NORTHWEST TERRITOKY. 

the two important posts in Illinois passed from the hands of the English 
into the possession of Virginia. 

In the person of the priest at Kaskaskia, M. Gibault, Clark found a 
powerful ally and generous friend. Clark saw that, to retain possession 
of the Northwest and treat successfully with the Indians within its boun- 
daries, he must establish a government for the colonies he had taken. 
St. Vincent, the next important post to Detroit, remained yet to be taken 
before the Mississippi Valley was conquered. M. Gibault told him that 
he would alone, by persuasion, lead Vincennes to throw off its connection 
with England. Clark gladly accepted his offer, and on the 14th of July, 
in company with a fellow-townsman, M. Gibault started on his mission of 
peace, and on the 1st of August returned with the cheerful intelligence 
that the post on the " Oubache " had taken the oath of allegiance to 
the Old Dominion. During this interval, Clark established his courts, 
placed garrisons at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, successfully re-enlisted his 
men, sent word" to have a fort, which proved the germ of Louisville, 
erected at the Falls of the Ohio, and dispatched Mr. Rocheblave, who 
had been commander at Kaskaskia, as a prisoner of war to Richmond. 
In October the County of Illinois was established by the Legislature 
of Virginia, John Todd appointed Lieutenant Colonel and Civil Governor, 
and in November General Clark and his men received the thanks of 
the Old Dominion through their Legislature. 

In a speech a few days afterward, Clark made known fully to the 
natives his plans, and at its close all came forward and swore alle- 
giance to the Long Knives. While he was doing this Governor Hamilton, 
having made his various arrangements, had left Detroit and moved down 
the Wabash to Vincennes intending to operate from that point in reducing 
the Illinois posts, and then proceed on down to Kentucky and drive the 
rebels from the West. Gen. Clark had, on the return of M. Gibault, 
dispatched Captain Helm, of Fauquier County, Virginia, with an attend- 
ant named Henry, across the Illinois prairies to command the fort. 
Hamilton knew nothing of the capitulation of the post, and was greatly 
surprised on his arrival to be confronted by Capt. Helm, who, standing at 
the entrance of the fort by a loaded cannon ready to fire upon his assail- 
ants, demanded upon what terms Hamilton demanded possession of the 
fort. ' Being granted the rights of a prisoner of war, he surrendered to 
the British General, who could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the 
force in the garrison. 

Hamilton, not realizing the character of the men with whom he was 
contending, gave up his intended campaign for the Winter, sent his four 
hundred Indian warriors to prevent troops from coming down the Ohio» 




fAM^tiuS '^Ac<M^ 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 45 

and to annoy the Americans in all ways, and sat quietly down to pass the 
Winter. Information of all these proceedings having reached Clark, he 
saw that immediate and decisive action was necessary, and that unless 
he captured Hamilton, Hamilton would capture him. Clark received the 
news on the 29th of January, 1779, and on February 4th, having suffi- 
ciently garrisoned Kaskaskia and Cahokia, he sent down the Mississippi 
a " battoe," as Major Bowman writes it, in order to ascend the Ohio and 
Wabash, and operate with the land forces gathering for the fray. 

On the next day, Clark, with his little force of one hundred and 
twenty men, set out for the post, and after incredible hard marching 
through much mud, the ground being thawed by the incessant spring 
rains, on the 22d reached the fort, and being joined by his " battoe," at 
once commenced the attack on the post. The aim of the American back- 
woodsman was unerring, and on the 24th the garrison surrendered to the 
intrepid boldness of Clark. The French were treated with great kind- 
ness, and gladly renewed their allegiance to Virginia. Hamilton was 
sent as a prisoner to Virginia, where he was kept in close confinement. 
During his command of the British frontier posts, he had offered prizes 
to the Indians for all the scalps of Americans they would bring to him, 
and had earned in consequence thereof the title " Hair-buyer General/' 
by which he was ever afterward known. 

Detroit was now without doubt within easy reach of the enterprising 
Virginian, could he but raise the necessary force. Governor Henry being 
apprised of this, promised him the needed reinforcement, and Clark con- 
cluded to wait until he could capture and sufficiently garrison the posts. 
Had Clark failed in this bold undertaking, and Hamilton succeeded in 
uniting the western Indians for the next Spring's campaign, the West 
would indeed have been swept from the Mississippi to the Allegheny 
Mountains, and the great blow struck, which had been contemplated from 
the commencement, by the British. 

" But for this small army of dripping, but fearless Virginians, the 
union of all the tribes from Georgia to Maine against the colonies might 
have been effected, and the whole current of our history changed." 

At this time some fears were entertained by the Colonial Govern- 
ments that the Indians in the North and Northwest were inclining to the 
British, and under the instructions of Washington, now Commander-in- 
Chief of the Colonial army, and so bravely fighting for American inde- 
pendjence, armed forces were sent against the Six Nations, and upon the 
Ohio frontier, Col. Bowman, acting under the same general's orders, 
marched against Indians within the present limits of that State. These 
expeditions were in the main successful, and the Indians were compelled 
to sue for peace. 



4t3 * THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

During this same year (1779) the famous " Land Laws" of Virginia 
were passed. The passage of these laws was of more consequence to the 
pioneers of Kentucky and the Northwest than the gaining of a few Indian 
conflicts. These laws confirmed in main all grants made, and guaranteed 
to all actual settlers their rights and privileges). After providing for the 
settlers, the laws provided for selling the balance of the public lands at 
forty cents per acre. To carry the Land Laws into effect, the Legislature 
sent four*Virginians westward to attend to the various claims, over many 
of which great confusion prevailed concerning their validity. These 
gentlemen opened their court on October 13, 1779, at St. Asaphs, and 
continued until April 26, 1780, when they adjourned, having decided 
three ^thousand claims. They were succeeded by the surveyor, who 
came in the person of Mr. George May, and assumed his duties on the 
10th day of the month whose name he bore. With the opening of the 
next year (1780) the troubles concerning the navigation of the Missis- 
sippi commenced. The Spanish Government exacted such measures in 
relation to its trade as to cause the overtures made to the United St*ates 
to be rejected. The American Government considered they had a right 
to navigate its channel. To enforce their claims, a fort was erected below 
the mouth of the Ohio on the Kentucky side of the river. The settle- 
ments in Kentucky were being rapidly filled by emigrants. It was dur- 
ing this year that the first seminary of learning was established in the 
West in this young and enterprising Commonwealth. 

The settlers here did not look upon the building of this fort in a 
friendly manner, as it aroused the hostility of the Indians. Spain had 
been friendly to the Colonies during their struggle for independence, 
and though for a while this friendship appeared in danger from the 
refusal of the free navigation of the river, yet it was finally settled to the 
satisfaction of both nations. 

The Winter of 1779-80 was one of the most unusually severe ones 
ever experienced in the West. The Indians always referred to it as the 
*' Great Cold." Numbers of wild animals perished, and not a few 
pioneers lost their lives. The following Summer a party of Canadians 
and Indians attacked St. Louis, and attempted to take possession of it 
in consequence of the friendly disposition of Spain to the revolting- 
colonies. They met with such a determined resistance on the part of tlie 
inhabitants, even the women taking part in the battle, that they weie 
compelled to abandon the contest. They also made an attack on the 
settlements in Kentucky, but, becoming alarmed in some unaccountable 
manner, they fled the country in great haste. 

About this time arose the question in the Colonial Congress con- 
cerning the western lands claimed by Virginia, New York, Massachusetts 




»^1i^ 



1/ 




^^^^ ^V^t'Cu^yy^y^-^'^jXt^^ 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 4^ 

and Connecticut. The agitation concerning this subject finally led New 
York, on the 19th of February, 1780, to pass a law giving to the dele- 
gates of that State in Congress the power to cede her western lands for 
the benefit of the United States. This law was laid before Congress 
during the next month, but no steps were taken concerning it until Sep- 
tember 6tli, when a resolution passed that body calling upon the States 
claiming western lands to release their claims in favor of the whole body. 
This basis formed the union, and was the first after all of those legislative 
measures which resulted in the creation of the States of Ohio, Indiana, 
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In December of the same 
year, the plan of conquering Detroit again arose. The conquest might 
have easily been effected by Clark had the necessary aid been furnished 
him. Nothing decisive was done, yet the heads of the Government knew 
that the safety of the Northwest from British invasion lay in the capture 
and retention of that important post., the only unconquered one in the 
territory. 

Before the close of the year, Kentucky was divided into the Coun- 
ties of Lincoln, Fayette and Jefferson, and the act establishing the Town 
of Louisville was passed. This same year is also noted in the annals of 
American history as the year in which occurred Arnold's treason to the 
United States. 

Virginia, in accordance with the resolution of Congress, on the 2d 
day of January, 1781, agreed to yield her western lands to the United 
States upon certain conditions, which Congress would not accede to, and 
the Act of Cession, on the part of the Old Dominion, failed, nor was 
anything farther done until 1783. During all that time the Colonies 
were busily engaged in the struggle with the mother country, and in 
consequence thereof but little heed was given to the western settlements. 
Upon the 4th of July, 1773, the first birth north of the Ohio River of 
American parentage occurred, being that of John L. Roth, son of John 
Roth, one of the Moravian missionaries, whose band of Christian Indians 
suifered in after years a horrible massacre by the hands of the frontier 
settlers, who had been exasperated by the murder of several of their 
neighbors, and in their rage committed, without regard to humanity, a 
deed which forever afterward cast a shade of shame upon their lives. 
For this and kindred outrages on the part of the whites, the Indians 
committed many deeds of cruelty which darken the years of 1771 and 
1772 in the history of the Northwest. 

During the year 1782 a number of battles among the Indians and 
frontiersmen occurred, and between the Moravian Indians and the Wyan- 
dots. In these, horrible acts of cruelty were practised on the captives, 
many of such dark deeds transpiring under the leadership of the notorious 



50 . THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

frontier outlaw, Simon Girty, whose name, as well as those of his brothers, 
was a terror to women and children. These occurred chiefly in the Ohio 
valleys. Cotemporary with them were several engagements in Kentucky^ 
in which the famous Daniel Boone engaged, and who, often by his skill 
and knowledge of Indian warfare, saved the outposts Irom cruel destruc- 
tion. By the close of the year victory had perched upon the American 
banner, and on the 30th of November, provisional articles of peace had 
been arranged between the Commissioners of England and her uncon- 
querable colonies. Cornwallis had been defeated on the 19th of October 
preceding, and the liberty of America was assured. On the 19th of 
April following, the anniversary of the battle of Lexington, peace was 
proclaimed to the army of the United States, and on the M of the next 
September, the definite treaty which ended our revolutionary struggle 
was concluded. By the terms of that treaty, the boundaries of the West 
were as follows: Ou the north the line was to extend along the center of 
the Great Lakes ; from the western point of Lake Superior to Long Lake ; 
thence to the Lake of the Woods ; thence to the head of the Mississippi 
River ; down its center to the 31st parallel of latitude, then on that line 
east to the head of the Appalachicola River ; down its center to its junc- 
tion with the Flint ; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's River, and 
thence down along its center to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Following the cessation of hostilities with England, several posts 
were still occupied by the British in the North and West. Among these 
was Detroit, still in the hands of the enemy. Numerous engagements 
with the Indians throughout Ohio and Indiana occurred, upon whose 
lands adventurous whites would settle ere the title had* been acquired by 
the proper treaty. 

To remedy this latter evil. Congress appointed commissioners to 
treat with the natives and purchase their lands, and prohibited the settle- 
ment of the territory uutil this could be done. Before the close of the 
jiear another attempt was made to capture Detroit, which was, however, 
not pushed, and Virginia, no longer feeling the interest in the Northwest 
she had formerly done, withdrew her troops, having on the 20th of 
December preceding authorized the whole of her possessions to be deeded 
to the United States. Tliis was done on the 1st of March following, and 
the Northwest Territory passed from the control of the Old Dominion. 
To Gen. Clark and his soldiers, however, she gave a tract of one hundred 
and fifty thousand acres of land, to be situated any where north of the 
Ohio wherever they choose to locate them. They selected the region 
opposite the falls of the Ohio, where is now the dilapidated village of 
Clarksville, about midway between the cities of New Albany and Jeffer- 
son ville, Indiana. 



THE NOllTHWEST TEilHiTORY. 51 

While the frontier remained thus, and Gen. Haldimand at Detroit 
refused to evacuate, alleging that he had no orders from his King to do 
so, settlers were rapidly gathering about the inland forts. In the Spring^ 
of 1784, Pittsburgh was regularly laid out, and from the journal of Arthur 
Lee, who passed through the town soon after on his way to the Indian, 
council at Fort Mcintosh, we suppose it was not very prepossessing in 
appearance. He says : 

" Pittsburgh is inhabited almost entirely by Scots and Irish, who 
live in paltry log houses, and are as dirty as if in the north of Ireland or 
even Scotland. There is a great deal of trade carried on, the goods being^ 
brought at the vast expense of forty-five shillings per pound from Phila- 
delphia and Baltimore. They take in the shops flour, wheat, skins and 
money. There are in the town four attorneys, two doctors, and not a 
priest of any persuasion, nor church nor chapel." 

Kentucky at this time contained thirty thousand inhabitants, and 
was beginning to discuss measures for a separation from Virginia. A 
land office was opened at Louisville, and measures were adopted to take 
defensive precaution against the Indians, who were yet, in some instances, 
incited to deeds of violence by the British. Before the close of this year, 
1784, the military claimants of land began to occupy them, although no 
entries were recorded until 1787. 

The Indian title to the Northwest was not yet extinguished. They 
held large tracts of land, and in order to prevent bloodshed Congress 
iidopted means for treaties with the original owners and provided for the 
surveys of the lands gained thereby, as well as for those north of the 
Ohio, now in its possession. 

On January 31, 1786, a treaty was made with the Wabash Indians. 
The treaty of Fort Stanwix had been made in 1784. That at Fort Mc- 
intosh in 1785, and through these much land was gained. The Wabash 
Indians, however, afterward refused to comply with the provisions of the 
treaty made with them, and in order to compel their adherence to it* 
provisions, force was used. 

During the year 1786, the free navigation of the Mississippi came up 
in Congress, and caused various discussions, which resulted in no definite 
action, only serving to excite speculation in regard to the western lands. 
Congress had promised bounties of land to the soldiers of the Revolution, 
but owing to the unsettled condition of affairs along the Mississippi 
respecting its navigation, and the trade of the Northwest, that body had, 
in 1783, declared its inability to fulfill these promises until a treaty could 
be concluded between the two Governments. 

Before the close of the year 1786, however, it was able, through the 
treaties with the Indians, to allow some grants and the settlement • 



52 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

thereon, and on the 14th of September, Connecticut ceded to the General 
Government tlie tract of hind known as the "■ Connecticut Reserve," 
and before the close of the following year a large tract of land north 
of the Ohio was sold to a company, who at once took measures to 
settle it. 

By the provisions of this grant, the company were to pay the United 
States one dollar per acre, subject to a deduction of one-third for bad 
lands and other contingencies. They received 750,000 acres, bounded 
on the south by the Ohio, on the east by the seventh range of townships, 
on the west by the sixteenth range, and on the north by a line so drawn 
as to make the grant complete without the reservations. In addi- 
tion to this. Congress afterward granted 100,000 acres to actual set- 
tlers, and 214,285 acres as army bounties under the resolutions of 1789 
and 1790. 

While Dr. Cutler, one of the agents of the company, was pressing 
its claims before Congress, that body was bringing into form an ordinance 
for the political and social organization of this Territory. When the 
cession was made by Virginia, in 1784, a plan was offered, but rejected. 
A motion had been made to strike from the proposed plan the prohibition 
of slavery, which prevailed. The plan was then discussed and altered, 
and finally passed unanimously, with the exception of South Carolina. 
By this proposition, the Territory was to have been divided into states 
by parallels and meridian lines. This, it was thought, would make ten 
states, which were to have been named as follows — beginning at the 
northwest corner and going southwardly : Sylvania, Michigania, Cher- 
sonesus,Assenisipia, Metropotamia, lUenoia, Saratoga, Washington, Poly- 
potamia and Pelisipia. 

There was a more serious objection to this plan than its category of 
names, — the boundaries. The root of the difficulty was in the resolu- 
tion of Congress passed in October, 1780, which fixed the boundaries 
of the ceded lands to be from one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles 
square. These resolutions being presented to the Legislatures of Vir- 
ginia and Massachusetts, they desired a change, and in July, 1786, tlie 
subject was taken up in Congress, and changed to favor a division into 
not more than five states, and not less than three. This was approved by 
the State Legislature of Virginia. 

The subject of the Government was again taken up by Congress in 
1786, and discussed throughout that year and until July, 1787, when the 
famous "Compact of 1787" was passed, and the foundation of the gov- 
ernment of the Northwest laid. This compact is fully discussed and 
explained in the history of Ohio in this book, and to it the reader is re- 
ferred. 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 53 

The passage of this act and the grant to the New England Company 
was soon followed by an application to the Government by John Cleves 
Symmes, of New Jersey, for a grant of the land between the Miamis. 
This gentleman had visited these lands soon after the treaty of 1786, and, 
being greatly pleased with them, offered similar terms to those given to 
the New England Company. The petition was referred to the Treasury 
Board with power to act, and a contract was concluded the following 
year. 

During the Autumn the directors of the New England Company 
were preparing to occupy their grant the following Spring, and upon the 
23d of November made arrangements for a party of forty-seven men, 
under the superintendency of Gen. Rufus Putnam, to set forward. Six 
boat-builders were to leave at once, and on the first of January the sur- 
veyors and their assistants, twenty-six in number, were to meet at Hart- 
ford and proceed on their journey westward ; the remainder to follow as 
soon as possible. Congress, in the meantime, upon the 3d of October, 
had ordered seven hundred troops for defense of the western settlers, and 
to prevent unauthorized intrusions ; and two days later appointed Arthur 
St. Clair Governor of the Territory of the Northwest. 



AMERICAN SETTLEMENTS. 

The civil organization of the Northwest Territory was now com- 
plete, and notwithstanding the uncertainty of Indian affairs, settlers from 
the East began to come into the country rapidly. The New England 
Company sent their men during the Winter of 1787-8 pressing on over 
the Alleghenies by the old Indian path which had been opened into 
Braddock's road, and which has since been made a national turnpike 
from Cumberland westward. Through the weary winter days they toiled 
on, and by April were all gathered on the Youghiogheny, where boats had 
been built, and at once started for the Muskingum. Here they arrived 
on the 7th of that month, and unless the Moravian missionaries be regarded 
as the pioneers of Ohio, this little band can justly claim that honor. 

Gen. St. Clair, the appointed Governor of the Northwest, not having 
yet arrived, a set of laws were passed, written out, and published by 
being nailed to a tree in the embryo town, and Jonathan Meigs appointed 
to administer them. 

Washington in writing of this, the first American settlement in the 
Northwest, said : " No colony in America was ever settled under such 
favorable auspices as that which has just commenced at Muskingum. 
Information, property and strength will be its characteristics. I know 



54 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

many of its settlers personally, and there never were men better calculated 
to promote the welfare of such a community." 

On the 2d of July a meeting of the directors and agents was held on 
the banks of the Muskingum, " for the purpose of naming the new-born 
city and its squares." As yet the settlement was known as the " Mus- 
kingum,'' but that was now changed to the name Marietta, in honor 
of Marie Antoinette, The square upon which the block-houses stood 
was called " Campus Martius ; " square number 19, " Capitolium ; " 
square number 61, " Cecilia;'''' and the great road through the covert 
way, " Sacra Via.'" Two days after, an oration was delivered by James 
M. Varnum, who with S. H. Parsons and John Armstrong had been 
appointed to the judicial bench of the territory on the 16th of October, 
1787. On July 9, Gov. St. Clair arrived, and the colony began to assume 
form. The act of 1787 provided two district grades of government for 
the Northwest, under the first of which the whole power was invested in 
the hands of a governor and three district judges. This was immediately 
formed upon the Governor's arrival, and the first laws of the colony 
passed on the 25th of July. These provided for the organization of 
the militia, and on the next day appeared the Governor's proclamation, 
erecting all that country that had been ceded by the Indians east of the 
Scioto River into the County of Washington. From that time forward^ 
notwithstanding the doubts yet existing as to the Indians, all Marietta 
prospered, and on the 2d of September the first court of the territory was 
held with imposing ceremonies. 

The emigration westward at this time was very great. The com- 
mander at Fort Harmer, at the mouth of the Muskingum, reported four 
thousand five hundred persons as having passed that post between Feb- 
ruary and June, 1788 — many of whom would have purchased of the 
" Associates," as the New England Company was called, had they been 
ready to receive them. 

On the 26th of November, 1787, Symmes issued a pamphlet stating 
the terms of his contract and the plan of sale he intended to adopt. In 
January, 1788, Matthias Denman, of New Jersey, took an active interest 
in Symmes' purchase, and located among other tracts the sections upon 
which Cincinnati has been built. Retaining one-third of this locality, he 
sold the other two-thirds to Robert Patterson and John Filson, and the 
three, about August, commenced to lay out a town on the spot, which 
was designated as being opposite Licking River, to the mouth of which 
they proposed to have a road cut from Lexington. The naming of the 
town is thus narrated in the " Western Annals" : — " Mr. Filson, who had 
been a schoolmaster, was appointed to name the town, and, in respect to 
its situation, and as if with a prophetic perception of the mixed race that 



THE JSOUTHWEST TKRRITORY. 5& 

were to inhabit it in after days, he named it Losantiville, which, being 
interpreted, means : ville, the town ; anti^ against or opposite to ; os^ the 
mouth ; L. of Licking." 

Meanwhile, in July, Sjynmes got thirty persons and eight four-horse 
teams under way from the West. These reached Limestone (now Mays- 
ville) in September, where were several persons from Redstone. Here 
Mr. Symmes tried to found a settlement, but the great freshet of 1789 
caused the " Point," as it was and is yet called, to be fifteen feet under 
water, and the settlement to be abandoned. The little band of settlers 
removed to the mouth of the Miami. Before Symmes and his colony left 
the " Point," two settlements had been made on his purchase. The first 
was by Mr. Stiltes, the original projector of the whole plan, who, with a 
colony of Redstone people, had located at the mouth of the Miami, 
whither Symmes went with his Maysville colony. Here a clearing had 
been made by the Indians owing to the great fertility of the soil. Mr. 
Stiltes with his colony came to this place on the 18th of November, 1788, 
with twenty-six persons, and, building a block-house, prepared to remain 
through the Winter. They named the settlement Columbia. Here they 
were kindly treated by the Indians, but suffered greatly from the flood 
of 1789. 

On the 4th of March, 1789, the Constitution of the United States 
went into operation, and on April 30, George Washington was inau- 
gurated President of the American people, and during the next Summer, 
•an Indian war was commenced by the tribes north of the Ohio. The 
President at first used pacific means ; but these failing, he sent General 
Harmer against the hostile tribes. He destroyed several villages, but 
was defeated in two battles, near the present City of Fort Wayne, 
Indiana. From this time till the close of 1795, the principal events were 
the wars with the various Indian tribes. In 1796, General St. Claii- 
was appointed in command, and marched against the Indians; but while 
lie was encamped on a stream, the St. Mary, a branch of the Maumee, 
he was attacked and defeated with the loss of six hundred men. 

General Wayne was now sent against the savages. In August, 1794, 
he met them near the rapids of the Maumee, and gained a complete 
victory. This success, followed by vigorous measures, compelled the 
Indians to sue for peace, and on the 30th of July, the following year, the 
treaty of Greenville was signed by the principal chiefs, by which a large 
tract of country was ceded to the United States. 

Before proceeding in our narrative, we will pause to notice Fort 
Washington, erected in the early part of this war on the site of Cincinnati. 
Nearly all of the great cities of the Northwest, and indeed of the 



t>Q THE NORTHWEST TEREITOKY. 

whole country, have had their nuclei in those rude pioneer structures, 
known as forts or stockades. Thus Forts Dearborn, Washington, Pon- 
chartrain, mark the original sites of the now proud Cities of Chicago, 
Cincinnati and Detroit. So of most of the flourishing cities east and west 
of the Mississippi. Fort Washington, erected by Doughty in 1790, was a 
rude but highly interesting structure. It was composed of a number of 
strongly-built hewed log cabins. Those designed for soldiers' barracks 
were a story and a half high, while those composing the officers quarters 
were more imposing and more conveniently arranged and furnished. 
The whole were so placed as to form a hollow square, enclosing about an 
acre of ground, with a block house at each of the four angles. 

The logs for the construction of this fort were cut from the ground 
upon which it was erected. It stood between Third and Fourth Streets 
of the present city (Cincinnati) extending east of Eastern Row, now 
Broadway, which was then a narrow alley, and the eastern boundary of 
of the town as it was originally laid out. On the bank of the river, 
immediately in front of the fort, was an appendage of the fort, called the: 
Artificer's Yard. It contained about two acres of ground, enclosed by 
small contiguous buildings, occupied by workshops and quarters of 
laborers. Within this enclosure there was a large two-story frame house, 
familiarly called the '' Yellow House," built for the accommodation of 
the Quartermaster General. For many years this was the best finished, 
and most commodious edifice in the Queen City. Fort Washington was 
for some time the headquarters of both the civil and military governmentt^ 
of the Northwestern Territory. 

Following the consummation of the treaty various gigantic land spec- 
ulations were entered into by different persons, who hoped to obtain 
from the Indians in Michigan and northern Indiana, large tracts of lands. 
These were generally discovered in time to prevent the outrageous 
schemes from being carried out, and from involving the settlers in war. 
On October 27, 1795, the treaty between the United States and Spain 
was signed, whereby the free navigation of the Mississippi was secured. 

No sooner had the treaty of 1795 been ratified than settlements began 
to pour rapidly into the West. The great event of the year 1796 was the 
occupation of that part of the Northwest including Michigan, which was 
this year, under the provisions of the treaty, evacuated by the British 
forces. The United States, owing to certain conditions, did not feel 
justified in addressing the authorities in Canada in relation to Detroit 
wild other frontier posts. When at last the British authorities were 
railed to give them up, they at once complied, and General Wayne, who 
iiau done so much to preserve the frontier settlements, and who, before 
the year's close, sickened und died near Erie, transferred his head- 



/ 

THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 57 

quarters to the neighborhood of the lakes, where a county named after 
liim was formed, which included the northwest of Ohio, all of Michigan, 
and the northeast of Indiana. During this same year settlements were 
i'onned at the present City of Chillicothe, along the Miami from Middle- 
luwn to Piqua, while in the more distant West, settlers and speculators 
began to appear in great numbers. In September, the City of Cleveland 
was laid out, and during the Summer and Autumn, Samuel Jackson and 
Jonathan Sharpless erected the first manufactory of paper — the " Red- 
stone Paper Mill" — in the West. St. Louis contained some seventy 
houses, and Detroit over three hundred, and along the river, contiguous 
to it, were more than three thousand inhabitants, mostly French Canadians, 
Indians and half-breeds, scarcely any Americans venturing yet into that 
part of the Northwest. 

The election of representatives for the territory had taken place, 
and on the 4th of February, 1799, they convened at Losantiville — now 
known as Cincinnati, having been named so by Gov. St. Clair, and 
considered the capital of the Territory — to nominate persons from whom 
the members of the Legislature were to be chosen in accordance with 
a previous ordinance. This nomination being made, the Assembly 
adjourned until the 16th of the following September. From those named 
the President selected as members of the council, Henry Vandenburg, 
of Vincennes, Robert Oliver, of Marietta, James Findlay and Jacob 
Burnett, of Cincinnati, and David Vance, of Vance ville. On the 16th 
of September the Territorial Legislature met, and on the 24th the two 
houses were duly organized, Henry Vandenburg being elected President 
of the Council. 

The message of Gov. St. Clair was addressed to the Legislature 
September 20th, and on October 13th that body elected as a delegate to 
Congress Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison, who received eleven of the votes 
cast, being a majority of one over his opponent, Arthur St. Clair, son of 
Gen. St. Clair. 

The whole number of acts passed at this session, and approved by 
the Governor, were thirty -seven — eleven others were passed, but received 
his veto. The most important of those passed related to the militia, to 
the administration, and to taxation. On the 19th of December this pro- 
tracted session of the first Legislature in the West was closed, and on the 
30th of December the President nominated Charles Willing Bryd to the 
oflBce of Secretary of the Territory vice Wm. Henry Harrison, elected to 
Congress. The Senate confirmed his nomination the next day. 



58 THE NOKrHWEST TERRITORY. 



DIVISION OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

The increased emigration to the Northwest, the extent of the domain, 
and the inconvenient modes of travel, made it very difficult to conduct 
the ordinary operations of government, and rendered the efficient action 
of courts almost impossible. To remedy this, it was deemed advisable to 
divide the territory for civil purposes. Congress, in 1800, appointed a 
committee to examine the question and report some means for its solution. 
This committee, on the 3d of March, reported that : 

" In the three western countries there has been but one court having 
cognizance of crimes, in five years, and the immunity which offenders 
experience attracts, as to an asylum, the most vile and abandoned crim- 
inals, and at the same time deters useful citizens from making settlements 
in such society. The extreme necessity of judiciary attention and assist- 
ance is experienced in civil as well as in criminal cases. * * * * x^j 
minister a remedy to these and other evils, it occurs to this committee 
that it is expedient that a division of said territory into two distinct and 
separate governments should be made ; and that such division be made 
by a line beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami River, running 
directly north until it intersects the boundary between the United States 
and Canada." 

The report was accepted by Congress, and, in accordance with its 
suggestions, that body passed an Act extinguishing the Northwest Terri- 
tory, which Act was approved May 7. Among its provisions were these : 

"• That from and after July 4 next, all that part of the Territory of 
the United States northwest of the Ohio River, which lies to the westward 
of a line beginning at a point on the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of the 
Kentucky River, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north 
until it shall intersect the territorial line between the United States and 
Canada, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a 
separate territory, and be called the Indiana Territory," 

After providing for the exercise of the civil and criminal powers of 
the territories, and other provisions, the Act further provides : 

" That until it shall otherwise be ordered by the Legislatures of the 
said Territories, respectively, Chillicothe on the Scioto River shall be the 
seat of government of the Territory of the United States northwest of the 
Ohio River; and that St. Vincennes on the Wabash River shall be the 
seat of government for the Indiana Territory." 

Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison was appointed Governor of the Indiana 
Territory, and entered upon his duties about a year later. Connecticut 
also about this time released her claims to the reserve, and in March a law 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 59 

was passed accepting this' cession. Settlements had been made upon 
thirty-five of the townships in the reserve, mills had been built, and seven 
hundred miles of road cut in various directions. On the 3d of November 
the General Assembly met at Chillicothe. Near the close of the year, 
the first missionary of the Connecticut Reserve came, who found no 
township containing more than eleven families. It was upon the first of 
October that the secret treaty had been made between Napoleon and the 
King of Spain, whereby the latter agreed to cede to France the province 
of Louisiana. 

In January, 1802, the Assembly of the Northwestern Territory char- 
tered the college at Athens. From the earliest dawn of the western 
colonies, education was promptly provided for, and as early as 1787, 
newspapers were issued from Pittsburgh and Kentucky, and largely read 
throughout the frontier settlements. Before the close of this year, the 
Congress of the United States granted to the citizens of the Northwestern 
territory the formation of a State government. One of the provisions of 
the "compact of 1787" provided that whenever the number of inhabit- 
ants within prescribed limits exceeded 45,000, they should be entitled to 
a separate government. The prescribed limits of Ohio contained, from a 
census taken to ascertain the legality of the act, more than that number, 
and on the 30th of April, 1802, Congress passed the act defining its limits, 
and on the 29th of November the Constitution of the new State of Ohio, 
so named from the beautiful river forming its southern boundary, came 
into existence. The exact limits of Lake Michigan were not then known, 
but the territory now included within the State of Michigan was wholly 
within the territory of Indiana. 

Gen. Harrison, while residing at Vincennes, made several treaties 
with the Indians, thereby gaining large tracts of lands. The next year is 
memorable in the history of the West for the purchase of Louisiana from 
France by the United States for $15,000,000. Thus by a peaceful mode, 
the domain of the United States was extended over a large tract of 
country west of the Mississippi, and was for a time under the jurisdiction 
of the Northwest government, and, as has been mentioned in the early 
part of this narrative, was called the "New Northwest." The limits 
of this history will not allow a description of its territory. The same year 
large grants of land were obtained from the Indians, and the House of 
Representatives of the new State of Ohio signed a bill respecting the 
College Township in the district of Cincinnati. 

Before the close of the year, Gen. Harrison obtained additional 
grants of lands from the various Indian nations in Indiana and the present 
limits of Illinois, and on the 18th of August, 1804, completed a treaty at 
St. Louis, whereby over 51,000,000 acres of lands were obtained from the 



60 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

aborigines. Measures were also taken to learn the condition of affairs in 
and about Detroit. 

C. Jouett, the Indian agent in Michigan, still a part of Indiana Terri- 
tory, reported as follows upon the condition of matters at that post : 

" The Town of Detroit. — The charter, which is for fifteen miles 
square, was granted in the time of Louis XIV. of France, and is now, 
from the best information I have been able to get, at Quebec. Of those 
two hundred and twenty-five acres, only four are occupied by the town 
and Fort Lenault. The remainder is a common, except twenty-four 
acres, which were added twenty years ago to a farm belonging to Wm. 
Macomb. * * * A stockade incloses the town, fort and citadel. The 
pickets, as well as the public houses, are in a state of gradual decay. The 
streets are narrow, straight and regular, and intersect each other at right 
angles. The houses are, for the most part, low and inelegant." 

During this year, Congress granted a township of land for the sup- 
port of a college, and began to offer inducements for settlers in these 
wilds, and the country now comprising the State of Michigan began to 
nil rapidly with settlers along its southern borders. This same year, also, 
u law was passed organizing the Southwest Territory, dividing it into two 
portions, the Territory of New Orleans, which city was made the seat of 
government, and the District of Louisiana, which was annexed to the 
domain of Gen. Harrison. 

On the 11th of January, 1805, the Territory of Michigan was formed, 
Wm. Hull was appointed governor, with headquarters at Detroit, the 
change to take effect on June 30. On the 11th of that month, a fiie 
occurred at Detroit, which destroyed almost every building in the place. 
When the officers of the new territory reached the post, they found it in 
ruins, and the inhabitants scattered throughout the country. Rebuild- 
ing, however, soon commenced, and ere long the town contained more 
houses than before the fire, and many of them much better built. 

While this was being done, Indiana had passed to the second grade 
of government, and through her General Assembly had obtained large 
tracts of land from the Indian tribes. To all this the celebrated Indian, 
Tecumthe or Tecumseh, vigorously protested, and it was the main cause 
of his attempts to unite the various Indian tribes in a conflict with the 
settlers. To obtain a full account of these attempts, the workings of the 
British, and the signal failure, culminating in the death of Tecumseh at 
the battle of the Thames, and the close of the war of 1812 in the Northwest, 
we will step aside in our story, and relate the principal events of his life, 
and his connection with this conflict. 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 61 

TECUMSEH, AND THE WAR OF 1812. 

This famous Indian chief was born about the year 1768, not far from 
the site of the present city of Springfield, Ohio. His father, Puekeshiinva, 
was ;i member of the Kisopok tribe of the Swanoese nation, and his 
mother, Methontaske, was a member of the Turtle tribe of the same 
people. They removed from Florida about the middle of the last century 
to the birthplace of Tecumseh. In 1774, his father, who had risen to bo 
chief, was slain at the battle of Point Pleasant, and not long after Tecum- 
seh, by his bravery, became the leader of his tribe. In 1795 he was 
declared chief, and then lived at Deer Creek, near the site of the 
present City of Urbana. He remained here about one year, when ho 
returned to Piqua, and in 1798, he went to White River, Indiana. In 
1805, he and his brother, Laulewasikan (Open Door), who had announced 
himself as a prophet, went to a tract of land on the Wabash River, given 
them by the Pottawatomies and Kickapoos. From this date the chief 
comes into prominence. He was now about thirty-seven years of age, 
was five feet and ten inches in height, was stoutly built, and possessed of 
enormous powers of endurance. His countenance was naturally pleas- 
ing, and he was, in general, devoid of those savage attributes possessed 
by most Indians. It is stated he could read and write, and had a confi- 
dential secretary and adviser, named Billy Caldwell, a half-breed, who 
afterward became chief of the Pottawatomies. He occupied the first 
house built on the site of Chicago. At this time, Tecumseh entered 
upon the great work of his life. He had long objected to the grants of 
land made by the Indians to the whites, and determined to unite all the 
Indian tribes into a league, in order that no treaties or grants of land 
could be made save by the consent of this confederation. 

He traveled constantly, going from north to south ; from the south 
to the north, everywhere urging the Indians to this step. He was a 
matchless orator, and his burning words had their effect. 

Gen. Harrison, then Governor of Indiana, by watching the move- 
ments of the Indians, became convinced that a grand conspiracy was 
forming, and made preparations to defend the settlements. Tecumseh "s 
plan was similar to Pontiac's, elsewhere described, and to the cunuhig 
artifice of that chieftain was added his own sagacity. 

During the year 1809, Tecumseh and the prophet were actively pre- 
paring for the work. In that year. Gen. Harrison entered into a treaty 
with the Delawares, Kickapoos, Pottawatomies, Miamis, Eel River Indians 
and Weas, in which these tribes ceded to the whites certain lands upon 
the Wabash, to all of which Tecumseh entered a bitter protest, averriag 



62 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

as one principal reason that he did not want the Indians to give up any 
lauds north and west of the Ohio River. 

Tecumseh, in August, 1810, visited the General at Vincennes and 
held a council relating to the grievances of the Indians. Becoming unduly 
angry at this conference he was dismissed from the village, and soon after 
departed to incite the southern Indian tribes to the conflict. 

Gen. Harrison determined to move upon the chief's headquarters at 
Tippecanoe, and for this purpose went about sixty-five miles up the 
Wabash, where he built Fort Harrison. From this place he went to the 
Prophet's town, where he informed the Indians he had no hostile inten- 
tions, provided they were true to the existing treaties. He encamped 
near the village early in October, and on the morning of November 7, he 
was attacked by a large force of the Indians, and the famous battle of 
Tippecanoe occurred. The Indians were routed and their town broken 
up. Tecumseh returning not long after, was greatly exasperated at his 
brother, the Prophet, even threatening to kill him for rashly precipitating 
the war, and foiling his (Tecumseh's) plans. 

Tecumseh sent word to Gen. Harrison that he was now returned 
from the South, and was ready to visit the President as had at one time 
previously been proposed. Gen. Harrison informed him he could not 
go as a chief, which method Tecumseh desired, and the visit was never 
made. In June of the following year, he visited the Indian agent at 
Fort Wayne. Here he disavowed any intention to make a war against 
the United States, and reproached Gen. Harrison for marching against his 
people. The agent replied to this ; Tecumseh listened with a cold indif- 
ference, and after making a few general remarks, with a haughty air drew 
his blanket about him, left the council house, and departed for Fort Mai- 
den, in Upper Canada, where he joined the British standard. 

In the Summer of 1813, Perry's victory on Lake Erie occurred, and 
shortly after active preparations were made to capture Maiden. On the 
27th of September, the American army, under Gen. Harrison, set sail for 
the shores of Canada, and in a few hours stood around the ruins of Mai- 
den, from which the British army, under Proctor, had retreated to Sand- 
wich, intending to make its way to the heart of Canada by the Valley of 
the Thames. On the 29th Gen. Harrison was at Sandwich, and Gen. 
McArthur took possession of Detroit and the territory of Michigan. 

The pursuit of Proctor began October 2. He was overtaken on the 
5th at the Thames. Tecumseh fell * in that battle and British power 
was forever broken, Canada alone being left them, as the Americans had 
no orders to follow up their victory eastward. Burr's inaipient 
insurrection of 1805 was quelled, and the murderer of the eloquent 
Hamilton driven from his beautiful island fortress in the Ohio River. 

* Supposed at the hands of Col. R. M. Johnson of Kentucky. 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 68 

In January, 1807, Governor Hull, of Michigan Territory, made a 
treaty with the Indians, whereby all that peninsula was ceded to the 
United States, Before the close of the year, a stockade was built about 
Detroit. It was also during this year that Indiana and Illinois endeavored 
to obtain the repeal of that section of the compact of 1787, whereby 
slavery was excluded from the Northwest Territory. These attempts, 
however, all signally failed. 

In 1809 it was deemed advisable to divide the Indiana Territory. 
This was done, and the Territory of Illinois was formed from the western 
part, the seat of goYernment being fixed at Kaskaskia. The next year, 
the intentions of Tecumseh manifested themselves in open hostilities, and 
then began the events already narrated. 

While this war was in progress, emigration to the West went on witji 
surprising rapidity. In 1811, under Mr. Roosevelt of New York, the 
first steamboat trip was made on the Ohio, much to the astonishment of 
the natives, many of whom fled in terror at the appearance of the 
" monster." It arrived at Louisville on the 10th day of October. At the 
close of the first week of January, 1812, it arrived at Natchez, after being 
nearly overwhelmed in the great earthquake which occurred while on its 
downward trip. 

The battle of the Thames was fought on October 6, 1813. It 
effectually closed hostilities in the Northwest, although peace was not 
fully restored until July 22, 1814, when a treaty was formed at Green- 
ville, under the direction of General Harrison, between the United States 
and the Indian tribes, in which it was stipulated that the Indians should 
cease hostilities against the Americans if the war were continued. Such, 
happily, was not the case, and on the 2-4th of December the treaty 
of Ghent was signed by the representatives of England and the United 
States. This treaty was followed the next year by treaties with various 
Indian tribes throughout the West and Northwest, and quiet was again 
restored in this part of the new world. 

On the 18th of March, 1816, Pittsburgh was incorporated as a city. 
It then had a population of 8,000 people, and was already noted for its 
manufacturing interests. On April 19, Indiana Territory was allowed 
to form a state government. At that time there were thirteen counties 
organized, containing about sixty-three thousand inhabitants. Th« first 
election of state officers was held in August, when Jonathan Jennings 
was chosen Governor. The officers were sworn in on November 7, and 
on December 11, the State was formally admitted into the Union. For 
some time the seat of government was at Corydon, but a more central 
location being desirable, the present capital, Indianapolis (City of Indiana), 
was laid out January 1, 1825. > 



64 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

On the 28th of December the Bank of Illinois, at Shawneetown, was 
chartered, with a capital of $300,000. At this period all banks were 
under the control of the States, and were allowed to establish branches 
at different convenient points. 

Until this time Chillicothe and Cincinnati had in turn enjoyed the 
privileges of being the capital of Ohio. But the rapid settlement of the 
northern and eastern portions of the State demanded, as in Indiana, a 
more central location, and before the close of the year, the site of Col- 
umbus was selected and surveyed as the future capital of the State. 
Banking had begun in Ohio as early as 1808, when the first bank was 
chartered at Marietta, but here as elsewhere it did not bring to the state 
the hoped-for assistance. It and other banks were subsequently unable 
to redeem their currency, and were obliged to suspend. 

In 1818, Illinois was made a state, and all the territory north of her 
northern limits was erected into a separate territory and joined to Mich- 
igan for judicial purposes. By the following year, navigation of the lakes 
was increasing with great rapidity and affording an immense source of 
revenue to the dwellers in the Northwest, but it was not until 1826 that 
the trade was extended to Lake Michigan, or that steamships began to 
navigate the bosom of that inland sea. 

Until the year 1832, the commencement of the Black Hawk War, 
but few hostilities were experienced with the Indians. Roads were 
opened, canals were dug, cities were built, common schools were estab- 
lished, universities were founded, many of which, especially the Michigan 
University, have achieved a world wide-reputation. The people were 
becoming wealthy. The domains of the United States had been extended, 
and had the sons of the forest been treated with honesty and justice, the 
record of many years would have been that of peace and continuous pros- 
perity. 

BLACK HAWK AND THE BLACK HAWK WAR. 

This conflict, though confined to Illinois, is an important epoch in 
the Northwestern history, being the last war with the Indians in this part 
of the United States. 

Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiah, or Black Hawk, was born in the principal 
Sac village, about three miles from the junction of Rock River with the 
Mississippi, in the year 1767. His father's name was Py-e-sa or Pahaes ; 
his grandfather's, Na-na-ma-kee, or the Thunderer. Black Hawk early 
distinguished himself as a warrior, and at the age of fifteen was permitted 
to paint and was ranked among the braves. About the year 1783, he 
wentofi an expedition against the enemies of his nation, the Osages, one 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 65 

■of whom he killed and scalped, and for this deed of Indian bravery he was 
permitted to join in the scalp dance. Three or four years after he, at the 
head of two hundred braves, went on another expedition against the 
Osages, to avenge the murder of some women and children belonging to 
his own tribe. Meeting an equal number of Osage warriors, a fierce 
battle ensued, in which the latter tribe lost one-half their number. The 
Sacs lost only about nineteen warriors. He next attacked the Cherokees 
for a similar cause. In a severe battle with them, near the present City 
of St. Louis, his father was slain, and Black Hawk, taking possession of 
the " Medicine Bag," at once announced himself chief of the Sac nation. 
He had now conquered the Cherokees, and about the year 1800, at the 
head of five hundred Sacs and Foxes, and a hundred lowas, he waged 
war against the Osage nation and subdued it. For two years he battled 
successfully with other Indian tribes, all of whom he conquered. 

Black Hawk does not at any time seem to have been friendly to 
the Americans. When on a visit to St. Louis to see his " Spanish, 
Father," he declined to see any of the Americans, alleging, as a reason^ 
he did not want two fathers. 

The treaty at St. Louis was consummated in 1804. The next year the 
United States Government erected a fort near the head of the Des Moines 
Rapids, called Fort Edwards. This seemed to enrage Black Hawk, who 
at once determined to capture Fort Madison, standing on the west side of 
the Mississippi above the mouth of the Des Moines River. The fort was 
garrisoned by about fifty men. Here he was defeated. The difficulties 
with the British Government arose about this time, and the War of 1812^ 
followed. That government, extending aid to the Western Indians, by 
giving them arms and ammunition, induced them to remain hostile to the 
Americans. In August, 1812, Black Hawk, at the head of about five 
hundred braves, started to join the British forces at Detroit, passing on 
his way the site of Chicago, where the famous Fort Dearborn Massacre 
had a few days before occurred. Of his connection with the British 
Government but little is known. In 1813 he with his little band descended 
the Mississippi, and attacking some United States troops at Fort Howard 
was defeated. 

In the early part of 1815, the Indian tribes west of the Mississippi 
were notified that peace had been declared between the United States 
and England, and nearly all hostilities had ceased. Black Hawk did not 
sign any treaty, however, until May of the following year. He then recog- 
nized the validity of the treaty at St. Louis in 1804. From the time of 
signing this treaty in 1816, until the bi-eaking out of the war in 1832, he 
and his band passed their time in the common pursuits of Indian life. 

Ten years before the commencement of this War, the Sac and Fox 



66 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

Indians were urged to join the lowas on the west bank of the Father of 
Waters. All were agreed, save the band known as the British Band, of 
which Black Hawk was leader. He strenuously objected to the removal, 
and was induced to comply only after being threatened with the power of 
the Government. This and various actions on the part of the white set- 
tlers provoked Black Hawk and his band to attempt the capture of his 
native village now occupied by the whites. The war followed. He and 
his actions were undoubtedly misunderstood, and had his wishes been 
acquiesced in at the beginning of the struggle, much bloodshed would 
have been prevented. 

Black Hawk was chief now of the Sac and Fox nations, and a noted 
warrior. He and his tribe inhabited a village on Rock River, nearly three 
miles above its confluence with the Mississippi, where the tribe had lived 
many generations. When that portion of Illinois was reserved to them, 
they remained in peaceable possession of their reservation, spending their 
time in the enjoyment of Indian life. The fine situation of their village 
and the quality of their lands incited the more lawless white settlers, who 
from time to time began to encroach upon the red men's domain. From 
one pretext to another, and from one step to another, the crafty white 
men gained a foothold, until through whisky and artifice they obtained 
deeds from many of the Indians for their possessions. The Indians were 
finally induced to cross over the Father of Waters and locate among the 
lowas. Black Hawk was strenuously opposed to all this, but as the 
authorities of Illinois and the United States thought this the best move, he 
was forced to comply. Moreover other tribes joined the whites and urged 
the removal. Black Hawk would not agree to the terms of the treaty 
made with his nation for their lands, and as soon as the military, called to 
enforce his removal, had retired, he returned to the Illinois side of the 
river. A large force was at once raised and marched against him. On 
the evening of May 14, 1832, the first engagement occurred between a 
band from this army and Black Hawk's band, in which the former were 
defeated. 

This attack and its result aroused the whites. A large force of men 
was raised, and Gen. Scott hastened from the seaboard, by way of the 
lakes, with United States troops and artillery to aid in the subjugation of 
the Indians. On the 24th of June, Black Hawk, with 200 warriors, was 
repulsed by Major Demont between Rock River and Galena. The Ameri- 
can army continued to move up Rock River toward the main body of 
the Indians, and on the 21st of July came upon Black Hawk and his band, 
and defeated them near the Blue Mounds. 

Before this action. Gen. Henry, in command, sent word to the main 
army by whom he was immediately rejoined, and the whole crossed the 



THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 67 

Wisconsin in pursuit of Black Hawk and his band who were fleeing to the 
Mississippi. They were overtaken on the 2d of August, and in the battle 
which followed the power of the Indian chief was completely broken. He 
fled, but was seized by the Winnebagoes and delivered to the whites. 

On the 21st of September, 1832, Gen. Scott and Gov. Reynolds con- 
cluded a treaty with the Winnebagoes, Sacs and Foxes by which they 
ceded to the United States a vast tract of country, and agreed to remain 
peaceable with the whites. For the faithful performance of the provi- 
sions of this treaty on the part of the Indians, it was stipulated that 
Black Hawk, his two sons, the prophet Wabokieshiek, and six other chiefs 
of the hostile bands should be retained as hostages during the pleasure 
of the President. They were confined at Fort Barracks and put in irons. 

The next Spring, by order of the Secretary of War, they were taken 
to Washington. From there they were removed to Fortress Monroe, 
"there to remain until the conduct of their nation was such as to justify 
their being set at liberty." They were retained here until the 4th of 
June, when the authorities directed them to be taken to the principal 
cities so that they might see the folly of contending against the white 
people. Everj^where they were observed by thousands, the name of the 
old chief being extensively known. By the middle of August they 
reached Fort Armstrong on Rock Island, where Black Hawk was soon 
after released to go to his countrymen. As he passed the site of his birth- 
place, now the home of the white man, he was deeply moved. His village 
where he was born, where he had so happily lived, and where he had 
hoped to die, was now another's dwelling place, and he was a wanderer. 

On the next day after his release, he went at once to his tribe and 
his lodge. His wife was yet living, and with her he passed the remainder 
of liis days. To his credit it may be said that Black Hawk always re- 
mained true to his wife, and served her with a devotion uncommon among 
the Indians, living with her upward of forty years. 

Black Hawk now-passed his time hunting and fishing. A deep mel- 
ancholy had settled over him from which he could not be freed. At all 
times Avhen he visited the whites he was received with marked atten- 
tion. He was an honored guest at the old settlers' reunion in Lee County, 
Illinois, at some of their meetings, and received many tokens of esteem. 
In September, 1838, while on his way to Rock Island to receive his 
annuity from the Government, he contracted a severe cold which resulted 
in n fatal attack of bilious fever which terminated his life on October 3. 
His faithful wife, who was devotedly attached to him, mourned deeply 
during his sickness. After his death he was dressed in the uniform pre- 
sented to him by the President while in Washington. He was buried iu 
a grave six feet in depth, situated upon a beautiful eminence. " The 



68 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

body was placed in the middle of the grave, in a sitting posture, upon a 
seat constructed for the purpose. On his left side, the cane, given him 
by Henry Clay, was placed upright, with his right hand resting upon it. 
Many of the old warrior's trophies were placed in the grave, and some 
Indian garments, together with his favorite weapons." 

No sooner was the Black Hawk war concluded than settlers began 
rapidly to pour into the northern parts of Illinois, and into Wisconsin, 
now free from Indian depredations. Chicago, from a trading post, had 
grown to a commercial center, and was rapidly coming into prominence. 
In 1835, the formation of a State Government in Michigan was discussed, 
but did not take active form until two years later, when the State became 
a part of the Federal Union. 

Tlie main attraction to that portion of the Northwest lying west of 
Lake Michigan, now included in the State of Wisconsin, was its alluvial 
wealth. Copper ore was found about Lake Superior. For some time this 
region was attached to Michigan for judiciary purposes, but in 183() was 
made a territory, then including Minnesota and Iowa. The latter State 
was detached two years later. In 1848, Wisconsin was admitted as a 
State, Madison being made the capital. We have now traced the various 
divisions of the Northwest Territory (save a little in Minnesota) from 
the time it was a unit comprising this vast territory, until circumstanceH 
compelled its present division. 



POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 



69 



STATES AND 
TERRITORIES. 



STATES. 

Alabama 

Arkansas 

California , 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts.... 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New Hampshire. 

New Jersey 

New York 

North Carolina... 
Ohio 



AREA IN 

SQUARE 
MILES. 



POPULATION. 



996,992 
484,471 
,%0,247 



537,454 

125,015 

187,748 

1,184,109 

2,539,891 

1,680,637 

1,191,792 

.S64,399 

1,321,011 

7-.i6,915 

626,915 

1,457^351 

l,184,Uo9 

4a9,706 

827,922 

1,721,295 

123,993 

42,491 

318,300 

906,096 

4,382,759 

1,071,361 

2,665,260 



'MIL'S 
R. R. 

1882. 



1,262,505 

8o2, 0.^6 

864,694 

194,327 

622,700 

146,608 

269,493 

1,542,180 

3,077,871 

1,978,301 

1,624,615 



,325 
4,764 
6,112 
3,718 
1,714 
999 
1,021 
1,047 
1,934 
1,6.36,93/ 4,2&3 



1,943 



1,802 
1,0»1 
2,266 
2,274 
958 
278 



•»0,773 
1,131,597 
2,168,380 

452,402 
62,266 

346,991 
1.131,116 
5,082,871 
1,399,750 
3,198,062 



1,231 
4,211 
2,310 

890 
1,025 
1,753 

6,278 



STATES AND 
TERRITORIES. 



STATES. 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania ... 
Rhode Island.... 
South Carolina. 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Vermont 

Virgiuia 

West Virginia... 
Wisconsin 

Total States . 

TERRITORIES. 

Arizona 

Colorada 

Dakota 

District of Columbia 

Idaho 

Montana 

New Mexico 

Utah 

Washington 

Wyoming 

Total Territories, 



AREA IN 

SQUARE 
MILES. 



95,244 
46,000 
1,306 
29,385 
45,600 
237,504 
10,212 
40,904 
23,000 
53,924 



113,916 
104,500 
147,490 
60 
90, 

143,776 
121,201 
80,056 
69,944 
93,107 

965,032 



Aggregate of U. S... 2,915,203 38,555,983 50,155,783 



POPULATION. 



174,768 



276,531 
995,577 



6,690 

211 

1,483 



90,923 
3,521,791 

217,353 

705,606 
1,258,520 1,542,359! 1,9' 

818,579; 1,591,749 5,344 

330,551' 332,286j 915 
1,225,163| 1,512,5651 2,193 

442,014] 618,457 711 
1,054,670 1,315,497 3,441 



38,113,253. 



9,658 


40,440 


557 


39 864 






14,181 


135,177 


1,638 




177,624 
32,610 




14,999 


265 


20,595 


39,159 


231 


91,874 


119,565 


975 


86,786 


143,963 


908 


23,9.55 


75,116 


479 


9,118 


20,789 


533 



PRINCIPAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. 

POPULATION AND AREA. 



COUNTRIES. 


POPULATION 




AREA OF 
SQUARE 
MILES. 


CAPITALS. 


POPU- 
LATION. 


China 


380,627,183 

254,899,516 

98,297,407 

50,442,066 

45,234,061 

42,213,400 

37,786,246 

37,405,240 

35,925,313 

35,262,762 

28,452,639 

16,952,000 

16,625,860 

10,025,649 

9,883,622 

7,653,600 

6,497,245 

5,519,844 

5,290,000 

4,348,551 

4.324,810 

4,114,077 

2,846,102 

2,699,945 

2,300,000 

2,223,434 

2,075,245 

1,979,305 

1,969,039 

1,859,685 

1,700,211 ■ 

1,252,497 

1,066,137 

1,050,000 

800,000 

554,785 

438,245 

350,000 

350,000 

300,000 

180,000 


1881 
1881 
1879 
1880 
1880 
1881 
1880 
1881 
1879 
1881 
1881 
1875 
1877 
1881 
1872 
1881 
1881 
1880 
1878 
1878 
1881 
1881 
1880 
1876 


4,413,788 

1,425,723 

8,387,816 

3,602,990 

212,091 

2,396,692 

240,942 

204,092 

148,700 

120,879 

114,296 

1,406,250 

182,750 

743,948 ! 

3,287,963 j 

610,000 

293,848 

11,373 

48,307 

36,510 

3,470,392 

12,648 

15,992 

503,718 


Pekin 


2,000,000 










876,575 
147,293 

1,122,360 
800,000 

1,103,857 

2,269,023 
200,000 

4.764,312 
169,000 
250,000 
397,690 


United States— with Alaska 




German Empire 


Berlin 










France .!... 








Great Britain and Ireland 












s^n .:::::""::::::"""::":::::::::::;:::::" 


"Madrid 






Brazil 




274,972 
200,000 


Persia 








Belgium 


Brussels 


350 000 


Roumania 


Bucharest 


221,805 
246 .343 


Portugal 


Lisbon 


Dominion of Canada 


Ottawa 


27,412 
328,047 
68,320 


Netherlands 








Peru 


Lima 


Bolivia 


La Paz 




Chili.. 




207,350 
439,120 
25,041 
13,784 
1,204,486 
20,850 
41,830 
248,372 
14,300 
10,204 
7,225 
73,538 
49,500 
39,600 
18,045 
26,040 




387,081 
60,000 
63,374 
234,850 
289.925 
27 000 


Venezuela 


1881 
1881 
1880 
1869 
1880 
1881 
1875 




Greece 


Athens 






Argentine Confederation 




iServia 








.55,728 
70,000 
13,000 
22,000 






Liberia 


Monrovia 


Hayti -... 






1878 
1880 




Uruguay 




73,353 








"1880' 




12,000 
10,000 
2,500 






Costa Rica 


San Jo'ie 









POPULATION OF OHIO BY COUNTIES. 



The State 



Adams 

Allen 

Ashland... 
Ashtabula. 

Athens 

Auglaize . 



r Belmont 

J Brown 

) Butler 

) Carroll 

I Champaign . 

iClark 

i Clermont . . . 

ICimton 

) Columbiana 

! Coshocton . . 

r Crawford . . . 

S Cuyahoga . . . 

I Darke 

) Defiance 

I Delaware . . . 

> Erie 

i Fairfield 

I Fayette 

) Franklin . . . . 

Fulton 

Zi Gallia 

28 Geauga , 

'<!9 Greene 

30 Guernsey . . . . 

31 Hamilton ... 

32 Hancock .... 

33 Hardin 

34 Harrison 



36i Highland • 
37[ Hocking . 
38|Holmes .. 

39 Huron ... 

40 Jackson . . 
41 1 Jefferson. 
42iKnox 



26 



7791 
10529 

9292 
31764 



6675 
3746 
18531 



Lake 

Lawrence . . 

Licking 

Logan 

Lorain 

Lucas 

Madison 

Mahoning 

Marion 

Medina 

Meigs 

Mercer , 

Miami 

Monroe 

Montgomery. 

Morgan 

Morrow 

Muskingum . 

Noble 

Ottawa 

Paulding 

Perry 

Pickaway . . . 

Pike 

Portage 

Preble 

Putnam 

Richland 

Ross 

Sandusky .... 

Scioto 

Seneca 

Shelby 

Stark 

Summit 

Trumbull .... 
Tuscarawas . 

Union 

Van Wert . . . . 

Vinton 

Warren 

Washington . . 



4799 



4645 
15999 
5297 



15546 
8328 
1996 



11436 
35592 
11161 
4791 



22715 
28173 
18108 
16721 



15719 
4037S 
21590 
13152 
26506 



31924 
10984 
25049 



20869 
6440 
5696 



6551 
7560 
6158 



14765 
18352 
11452 

8277 



39878 
27485 
30490 
31761 
12204 
4793 



21468 
11731 
23333 



32517 
23768 
20041 
39714 
30S02 
39912 
14491 



25556 
132010 
32278 
15719 
25175 



17789 
25545 
14190 



260370 
23847 
18714 
18682 
14028 
29133 
17925 
18177 



15935 
31380 
35756 



31001 
16184 
20092 
31465 
17254 
32740 
25779 
64006 



19949 
13364 
8544 
18453 
24875 
15447 
24584 
21809 
17081 
32516 
37097 



18730 
15823 
13027 
26689 
40609 
35116 
20991 
24596 
18553 



25444 
49638 
32911 
42579 
16416 
27817 
41943 
36713 
24756 
48602 
26642 
30583 
19694.J 
4049ti 
22515 
27.381 



20364 
86797 
2105:i 
28124 
14251 
31349 
27197 
313374 
27784 
2702.-! 



80281* 
21126 
20776 



33018 
27431 
16326 



20074 
190r2 
49774 
21138 
19762 
13485 
2821 H 
27415 
17927 
27500 
245:« 
23713 
36306 
40307 
32057 



PART II. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 



GOVERNORS. 



From the organization of the first civil government in the Northwest Territory, of which the State of Ohio 
•was a part, until the year 1884. 

Term, Two Years. 



Hamilton., 



Adams 

Trumbull 

Washington., 
Hamilton 



Arthur St. Clair (1) 

Charles W. Byrd (2) 

Edward Tiffin (3) 

Thomas Kirker (4) 

Samuel Huntington 

Return Jonathan Meigs (5).. 

Othniel Looker* 

Thomas Worthington 

Ethan Allen Brown (6) 

Allen Trimble* 

Jeremiah Morrow 

Allen Trimble 

Duncan McArthur 

Robert Lucas 

Joseph Vance 

Wilson Shannon 

Thomas Corwin [Warren.. 

Wilson Shannon (7) Belmont. 

Thomas W. Bartley* Richland 



Hamilton.... 
Highland .... 

Warren 

Highland.... 

Ross 

Pike 

Champaign.. 
Belmont 



1788-1802 

1802-1803 

1803-1807 

1807-1808 

1808-1810 

1810-1814 

1814 

1814-1818 

1818-1822 

1822 

1822-1826 

1826-1830 

1830-1832 

1832-1836 

1836-1838 



1840-1842 
1842-1844 
1844 



Richland.. 

Butler , 

Geauga 

Cuyahoga., 
IPairfield.. 



Mordecai Bartley 

William Bebb 

Seabury Ford (8) 

Reuben Wood (9) 

William Medill (10).. 

Salmon P. Chase Hamilton 

William Dennison Franklin 

David Tod Mahoning,.... 

John Brough (11) .Cuyahoga 

Charles Andersont iMontgomery., 

Jacob D. Cox jTrumbull 

Rutherford B. Hayes Hamilton 

Edward F. Noyes Hamilton 

William Allen Ross 

Rutherford B. Hayes (12).... 'Sandusky 

Thomas L. Youngf Hamilton 

Richard M. Bishop Hamilton 

Charles Foster [Seneca 

George Hoadly [Hamilton 



1844-1846 
1846-1849 
1849-1850 
1850-1853 
1853-1856 
1856-1860 
1860-1862 
1862-1864 
1864-1865 
1865-1866 
1866-1868 
1868-1872 
1872-1874 
1874-1876 
1876-1877 
1877-1878 
1878-1880 
1880-1884 
1884- 



(1) Arthur St. Clair, of Pennsylvania, was Governor of the Northwest Territory, of which Ohio was a part, 
from July 13, 1788, when the first civil government was established in the Territory, until about the close of 
the year 1802, when he was removed by the President. 

(2) Secretary of the Territory, and was acting Governor of the Territory after the removal of Gov. St. 
Clair. 

(3) Resigned March 3, 1807, to accept the office of United States Senator. 

(4) Return Jonathan Meigs was elected Governor on the second Tuesday of October, 1807, over Nathaniel 
Massie, who contested the election of Meigs on the ground "that he had not been a resident of this State for 
four years next preceding the election as required by the Constitution," and the General Assembly, in joint 
convention, decided that he was not eligible. The office was not given to Massie, nor does it appear from the 
records that he claimed it, but Thomas Kirker, Acting Governor, continued to discharge the duties of the office 
until December 12, 1808, when Samuel Huntington was inaugurated, he having been elected on the second 
Tuesday of October in that year. 

(5) Resigned March 25, 1814, to accept the office of Postmaster-General of the United States. 

(6) Resigned January 4, 1822, to accept the office of United States Senator. 

(7) Resigned April 13, 1844, to accept the office of Minister to Mexico. 

(8) The result of the election in 1848 was not finally determined in joint convention of the two houses of 
the (ieneral Assembly until January 19, 1849, and the inauguration did not take plac3 until the 22d of that 
month. 

(9) Resigned July 15, 1853, to accept the office of Consul to Valparaiso. 

(10) Elected in October, 1853, for the regular term, to commence on the second Monday of January, 1854. 

(11) Died August 29, 1865. 

(12) Resigned March 2, 1877, to accept the office of President of the United States. 
* Acting Governor. Succeeded to office, being the Speaker of the Senate. 

•f Acting Governor. Succeeded to office, being the Lieutenant-Governor. 



72 



HI8TOEY OF OHIO 



IT is not our province in a volume of this description, to delineate the chronol- 
ogy of prehistoric epochs, or to dwell at length upon those topics pertaining 
to the scientific causes which tended to the formation of a continent, undiscov- 
ered for centuries, by. the wisdom and energy of those making a history of the 
Old World, by the advancement of enlightenment in the Eastern Hemisphere. 

Naturally, the geological formation of the State of Ohio cannot be entirely 
separated from facts relative to the strata, which, in remote ages accumulated 
one layer above the other, and finally constituted a "built-up" America, from 
a vast sea. The action of this huge body of water washed sediment and what- 
ever came in its way upon primitive rocks, which were subjected to frequent 
and repeated submersions, emerging as the water subsided, thus leaving a 
stratum or layer to solidify and mark its number in the series — a system of 
growth repeated in trees of the forest — in those descernible rings that count so 
many years. The southeastern part of North America emerging a second 
time from the Silurian Sea, which extended west to the Rocky Mountains and 
north to the primitive hills of British America, a succession of rock -bound, 
salt-water lakes remained. These covered a large portion of the continent, and 
their water evaporating, organic and mineral matter remained to solidify. This 
thick stratum has been designated by geologists as the water-lime layer. This 
constitutes the upper layer of rock in the larger portion of the west half of 
Ohio. In other sections it forms the bed rock. 

Following the lime-rock deposit, must have been more frequent sweeps of 
the great sea, since the layers are comparatively thin, proving a more speedy 
change. During this scientific rising and falling of the sea, other actions were 
taking place, such as volcanic and other influences w^hich displaced the regular- 
ity of the strata, and occasionally came out in an upheaval or a regular perpen- 
dicular dip. A disturbance of this character formed the low mountain range 
extending from the highlands of Canada to the southern boundary of Tennes- 
see. This "bulge" is supposed to be the consequence of the cooling of the 
earth and the pressure of the oceans on either side of the continent. Geolo- 
gists designate this as the Cincinnati arch. This forms a separation between 
the coal fields of the Alleghanies and those of Illinois. 

Passing over several periods, we reach the glacial, during which the topog- 
raphy of the continent was considerably modified, and which is among the 
latest epochs of geology, though exceedingly remote as compared with human 

73 



74 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

history. Previously, a torrid beat prevailed the entire Northern hemisphere. 
Now the temperature of the frigid zone crept southward until it reached Cincin- 
nati. A vast field of ice, perhaps hundreds of feet thick, extended from the 
north pole to this point. As this glacial rigor came southward, the flow of 
the St. Lawrence River was stopped, and the surplus water of the great lake 
basin was turned into the Ohio and Mississippi. This glacial sea was by no 
means stationary even after its southern limit had been reached. It possessed 
the properties of a solid and a fluid. Its action was slow but powerful, grind- 
ing mountains to powder and forming great valleys and basins. Separating 
into two glacial portions, one moved toward the watershed north of the Ohio 
River ; and, continuing westerly, it hollowed out the basin of Lake Erie and 
crushed the apex of the Cincinnati arch. From this point, it turned south- 
ward and swept with a regular course through the Maumee and Miami Valleys 
to the Ohio River. The southern border constantly melting, and flowing toward 
the Gulf of Mexico, the great field was pressed forward by the accumulation^ 
of ice in the northern latitudes. Thus for ages, this powerful force was fitting 
the earth for the habitation of man. The surface was leveled, huge rocks 
broken and reduced to pebbles, sand, clay, etc., other soil and surface-material — 
while the debris was embedded at the bottom. In some sections, as the ice 
melted and freed the bowlders and rocks, the lighter material was swept away. 
The glacier moving forward, and the forces proving an " equilibrium," the 
«dge of this ice-field was held in a solid stronghold, and the material thus de- 
posited forms a ridge, called by geologists "terminal moraine," first exemplified 
in Ohio by the "Black Swamp," in the Maumee Valley. 

The most extreme rigor of this period beginning to wane, the ice of the 
Maumee and Miami Valleys began to move slowly forward, toward the north, 
reaching the points now termed Hudson, Mich.; Fort Wayne, Ind., and Kenton, 
Ohio — reaching somewhat further south than Lima and Van Wert. The edge of 
the glacier was defined in outline by the present western border of Lake Erie, and 
parallel with it. Climatic influences " acting and counteracting," the glacial 
force was concentrated, the Maumee Valley being subjected to a grinding proc- 
ess, and a deposit of material going on, which now forms the boundary of the 
" Black Swamp." As our readers are aware, the waters of the St. Joseph and 
St. Mary's meet at Fort Wayne, and their united waters form the Maumee; 
thence the turn is northwest, and, wearing an outlet through the ridge, it 
reaches the head of Lake Erie. 

The torrid zone yet gaining the ascendency, the ice-fields continuing their 
reverse motion, and retreating toward the north, the basin of the great lakes 
was formed ; and the blocks of ice melting therein, a vast sea of fresh water was 
formed, which gradually overflowed a portion of Canada and Michigan, But 
the St. Lawrence, that important outlet, was under the restraint of an ice 
blockade, and the surplus water of the fresh sea was turned into the Ohio and 
and Mississippi. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 75 

Later, mountains of ice-float were drifted from the north by winds and cur- 
rents, into temperate latitudes, and melting, deposited rocks, stones and general 
debris. Following the iceberg-drift, came the permanent elevation above the ocean- 
level. The St. Lawrence outlet was formed. The inland sea was assuming its 
division into lakes. The united waters of Erie and Huron flowed through the 
Wabash Valley and into the Ohio, until, through some agency, that section was 
dry, and the lakes drained in another direction. The action of the glacial 
period in the Erie basin vicinity created what is known as the " Niagara lime- 
stone," by grinding upper strata and drifting the debris elsewhere. This seems 
to have occurred at intervals, exposures being made in Seneca, Sandusky and 
Wood Counties, and beneath the axis of the Cincinnati arch. Oriskany lime- 
stone is also available in another stratum, which has been brought to the surface. 
Again, there is a carboniferous stratum of limestone, and along the Maumee is 
a thin exposure of the Hamilton limestone and shale. 

A glacier having both fluid and solid properties, it will readily be compre- 
hended that obdurate projections of rock resisted its action, and created currents 
in other directions, for its forces. When this specified epoch had ceased to be, 
Ohio was a rough, irregular and crude mixture of ridges and knobs and pinnacles, 
which were " leveled up " and finished by iceberg-drift and inland-sea deposits. 
This settled and accumulated, and the work of hundreds of years produced a 
beautiful surface, its inequalities overcome, the water having receded and " terra 
firma" remaining. A deep bed of clay, sufficiently compact to hold the germs 
of organic matter, and sufficiently porous to absorb moisture, was especially 
adapted to encourage the growth of vegetation. These seeds had been brought 
by the winds and waves and natural agencies, and now began to produce plants 
and shrubs, which withered to enrich the soil, after scattering broadcast seeds 
that would again perpetuate verdure. Worms, land crabs and burrowing ani- 
mals assisted in the creation of soil, while the buffalo, deer and bear followed, 
as soon as forestry appeared. Decomposed foliage and fallen timber aided in 
the great work of preparing the present State of Ohio for the habitation of man, 
Prairie, marsh, forest, rivers and lakes were formed, which, in turn, were modi- 
fied and prepared for a grand destiny by other influences. 

In glancing over the compiled histories of Ohio, those containing details of 
her early struggles, afflictions and triumphs, we are especially impressed with 
its near and sympathetic relation with the great Northwest, and the republic of 
the United States of America. From the early years when white men built 
their rude cabins in the then tangled wilderness, to the opulent and magnificent 
present of this united nation, Ohio has been stanch, loyal and earnest, botli 
in action and principle. 

We shall endeavor to trace the history of the State concisely and accurately, 
according to the data given by the most reliable historians. We are obliged to 
glean the prominent events only, our space being limited, compared with the 
multitudinous interests connected with this important part of the United States. 



76 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

FRENCH HISTORY. 

All through early French history, is the fact especially prominent, that in 
their explorations and expeditions, they united piety and business. They were 
zealous in sending out their missionaries, but they were always attended by 
traders and those who were as skilled in the world's profit and loss, as their 
companions were in propagating Christianity. 

Prior to the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers upon Plymouth Rock, the 
Upper Lakes were visited by the French, and records prove that during the first 
half of the seventeenth century, a vagabondish set, working in the interests of 
the fur company of New France, understood the geographical position of the 
lakes and their tributary streams. M. Perrot, an intelligent explorer, made 
overtures of peace to the Indian tribes around these bodies of water, and 
effected a treaty, which, it is claimed, established the right for the French, in 
the name of their king, to hold the place near St. Mary's Falls. They further 
assert that the Mississippi was discovered by the French from Lake Superior, 
but this is not authenticated, and Father ^larquette and M. Joliet are accepted 
as the first who found this large stream, in 1763. The good missionary won 
his way with his patient and sympathetic nature. 

Ohio was, like the other portions of the West, originally in the possession 
of aborigines or Indians. Of their origin, many suppositions are advanced, 
but no certainties sustained. From practical evidences, the Mound-Builders 
were active in Ohio, and here as elsewhere, their work marked retrogression 
rather than advancement. The territory of Ohio was claimed by the French, 
and included in that wide tract between the Alleghauies and the Rockies, held 
by them under the name of Louisiana. Before the year 1750, a French trad- 
ing-post was established at the mouth of the Wabash, and communication was 
established between that point and the Maumee, and Canada. Between the 
years 1678 and 1682, the intrepid La Salle and Father Hennepin, assisted by 
Fondi, an Italian, with a small band of followers, inaugurated a series of 
explorations about the great lakes and the Mississippi, building forts on their 
way and planting the French priority. In 1680, La Salle erected a stockade at 
the foot of the rapids of the Maumee, which Avas a general rendezvous for mission- 
aries, traders and explorers, besides constituting a primitive "stock exchange." 

The English colonies were at this time east of the Alleghanies, while the 
French were establishing themselves west of this range, gaining an entrance 
north and south, the two portions separated by hostile and barbarous foes. 
La Salle's spirit of adventure led him into new fields, but Father Hennepin 
was detailed to investigate that part of the world now known as the State of 
Ohio. The records assert that he published a volume containing an account of 
his observations "in the country between New Mexico and the frozen ocean," 
in 1684, together with maps of Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, and a plat 
of the larger streams in Ohio. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 77 

Apparently, the French more speedily comprehended the value of their 
advantages in the New World than]the English, and vigorously inaugurated and 
sustained commercial and religious projects. They were essentially benefited 
by the mediation of the Catholic priests between settlers and Indians, this 
really earnest class everywhere ingratiating themselves with the savages. The 
Order of Jesuits were very vigorous, and representatives w"ere stationed at every 
trading-post, village and settlement. The English colonists engaged mostly in 
agriculture, while the French took a lively interest in the fur trade with the 
natives, probably from their former settlement in Quebec and thereabouts, where 
the climate is advantageous for this business. This added to the influence of 
the priests, and the natural assimilation of French and the Indians, through 
the tact and amiability of the former, the French possessions gained more 
rapidly than the English or Spanish. They courted their daughters and 
married them. They engaged in feasts and trades, and took advantage of 
those unimpeded times to extend their dominion with surprising celerity. A 
chain of trading, missionary and military posts extended from New Orleans tyo 
Quebec, by way of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, thence via Mackinaw and 
Detroit to Lakes Erie and Ontario. This route was shortened thereafter by 
following the Ohio River to the Wabash, following the latter upward, and 
■down the Maumee to Lake Erie. 

About the same time, and to check the advancement of the French, the 
Ohio Company was formed by the English. This was an outgrowth of the 
contest between these two nations for the ascendency, whether empire, settle- 
ment or individual. After thirty years' peace between these two nations, 
•'King George's War" opened the campaign in 1744, but terminated in 1748, 
the treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle unfortunately omitting a settlement of any division 
of claims in America. The English, French and Spanish were the first to 
enter America, and the right of possession by each monarch or empire was 
held by right of a first discover}'. The only right that England could advance 
regarding Ohio was that the portion of the Six Nations found in the Ohio 
Valley had placed some of their lands under British jurisdiction, and that other 
portions had been purchased at Lancaster, Penn., by means of a treaty with 
the same nations. All this was strenuously denied and ignored by the French. 
Thus several conflicting influences swept carnage over fair Ohio. The Indians were 
allied to one side and the other, and were against each other. The Indians and 
French would advance against the English, and they, in retaliation, would 
make a raid into the Indian territory and overcome a French settlement. 
Whenever they could as well, Indians would take the cause in their own keep- 
ing and fight each other. The wide, verdant fields of Ohio were drenohed 
ghastly red under a glowing sun, and the great forests echoed moans from the 
dying and distressed. The English colonists had partially overcome their 
deprivation, caused by a struggle for subsistence, and means to guard against 
the savages — this distress augmented by campaigns against Canada — by their 



78 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

increased numbers and wealth, but were now alarmed by the French rule in- 
America, which gained so rapidly, unmolested as it was by Indian raids and 
other devastating circumstances. A constant conflict was going on between 
Lake Erie and the Upper Ohio. Atrocities and massacres were committc<l 
indiscriminately, which opened the way for a desperate class of marauders antl 
villains from the colonies and European States. These people enlisted with 
the Indians on either side for the purpose of leadership and plunder. Every 
fortification, trading-post and settlement was garrisoned or deserted, and the 
ground between the Alleghanies and the Maumee became a conflict field, rife 
with thrilling deeds, • sacrifice and adventures, the half never having been 
chronicled, and many heroes falling uncrowned by even a lasting memory, since 
during these times the people kept few annals, and cared less for historical 
memories than anything on earth. They were living, and dying, and struggling, 
and that was more than they could carry through safely. The French formed 
a road from the Ohio River to Detroit, via the foot of the Lower Rapids of the 
Maumee, and the foot of the Lower Rapids of the Sandusky. 

The Ohio Company obtained a charter under English views, from the 
British Government, with a grant of 6,000 acres of land on the Ohio. Tlie 
English now reverted to the times of the Cabots, and protested that by right 
they held the entire country between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, bounded 
by those parallels of latitude defining their Atlantic coast settlements. France 
claimed the region drained by the Mississippi and tributaries, the great lakes 
and their tributaries, the area being west of the Alleghanies. Ohio was thus 
included in the disputed tract. 

The Ohio Company was formed in 1748, by a number of A^irginians and 
Londoners, two brothers of George Washington taking conspicuous parts in the 
movement ; Thomas Lee was especially active. When the surveys were begun, 
the Governor of Canada entered vigorous protests, and indicated his displeasure 
by a prompt line of posts from Erie to Pittsburgh, named respectively, Presque 
Isle, Le Boeuf, Vedango, Kittaning and Du Quesne. The latter was begun 
by the English, captured by the French, and by them completed. 

The first English settlement of which we can find traces was a block-house 
at Piqua, about the year 1752. It was attacked, and a bitter struggle ensued, 
resulting in the death of fourteen of the assailants. Those within the garrison 
sufiered severely, many being burned, and the remainder captured and dis- 
patched to Canada. 

In 1753, the French and Indian war actively began. It did not extend 
beyond the American continent until 1756, when the home governments took 
an interest in its progress beyond encouraging their respective colonists to pur- 
sue the war-path to a direful finale for their adversaries. For four years, the 
French captured and conquered, spreading terror wherever they went, and 
they followed every Englishman that set his foot on Ohio soil to the death. 
We may state that these people had not retained their civilized habits, and 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 79 

constant association with savages had embued them with barbarous methods of 
warfare which were sickening and revolting to the English, and to which they 
could not resort. It is highly probable that French success was vastly brought 
about by these means, together with the assistance of their Indian allies. In 
1758, when the English hope was almost exterminated, the elder Pitt being 
placed at the head of the administration, a new and energetic system was 
inaugurated, wise measures instituted, and military science triumphed over 
savage cunning and French intrigue. The first brilliant English achievement 
was the conquest of Canada. When the home governments interfered, the 
war assumed the character of a French and English conflict, regardless of 
Indian right, yet the tribes continued to participate in the carnage. 

A certain Christian, Frederick Post, a Moravian missionary, located upon 
the Muskingum, near Beavertown. Heckewelder consented to become his 
associate. The Indians receiving them kindly, under conditions that Post 
should serve as tutor, this missionary began clearing a field for the purpose of 
planting corn for sustenance. This did not accord with Indian logic. They 
had stipulated that he teach and he was planting corn, which to them was a 
signal of the coming of other whites, the building of a fort and encroachments 
upon the Indians. They referred to the French priests, who were in good 
physical condition, did not till land, but were in charge of the Great Spirit 
who provided for them, a conclusive proof to them that when divine work was 
acceptable to the Great Spirit, priests were somehow sustained by other than 
the plans ^ which disturbed their great hunting-grounds. However, they 
allowed him a small space, and he remained with them, preaching and teaching 
during the summer of 1762, when, accompanied by one of the principal chiefs, 
he returned to Lancaster, Penn., where a treaty was concluded. On his return 
to his post, he was met by Heckewelder, who imparted the tidings that friendly 
Indians had warned him that the war was about to sweep over their section, 
and destruction awaited them if they remained. The mission was accordingly 
abandoned. This failure was not so bitter as the English effort to sustain their 
trading-post in 1749, on the Great Miami, afterward called Laramie's store. 
It pursued a feeble existence until 1752, when a French raid upon the Twig- 
twees and English colonists proved fatal. 

A European treaty now excluded the French from any rights to make 
treaties with the Indians, and the English, in their flush of victory after Pitt's 
succession, assumed the authority over Indians and lands. The savages did 
not accept the situation with anything resembling the gentle spirit of resigna- 
tion, and the Ottawa chief, Pontiac, led the several tribes into a general war 
against the intruders. It was no longer French and English, but Indian and 
English, the former being instigated and assisted many times by the French, 
now desperate and unscrupulous in a mad spirit for revenge. 

The intention of the Indians was to drive the whites east of the mountains, 
destroying their numerous strongholds in Pennsylvania and Virginia, if they 



80 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

failed in their hope of utterly exterminating them. Pontiac had eftected a 
consolidation of the tribes ranging from Mackinaw to North Carolina, thus 
being enabled to swoop down upon all the settlements simultaneously. A 
deadly beginning was made in the Ohio Valley, and only two or three English 
traders escaped out of the one hundred and twenty located in that vicinity. 
The forts at Presque Isle, St. Joseph and Mackinaw, were captured amid scenes 
of slaughter too terrible to perpetuate in description. The years 1763 and 
1764 were literally drenched in human carnage and anguish. Ohio was a 
great field of crime, murder, pain and horror. The expeditions of Bradstreet 
and Bouquet crushed the war in 1764, and Pontiac with his Ottawas removed 
to the Maumee and settled. English settlement now progressed with great 
rapidity, but this was destined to be disturbed in 1774, by the action of Lord 
Dunmore, who led an expedition against the tribes of the Ohio country, termi- 
nated by his treaty on the Scioto plains. At this period, the colonists were not 
in strict harmony with England, and the spirit of revolution was spreading 
every day. 

When Lord Dunmore made his treaty, the affirmation was made and gained 
ground that he, being a thorough loyalist, had compromised under such terms 
as held the Indians British allies against the settlers. Directly following this 
treaty, was the deliberate murder of a number of Indians, near Wheeling, 
including the family of the great chief, Logan — which inaugurated retaliating 
atrocities. 

In the year 1773, July 4, the first white child was born within the 
present limits of Ohio, and was christened John L. Roth, son of a Mora- 
vian missionary. All the settlers of these Moravian towns on the Muskingum 
were made prisoners in September of the same year. Heckwelder was trans-: 
ported to Detroit, but English tyranny failed to find any evidence against him 
or his colaborers, and they were reluctantly released, and returned to their fam- 
ilies in Sandusky. Poverty added to their sufferings, and in the forlorn 
hope of finding a remnant of their property at the old settlements, which might 
assist in mitigating their necessities, they wearily went thitherward. They 
began gathering their grain, but the Wyandots attacked them, and many lives 
were lost. Frontiersmen had also grown jealous of them, and a body of about 
ninety marched out together, for the fiendish purpose of pillaging, slaughtering 
and laying waste all Moravian towns and posts. With the wily insidiousness of 
savages, they went about their diabolical plan. The Moravians were cordial and 
bade this band welcome, when they reached their towns in the guise of friend- 
ship. Williamson, the leader, and the gleaners, were called from the fields, 
when, to the dismay of these trusting and frank people, they were all bound, 
and only fifteen out of the marauding band of ninety were in favor of even 
sparing the lives of these hapless men, women and children. Forty men, 
twenty-two women and thirty-four children were then cruelly and heartlessly 
murdered, their sufferings laughed to scorn, and the last sound that fell on their 



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^L^^^<^ ^.x^JlfiS 



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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. . 8<J 

ears was exultant derision. Succeeding this tragic event was the expedition 
against the Indian towns upon the Sandusky. The hostile Indians had been 
making frequent incursions upon the settlements of Western Pennsylvania and 
Virginia, destroying both life and property. There seemed to be no bounds 
to their bloody work, and it became necessary, for the peace and safety of the 
settlers, to take some measures to prevent their outrages. Accordingly, in 
May, 1782, Gen. William Ii-vine, who was then commander of the Western 
Military Department, with headquarters at Fort Pitt, called a council of the 
officers of his department to meet at Fort Pitt. At this meeting it was de- 
cided to form and equip a body of men, and make an expedition into the 
Indian country. Upper Sandusky, then the rendezvous of the hostile Wyan- 
dots, Delawares, Shawanese and Mingoes, was to be the point of attack. 

Col. William Crawford led the expedition, which counted 480 men. Warn- 
ing had in some manner reached the towns, and the troops found them de- 
serted. But the Indians were incensed, and their wrath had not driven them 
to hiding-places, but to a preparation to meet their foes. They fought desper- 
ately, and Crawford's troops were defeated and scattered, many being capt- 
ured, and among them Col. Crawford himself. It is hardly probable that 
Crawford could justly expect much mercy at the hands of his captors. Ac- 
counts state that Crawford implored the aid of Girty, and at last secured a 
promise to use his power to obtain the Colonel's pardon. However, this was of 
no avail, and it is doubtful whether Girty was disposed to intercede. The 
prisoners were tortured and put to death, and Crawford's agonies were pro- 
tracted as long as possible. Dr. Knight managed to disable the Indian who 
had him in charge, and made his escape to the settlements, where he related 
the result of the expedition and the tortures of the captured. 

On October 27, 1784, a treaty was concluded at Fort Stanwix, with the 
sachems and warriors of the Mohawks, Onondagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Onei- 
das and Tuscaroras, and the Six Nations then ceded to the Colonial Govern- 
ment all claims to the country west of a line defined by the western boundary 
to the Ohio — thus rendering the Indian claim to a large portion of Ohio lands 
practically extinct. 

Although the French and Indian war was a series of heart-rending events, 
it was a serious and remarkable school of discipline for the untrained troops 
which soon engaged in the Revolutionary struggle. On the fields of Ohio, many 
valuable officers, who earned distinction in the war of independence, learned 
their first lessons in intrepid valor. 

During the Revolution, the colonial troops were engaged east of the mount- 
ains, and western settlements and frontier people were left alone to defend 
themselves and their property against encroachments and attacks. 

The Indian tribes again became belligerent, and united with the English 
against the " Americans." The latter held a line of posts along the Upper 
Ohio, while the British were stationed in the old French strongholds on the 
lakes and the Mississippi. The unscrupulous whites and Indians ranged at ran- 
dom between this boundary and the Cuyahoga, thence southerly to the Ohio, 



€4 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

thus including the Scioto and Miami Valleys. Southeastern Ohio constituted 
" the neutral ground." 

Gen. Clarke's expedition, although chiefly confined to Indiana and Illinois, 
greatly influenced the settlement of Ohio. His exploits and the resolution of 
his troops were chiefly instrumental in holding the country west of the Alle- 
ghanies, and insuring its possession by the United States during the Kevolution. 
The British had been emphatic, in the Paris treaty, at the time of the settlement 
of the French and English diflSculties, in demanding the Ohio River as the 
northern boundary of the United States. The American Commissioners relied 
upon Gen. Clarke's valor and energy in holding the country west of the AUe- 
ghanies, which he had conquered, and the British Commissioners were compelled 
to give their consent, under civil and military measures. In 1783, by the 
treaty of Paris, at the close of the Revolutionary war, the English relinquisher! 
all rights to the fertile territory between the Alleghanies and the Mississippi, 
and the United States lield undisputed possession. 

January 10, 1786, Gens. Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper circulated a 
pamphlet, proposing the formation of a company for the purpose of settling the 
Ohio lands, and soliciting the attention and consideration of all those desiring a 
future home and prosperity. A meeting was also called, to assemble during the 
following February, and select delegates to represent each county in Massachu- 
setts. These dignitaries should convene during the month of March, at the 
" Bunch of Grapes " tavern, in Boston, for the purpose of definitely forming the 
association, and adopting such measures as would benefit all directly interested. 
The meeting and " convention " followed, and the subscription books were opened. 
One million dollars, chiefly represented by Continental certificates, was the 
price of the land. The shares were valued at $1,000 each, and there was a 
division of a thousand shares. The first payment was to be $10 per share, this 
money to be set aside for such expenses as might accrue. A year's interest was 
to be devoted to the establishment of the settlement, and those families who 
were unable to incur the expense of moving were to be assisted. Those who 
purchased shares to the number of twenty were entitled to a representation bj 
an agent, who was permitted to vote for Directors. This plan matured and was 
acted upon during the following year. It may be that the action of Connecti- 
cut, in ceding her^ territorial claims to the General Government, with few excep- 
tions, greatly encouraged this new undertaking. That tract was, until recently, 
designated the " Western Reserve " — an extent 170 miles from the western 
boundary of Pennsylvania, and parallel thereto, being reserved. 

On October 27, 1787, a contract was made between the Board of the Treas- 
ury, for the United States, a^-'i Manasseh Cutler and Winthrop Sargent, agents 
for the Directors of the New England Ohio Company, for the purchase of a tract 
of land, bounded by the Ohio, and from the mouth of the Scioto to the inter- 
section of the western boundary of the seventh townships, then surveying ; 
thence by said boundary to the northern boundary of the tenth township from 



HISTORY OF THE STATK OF OHIO. 85 

the Ohio : thence, by a due west line, to the Scioto ; thence, by the Scioto, to 
the beginning. 

However fertile and attractive Ohio was known to have been, settlement did 
not gain rapidly after the close of the war with England, although the United 
States has gained her freedom. It was more than six years after Cornwallis 
laid down his sword, before a white settlement was formed on the Ohio side of the 
river. The French and Indian war had incited the English to be jealous of her 
colonial conquests, and mistrusting their loyalty, they had, so soon as the French 
claims were annulled, taken measures to crush all colonial claims also, and a 
royal proclamation rescinded all colonial land grants and charters, holding all 
the country west of the sources of the Atlantic rivers under the protection and 
sovereignty of tlie king of Great Britain, for the use of the Indians. All white 
persons were forbidden to remain or settle within the prescribed limits. Parlia- 
ment then attached this tract to Quebec, and the English Government felt assured 
that the thirteen colonies were restricted and held secure east of the Alleghanies. 

The result of the war between the colonies and England did not constitute 
an Indian treaty. Although England signed over her title and right, the sava- 
ges held the land and ignored all white agreements, one way or the other. 
Wlienever an attempt at settlement was undertaken, Indian depredations proved 
disastrous. The tribes were encouraged by the English fur traders, and the 
English commandant at Detroit incited them to destroy all Americans who 
attempted to usurp the rights of red men. 

Added to this serious difficulty was the unsettled debate regarding Stat© 
claims, which rendered a title precarious. A treaty, signed at Fort Mcintosh, 
previous to the war, and authenticated, shows that during the conflict the Dela- 
wares and Wyandots occupied the Indian and British frontier, on the southern 
shore of Lake Erie, from the Cuyahoga to the Maumee, and from the lake to 
the sources of its tributaries. Later, these two tribes ceded to the United 
States "the neutral ground," by warranty deed, and by quit-claim, the terri- 
tory south and west of the described tract, set apart for their use. 

By special measures, the grant of Congress in the matter of the Ohio Com- 
pany extended to nearly 5,000,000 acres, valued at $3,500,000. The original 
Ohio Company obtained 1,500,000 acres, the remaining being reserved by indi- 
viduals, for private speculation. 

The same year. Congress appointed Arthur St. Clair, Governor, and Win- 
throp Sargent, Secretary, of the Territory. 

Fort Harmar had previously been built, at the mouth of the Muskingum, 
and in 1788, a New England colony attempted the "Muskingum settlement," 
on the opposite side, which was afterward named Marietta. In July, 1788, the 
Territorial officers were received in this village, and there established the first 
form of civil government, as set forth in the Ordinance of 1787. Three United 
States Judges were appointed, and Courts of Common Pleas, Probate and 
Justice were established. 



86 IIISTOIU OF THK STATE OF OHIO. 

If tlje stormy times were supposed to be of the past, that composure was 
rudely broken by the utter disregard of the Shawnee and other Indian tribes, 
who soon induced the Delawares and Wyandots to repudiate their consent in the 
matter of settlement. The miseries of frontier horrors were repeated. The 
British commandant at Detroit instigated many of these hostilities, yet the 
American Government took honorable action in assuring the English represent- 
ative that American military preparations in the West was not an expedition 
against Detroit, or other British possessions, although the possession of Detroit 
by that nation was in direct opposition to the treaty of 1783. Gov. St. Clair, 
to avert the direful consequences of a border war, dispatched a Frenchman, 
Gameline, to the principal Indian towns of the Wabash and Maumee countries, 
to request them to meet the United States agents, and make a compromise for 
the benefit of both parties, at the same time reiterating the desire of the General 
Government to adhere to the Fort Harmar treaty. The Miamis, Shawnees, 
Ottawas, Kickapoos and Delawares received this representative kindly, but 
declined the wampum sent by the Governor, and deferred giving an answer 
until they had considered the subject with the " father at Detroit." 

Blue Jacket, chief of the Shawnees, informed the Frenchman that the Indi- 
ans doubted the sincerity of the Americans. The new settlement on the Ohio 
was a proof that the whites intended to crowd further and further, until the 
Indians were again and again robbed of their just right. He then emphatically 
asserted that unless the north side of the river was kept free from these inroads 
there could be no terms of peace with the Shawnees, and many other tribes. 

Blue Jacket was unusually intelligent and sagacious, and expressed himself 
eloquently. He was persistent in his determination to engage in the war of 
extermination, should the white settlements continue north of the Ohio. 

These overtures were continued, but they failed in producing any arrange- 
ment that permitted the whites to locate north of the Ohio. 

Congress called upon Kentucky and Pennsylvania to lend the aid of their 
militia. Gen. Harmar was instructed to destroy the Miami villages at the 
head of the Maumee. Late in the fall of 1790, he executed this order. 

The Indians had stored a large quantity of provisions, in expectation of a 
campaign, and this dependence was devastated. Without authority, and with 
undue carelessness, he divided his arm^y and attempted to achieve other victo 
ries. He more than lost what he had gained. Two raids upon the Wabash In- 
dians, thereafter, proved successful, but the campaign under Gov. St. Clair was 
not calculated to establish peace or obtain power, and was deemed but little less 
than a failure. 

The year 1792 was a series of skirmishes, so far as a settlement was con- 
cerned, but 1793 succeeded well enough to convene a meeting of United States 
Commissioners and representatives of the hostile tribes, at the rapids of the 
Maumee. It is highly probable that a satisfactory treaty might have been 
arranged, had it not been for the intervention and malicious influence of the 



ill^^TOKY «)F THE ^TATE OF OHIO. 87 

British Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Col. McKee, his assistant Capt. 
Elliott, and the notorious Capt. Simon Girty, who instigated the savages to 
deeds more horrible than their own barbarisms. 

It was evident that a severe struggle must ensue, and Capt. Wayne, in 
1792, appointed to the command of the Western army, was called upon to con- 
duct the campaign. He exhibited his wisdom in the beginning, by preparing 
his men in military discipline and fully equipping them before marching to meet 
a savage foe in a wilderness. Various causes detained the army, and it was not 
until the fall of 1793, that the force marched from Fort Washington (Cincin- 
nati) to begin the battle. 

It was already late in the season, and, before any progress had been made, 
the army went into winter quarters at Greenville, on a branch of the Big 
Miami. 

In the mean time, the Ohio Company had not matured its practical ''settle- 
ment plan," although a generous grant had been obtained. In 1792, they 
received a clear title to 750,000 acres of land, for which the full price had pre- 
viously been paid, in Continental currency. Congress set aside 214,285 acres 
as army bounties, and 100,000 acres to actual settlers. The two latter appro- 
priations joined that of the Ohio Company. 

There had been numerous conventions, discussions and other fruitless 
attempts to somehoAv form a plan for the government of the Northwest Terri- 
tory, but it was not until July 13, 1787, that an ordinance was passed, and that 
was the result of Dr. Cutler's efforts. Every State sustained its measures. 

This ordinance was the foundation of the constitution of the future State of 
Ohio, and indeed, permeates the entire Northwestern creed. 

ORDINANCE OF 1787.— No. 32. 
An .Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, Northwest of 
THE Ohio River. 

Be it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, That the said Territoiy , for the pur- 
pose of government, be one district; subject, however, to be divided into two districts, as future cir- 
cumstances may, in the opinion of Congress, make it expedient. 

Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the estates of both resident and non-resident 
proprietors in the said Territory, dying intestate, shall descend to and be distributed among their 
children and the descendants of a deceased child, in equal parts; the descendants of a deceased 
child or grandchild to take the share of their deceased parent in equal parts among them. And 
when there shall be no children or descendants, then in equal parts to the next of kin in equal 
degree ; and among collaterals, the children of a deceased brother or sister of the intestate shall 
have, in equal parts among them, their deceased parent's share; and there shall in no case be a 
distribution between kindred of the whole and half blood, saving in all cases to the widow of 
intestate, her third part of the real estate, for life, and one-third part of the personal estate ; and 
this law relative to descents and dower, shall remain in full force until altered by the Legis- 
lature of the district. And until the Governor and Judges shall adopt laws as hereinafter 
mentioned, estates in said Territory may be devised or bequeathed by wills in writing, signed 
and sealed by him or her in whom the estate may be (being of full age), and attested by three 
witnesses ; and real estate may be conveyed by lease and release, or bargain and sale, signed and 
sealed, and delivered by the person (being in full age) in whom the estate may be, and attested 



88 H18T0KV OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

by two witnesses, provided such wills be duly proved, anU such conveyances be acknowledged, or 
the execution thereof duly proved and be recorded within one year after proper magistrates, 
courts and registers shall be appointed for that purpose. And personal property may be trans- 
ferred by delivery, saving, however, to the French and Canadian inhabitants and other settlers of 
the Kaskaskias, St. Vincent's and the neighboring villages, who have heretofore professed them- 
selves citizens of Virginia, their laws and customs now in force among them, relative to the 
descent and conveyance of property. 

Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That there shall be appointed from time to time, by 
Congress, a Governor whose commission shall continue in force for a term of three years, unless 
sooner revoked by Congress. He shall reside in the district and have a freehold estate therein, 
of a thousand acres of land while in the exercise of his office. 

There shall be appointed from time to time by Congress, a Secretary whose commission shall 
continue in foi-ce for two years, unless sooner revoked. He shall reside in the district, and shall 
have a freehold estate therein in 500 acres of land, while in the exercise of his office. It shall be 
his duty to keep and preserve the acts and laws passed by the Legislature, and the public records 
of the district, and the proceedings of the Governor in his executive department, and transmit 
authentic copies of such acts and proceedings every six months, to the Secretary of Congress. 
There shall also be appointed a court to consist of three Judges, any two of whom to form a 
court, who shall have a common law jurisdiction and shall reside in the district and have each 
therein a freehold estate in 500 acres of land, while in the exercise of their office, and their 
commissions shall continue in force during good behavior. 

The Governor and Judges, or a majority of them, shall adopt and publish in the district 
such laws of the original States, criminal and civil, as may be necessary -and best suited to the 
circumstances of the district, and report them to Congress from time to time, which laws shall be 
in force in the district until the organization of the General Assembly therein, unless disapproval 
by Congress. But afterward, the Legislature shall have authority to alter them, as they shall 
think fit. 

The Governor, for the time being, shall be commander-in-chief of the militia, appoint and 
commission all officers in the same, below the rank of general officers. All general officers shall 
be appointed and commissioned by Congress. 

Previous to the organization of the General Assembly, the Governor shall appoint such mag- 
istrates and other civil officers in each county or township, as he shall find necessary for the 
preservation of the peace and good order in the same. After the General Assembly shall be 
organized, the powers and duties of magistrates and other civil officers shall be regulated and 
defined by the said Assembly, but all magistrates and other civil officers not herein otherwise 
directed, shall, during the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed by the 
Governor. 

For the prevention of crimes and injuries, the laws to be adopted or made shall have force 
in all parts of the district, and for the execution of process, criminal or civil, the Governor shall 
make proper divisions thereof, and he shall proceed from time to time as circumstances may 
require, to lay out the parts of the district in which the Indian titles shall have been extin- 
guished, into counties and townships, subject, however, to such alterations as may thereafter be 
made by the Legislature. So soon as there shall be 5,000 free male inhabitants of full age in the 
district, upon giving proof thereof to the Governor, they shall receive authority with time and 
place, to elect representatives from their counties or townships, to represent them in the General 
Assembly. Provided, That for every 500 free male inhabitants, there shall be one representative, 
and so on progressively with the number of free male inhabitants, shall the right of representa- 
tion increase, until the number of representatives shall amount to twenty-five. After which, the 
number shall be regulated by the Legislature. Provided, That no person be eligible or qualified 
to act as a representative unless he shall have been a citizen of one of the United States three 
years, and be a resident in the district, or unless he shall have resided in the district three 
years, and in either case, shall likewise hold in his own right in fee simple 200 acres of land 
within the same. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 89 

Provided, Also, that a freehold in 50 acres of land in the district, having been a citizen of 
■one of the States, and being a resident in the district, or the like freehold and two years' resi- 
dence in the district, shall be necessary to qualify a man as an elector of a representative. 

The representatives thus elected, shall serve for the term of two years. And in case of the 
death of a representative or removal from office, the Governor shall issue a writ to the county or 
lownship for which he was a member, to elect another in his stead, to serve for the residue of the 
term. 

The General Assembly or Legislature shall consist of the Governor, Legislative Council, and 
a House of Representatives. The Legislative Council shall consist of five members, to continue 
in office five years, unless sooner removed by Congress ; any three of whom to be a quorum. 
And the members of the Council shall be nominated and appointed in the following manner, to wit : 
As soon as representatives shall be elected, the Governor shall appoint a time and place for 
them to meet together, and when met, they shall nominate ten persons, residents in the district, 
and each person in a freehold in 500 acres of land, and return their names to Congress, five of 
whom Congress shall appoint and commission as aforesaid. And whenever a vacancy shall hap- 
pen in the Council by death or removal from office, the House of Representatives shall nominate 
two persons, qualified as aforesaid, for each vacancy, and return their names to Congress, one of 
■whom Congress shall appoint and commission for the residue of the term. And everj- five years, 
four months at least before the expiration of the time of service of the members of the Council, 
the said House shall nominate ten persons qualified as aforesaid, and return their names to 
Congress, five of whom Congress shall appoint and commission to serve as members of the 
Council five years, unless sooner removed. And the Governor, Legislative Council and House 
of Representatives shall have authority to make laws in all cases, for the good government 
■of the district, not repugnant to the principles and articles in this Ordinance, established and 
declared. 

And all bills having passed by a majority in the House, and by a majority in the Council, 
shall be referred to the Governor for his assent. But no bill or legislative act whatever, shall J>e 
of any force without his assent. The Governor shall have power to convene, prorogue and dis- 
solve the General Assembly, when in his opinion it shall be expedient. 

The Governor, Judges, Legislative Council, Secretary, and such other officers as Congrea* 
shall appoint in the district, shall take an oath or affirmation of fidelity and of office. The Gov^- 
ernor before the President of Congress, and all other officers before the Governor. 

As soon as a Legislature shall be formed in the district, the Council and House assembled 
in one room, shall have authority by joint ballot to elect a delegate to Congress, who shall: 
have a seat in Congress, with a right of debating, but not of voting, during this temporary gov- 
ernment. 

And for extending the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which forms 
the basis whereon these republics, their laws .and constitutions, are created ; to fix and establish 
those principles as the basis of all laws, constitutions and governments, which forever hereafter 
shall be formed in said Territory. To provide for the establishment of States, and permanent 
governments therein, and for their admission to a share in the Federal Council on an equal footing 
with the original States, at as early periods as may be consistent with the general interest. 

It is hereby ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, Tliai the following articles shall- 
be considered as articles of compact between the original States and the jieople, and States in 
said Territory, and forever remain unaltered unless by common consent, to wit : 

Article II. The inhabitants of said Territory shall always be entitled to the benefits of the 
writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury; of a proportionate representation of the people 
in the Legislature, and of judicial procedure according to the course of common law. All per- 
sons shall be bailable, except for capital offenses, where the proof shall be evident or the pre- 
sumption great. All fines shall be moderate, and no cruel or unreasonable punishment shall be 
inflicted. No man shall be deprived of his liberty or property, but by the judgment of his peers 
or the law of the land. And should the public exigencies make it necessary for the common 
preservation, to take any person's property, or to demand liis particular services, full cnnipensatiott 



90 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

ehall be made for the same. And in the just preservation of rights and property, it is umler- 
«tood and declared that no law aught ever to be made or have force in the said Territory, 
that shall in any manner whatever interfere with or effect private contracts or engagements bona 
fide and without fraud, previously formed. 

Art. III. Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the 
happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. The 
utmost good faith shall always be observed toward the Indians; their lands and property shall 
never be taken from them without their consent; aqd in their property, rights and liberty they 
shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress. But 
laws founded in justice and humanity, shall from time to time be made for preventing wrongs 
being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them. 

Art. IV. The said Territory and the States which may be formed therein, shall ever remain 
a part of the confederacy of the United States of America, subject to the articles of confedera- 
tion, and to such alterations therein as shall be constitutionally made, and to all the acts and 
ordinances of the United States in Congress assembled conformable thereto. The inhabitants and 
settlers in said Territory shall be subject to pay a part of the federal debts contracted or to be 
contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses of the Government, to be apportioned on 
them by Congress, according to tlie same common rule and measure by which apportionments 
thereof shall be made on the other States, and the taxes for paying their proportion shall be laid 
and levied by the authority and directions of the Legislature of the district or districts or new 
States, within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled. The Legisla- 
tures of those districts or new States, shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil 
by the United States in Congress assembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find neces- 
sary for securing the title in such soil to the bona-fide purchasers. No tax shall be imposed on 
lands the property of the United States, and in no case, shall non-residents be taxed higher than 
residents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St Lawrence, and the carry- 
jhg places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free as well to the inhabi- 
tants of the said Territory as to the citizens of the United States and those of any otlier States 
that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost or duty therefor. 

Art. V. There shall be formed in said Territory not less than three, nor more than five, 
States, and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession and 
consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit : The western State in 
the said Territory shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Wabash Rivers ; a direct 
line drawn from the Wabash and Post St. Vincent, due north to the Territorial line between the 
United States and Canada ; and by the said Territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and Missis- 
sippi. The middle State shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash from Post St. Vin- 
cent to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line di-awn due north from the mouth of the Great 
Miami to the said Territorial line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned 
direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania and said territorial line. Provided, however, and it is further 
understood and declared, that the boundaries of those three States shall be subject so far to be 
altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one 
or two States in that part of the said Territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn 
through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan. And whenever any of the said States 
shall have 60,000 free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted by its delegates into the 
Congress of the United States on an equal footing with the original States in all respects what- 
ever, and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government. Provided, 
The constitution and government so to be formed, shall be represented, and in conformity to the 
principles contained in these articles ; and so far as it can be consistent with the general interest 
of the confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be 
a less number of free inhabitants than 60,000. 

Art. VI. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said Territory, 
otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. 
Provided always, That any person escaping into the same from whom labor or service is lawfully 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 91 

claimed in one of the original States, each fugitive may be lawfully claimed and conveyed to the 
person claiming his or her labor or services as aforesaid. 

Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid. That the resolutions of the 23d of April, 1784, 
relative to the subject of this ordinance, be and the same are hereby repealed and declared null 
and void. 

COMMENT BY S. P. CHASE 1833. 

It would be difficult to find a more comprehensive review of the founda- 
tions of our system of laws than is given in the " Preliminary Sketch of the 
History of Ohio," by this distinguished representative of the bench and the 
bar of America. The work is now out of print, and is not easily obtained; 
besides, its great author has passed away; so these extracts are made more 
with a view of preserving old historical literature, than of introducing new ; 
furthermore, the masses of the people have never had convenient access to the 
volumes, which, for the most part, have been in the hands of professional men 
only. The publication of the work first brought its compiler before the public, 
and marked the beginning of that career which, during its course, shaped the 
financial system of our country, and ended upon the Supreme Bench of the 
nation. 

"By the ordinance of 1785, Congress had executed in part the great national 
trust confided to it, by providing for the disposal of the public lands for the 
common good, and by prescribing the manner and terms of sale. By that of 
1787, provision was made for successive forms of Territorial government, 
adapted to successive steps of advancement in the settlement of the Western 
country. It comprehended an intelligible system of law on the descent and 
conveyance of real property, and the transfer of personal goods. It also con- 
tained five articles of compact between the original States, and the people and 
States of the Territory, establishing certain great fundamental principles of 
governmental duty and private right, as the basis of all future constitutions and 
legislation, unalterable and indestructible, except by that final and common 
ruin, which, as it has overtaken aH former systems of human polity, may yet 
overwhelm our American union. Never, probably, in the history of the world, 
did a measure of legislation so accurately fulfill, and yet so mightily exceed 
the anticipations of the legislators. The ordinance has been well described, as 
having been a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night, in the settlement and 
government of the Northwestern States. When the settlers went into the 
wilderness, they found the law already there. It was impressed upon the soil 
itself, while it yet bore up nothing but the forest. The purchaser of land 
became, by that act, a party to the compact, and bound by its perpetual cove- 
nants, so far as its conditions did not conflict with the terms of the cessions of 

the States. ' 

********* 

This remarkable instrument was the last gift of the Congress of the old 
confederation to the country, and it was a fit consummation of their glorious 



i)-J. HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

labors. At the time of its promulgation, the Federal Constitution was under 
discussion in the convention ; and in a few months, upon the organization of 
the new national government, that Congress was dissolved, never again to re-as- 
semble. Some, and indeed most of the principles established by the articles of 
compact are to be found in the plan of 1784, and in the various English and 
American bills of rights. Others, however, ahd these not the least important, 
are original. Of this number are the clauses in relation to contracts, to slavery 
and to Indians. On the whole, these articles contain what they profess to con- 
tain, the true theory of American liberty. The great principles promulgated 
by it are wholly and purely American. They are indeed the genuine princi- 
ples of freedom, unadulterated by that compromise with circumstances, the 
effects of which are visible in the constitution and history of the Union. 

The first form of civil government, provided by the ordinance, was now 
formally established within the Territory. Under this form, the people had no 
concern in the business of government. The Governor and Judges derived 
their appointments at first from Congress, and after the adoption of the Fed- 
eral Constitution, from the President. The commission of the former officer 
was for the term of three years, unless sooner revoked ; those of the latter 
were during good behavior. It was required that the Governor should reside 
within the Territory, and possess a freehold estate there, in one thousand acres 
of land. He had authority to appoint all officers of militia, below the rank of 
Generals, and all magistrates and civil officers, except the Judges and the Sec- 
retary of the Territory ; to establish convenient divisions of the whole district 
for the execution of progress, to lay out those parts to which the Indian 
titles might be extinguished into counties and townships. The Judges, or any 
two of them, constituted a court with common law jurisdiction. It was neces- 
sary that each Judge should possess a freehold estate in the territory of five 
hundred acres. The whole legislative power which, however, extended only to 
the adoption of such laws of the original States as might be suited to the cir- 
cumstances of the country, was vested in the Governor and Judges. The laws 
adopted were to continue in force, unless disapproved by Congress, until re- 
pealed by the Legislature, which was afterward to be organized. It was the 
duty of the Secretary to preserve all acts and laws, public records and executive 
proceedings, and to transmit authentic copies to the Secretary of Congress 
every six months. 

Such was the first government devised for the Northwestern Territory. It 
is obvious that its character, as beneficent or oppressive, depended entirely upon 
the temper and disposition of those who administrated it. All power, legisla- 
tive, judicial and executive, was concentrated in the Governor and Judges, and 
in its exercise they were responsible only to the distant Federal head. The 
expenses of the Government were defrayed in part by the United States, but 
were principally drawn from the pockets of the people in the shape of fees. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 93 

This temporary system, however unfriendly as it seems to liberty, was, 
perhaps, so established upon sufficient reasons. The Federal Constitution had 
not then been adopted, and there were strong apprehensions that the people of 
the Territory might not be disposed to organize States and apply for admission 
into the Union. It was, therefore, a matter of policy so to frame the Territorial 
system as to create some strong motives to draw them into the Union, as States, 
in due time. 

The first acts of Territorial legislation were passed at Marietta, then the 
only American settlement northwest of the Ohio. The Governor and Judges 
did not strictly confine themselves within the limits of their legislative author 
ity, as prescribed by the ordinance. When they could not find laws of the 
original States suited to the condition of the country, they supplied the want 
by enactments of their own. The earliest laws, from 1788 to 1795, were all 
thus enacted. The laws of 1788 provided for the organization of the militia; 
for the establishment of inferior courts ; for the punishment of crimes, and for 
the limitations of actions; prescribed the duties of ministerial oflBcers ; regu- 
lated marriages, and appointed oaths of office. That the Governor and Judges 
in the enactment of these laws, exceeded their authority, without the slightest 
disposition to abuse it, may be inferred from the fact that except two, which 
had been previously repealed, they were all confirmed by the first Territorial 
Legislature. 

* ** * :fc * * * * 

At this period there was no seat of government, properly called. The 
Governor resided at Cincinnati, .but laws were passed whenever they seemed to 
be needed, and promulgated at any place where the Territorial legislators hap- 
pened to be assembled. Before the year of 1795, no laws were, strictly speak- 
ing, adopted. Most of them were framed by the Governor and Judges to 
answer particular public ends ; while in the enactment of others, including all 
the laws of 1792, the Secretary of the Territory discharged, under the author- 
ity of an act of Congress, the functions of the Governor. The earliest laws, 
as has been already stated, were published at Marietta. Of the remainder, a 
few were published at Vincennes, and the rest at Cincinnati. 

In the year 1789, the first Congress passed an act recognizing the binding 
force of the ordinance of 1787, and adapting its provisions to the Federal Con- 
stitution. This act provided that the communications directed in the ordinance 
to be made to Congress or its officers, by the Governor, should thenceforth be 
made to the President, and that the authority to appoint with the consent of 
the Senate, and commission officers, before that time appointed and commis- 
sioned by Congress, should likewise be vested in that officer. It also gave the 
Territorial Secretary the power already mentioned, of acting in certain cases, 
in the place of the Governor. In 1792, Congress passed another act giving to 
the Governor and Judges authority to repeal, at their discretion, the laws by 



94 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

them made ; and enabling a single Judge of the general court, in the absence 
of his brethren, to hold the terms. 

At this time the Judges appointed by the National Executive constituted the 
Supreme Court of the Territory. They were commissioned during good 
behavior; and their judicial jurisdiction extended over the whole region north- 
west of the Ohio. The court, thus constituted, was fixed at no certain place, 
and its process, civil and criminal, was returnable wheresoever it might be in 
the Territory. Inferior to this court were the County Courts of Common Pleas, 
and the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace. The former consisted of any 
number of Judges, not less than three nor more than seven, and had a general 
common-law jurisdiction, concurrent, in the respective counties, with that of 
the Supreme Court ; the latter consisted of a number of Justices for each 
county, to be determined by the Governor, Avho were required to hold three 
terms in every year, and had a limited criminal jurisdiction. Single Judges of 
the Common Pleas, and single Justices of the Quarter Sessions were also 
clothed with certain civil and criminal powers to be exercised out of court. 
Besides these courts, each county had a Judge of Probate, clothed with the 
ordinary jurisdiction of a Probate Court. 

Such was the original constitution of courts and distribution of judicial 
power in the Northwestern Territory. The expenses of the system were 
defrayed in part by the National Government, and in part by assessments upon 
the counties, but principally by fees, which were payable to every officer con- 
cerned in the administration of justice, from the Judges of the General Court 
downward. 

In 1795 the Governor and Judges undertook to revise the Territorial laws, 
and to establish a complete system of statutory jurisprudence, by adoptions 
from the laws of the original States, in strict conformity to the provisions of 
the ordinance. For this purpose they assembled at Cincinnati in June, and 
continued in session until the latter part of August. The judiciary system 
underwent some changes. The General Court was fixed at Cincinnati and Mari- 
etta, and a Circuit Court was established with power to try in the several coun- 
ties, issues in fact depending before the superior tribunal, where alone causes 
could be finally decided. Orphans' Courts, too, were established, with jurisdic- 
tion analogous to but more extensive than that of a Judge of Probate. Laws were 
also adopted to regulate judgments and executions, for limitation of actions, 
for the distribution of intestate estates, and for many other general purposes. 
Finally, as if with a view to create some great reservoir, from whic^i, whatever 
principles and powers had been omitted in the particular acts, might be drawn 
according to the exigency of circumstances, the Governor and Judges adopted 
a law, providing that the common law of England and all general statutes in 
aid of the common law, prior to the fourth year of James I, should be in full 
force within the Territory. The law thus adopted was an act of the Virginia 
Legislature, passed before the Declaration of Independence, when Virginia was 



HISTORY OF THE STATE ©F OHIO. 95 

yet a British colony, and at the time of its adoption had been repealed so far as 
it related to the English statutes. 

The other laws of 1795 were principally derived from the statute book of 
Pennsylvania. The system thus adopted was not without many imperfections 
and blemishes, but it may be doubted whether any colony, at so early a period 
after its first establishment, ever had one so good. 

********* 

And how gratifying is the retrospect, how cheering the prospect which even 
this sketch, brief and partial as it is, presents ! On a sur-face covered less 
than half a century ago by the trees of the primeval forest, a State has grown 
up from Colonial infancy to freedom, independence and strength. But thirty 
years have elapsed since that State, with hardly sixty thousand inhabitants, was 
admitted into the American Union. Of the twenty-four States which form 
that Union, she is now the fourth in respect to population. In other respects 
her rank is even higher. Already her resources have been adequate, not on-ly 
to the expense of government and instruction, but to the construction of long 
lines of canals. Her enterprise has realized the startling prediction of the 
poet, who, in 1787, when Ohio was yet a wilderness, foretold the future connec- 
tion of the Hudson with the Ohio. 

And these results are attributable mainly to her institutions. The spirit of 
the ordinance of 1787 pervades them all. Who can estimate the benefits 
which have flowed from the interdiction by that instrument of slavery and of 
legislative interference with private contracts? One consequence is, that the 
soil of Ohio bears up none but freemen ; another, that a stern and honorable 
regard to private rights and public morals characterizes her legislation. There 
is hardly a page in the statute book of which her sons need be ashamed. The 
great doctrine of equal rights is 'everywhere recognized in her constitution and 
her laws. Almost every father of a family in this State has a freehold interest 
in the soil, but this interest is not necessary to entitle him to a voice in the 
concerns of government. Every man'may vote ; every man is eligible to any 
office. And this unlimited extension of the elective franchise, so far from pro- 
ducing any evil, has ever constituted a safe and sufficient check upon injurious 
legislation. Other causes of her prosperity may be found in her fertile soil, in 
her felicitous position, and especially in her connection with the union of the 
States. All these springs of growth and advancement are permanent, and 
upon a most gratifying prospect of the future. They promise an advance in 
population, wealth, intelligence and moral worth as permanent as the existence 
of the State itself They promise to the future citizens of Ohio the blessings 
of good government, wise legislation and universal instruction. More than all, 
they are pledges that in all future, as in all past circumstances, Ohio will cleave 
fast to the national constitution and the .national Union, and that her growing 
energies will on no occasion, be more willingly or powerfully put forth, than in 
the support and maintenance of both in unimpaired vigor and strength." 



96 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 



INFLUENCE OF THE ORDINANCE OF 1787. 

The passage of this ordinance, since known as the '' Ordinance of 1787/' 
was immediately followed by an application to the Government, by John Cleves 
Symmes, of New Jersey, in behalf of the country, between the Miamis, and a 
contract was concluded the following year. The Ohio Company were exceed- 
ingly energetic in inaugurating settlements. Gen. Putman, with a party of 
forty-seven men, set out on an exploring expedition, accompanied by six boat 
builders. On the 1st of January, 1788, twenty-six surveyors followed, from 
Hartford, Conn. They arrived in Ohio on the 7th of April, 1788, and their 
active energy founded the permanent beginning of this great Western State- 
When we review the dangerous experiments that have been made, in this land 
west of the Alleghanies, the horrors which had overwhelmed every attempt, we 
can faintly realize the stalwart courage that sent these men on their way, and 
sustained them in their pioneer hardships. With characteristic vigor, they 
began their little town. Enthusiastic and happy, they did not rest from their 
toilsome march over the old Indian roads, but kept busily at work to estab- 
lish an oasis in this wide expanse of wilderness, before they should take nec- 
essary ease to recuperate their strength. 

The wise men met on the 2d of May, and the little town was named 
Marietta. Situated as it was, in the midst of danger, they had used precaution 
to build and equip a fortified square, which was designated Campus Martius ; 
Square No. 19 was Capitolium, and Square No. 61 was Cecelia, and the main 
street was Sacra Via. 

Marietta was especially fortunate in her actual "first families." Ten of the 
forty-eight men had received a thorough college education ; the remaining were 
individuals of sterling merit, honorable, and several had already attained reputations 
for superior excellence of abilities. Patriotic and brave, the settlement certainly 
possessed a foundation that promised well for the future. The following 4th of 
July was an auspicious event, and the Hon. James M. Varnum was the eloquent 
orator of the occason. 

The opening of the court, on the 2d of September, was a solemn ceremonial, 
the High Sheriff leading with drawn sword, followed by citizens, with an escort 
of officers from Fort Harmar, the members of the bar, the Governor and Clergy- 
men, the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas — Gen. Rufus Putman and 
Benjamin Tupper — all these constituted an imposing spectacle, as they pro- 
gressed over a path which had been cut through the forest to Campus Martius 
Hall, the edifice of law and order. 

The Judges took their seats, a prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. Cutler, 
and immediately the Sheriff, Col. Ebenezer Sprout, proclaimed the response, 
and the court of impartial justice was convened. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 97 

This ceremonial was, perhaps, made all the more impressive by the presence 
of several powerful Indian chiefs, who had journeyed to Marietta for the pur- 
pose of making a treaty. 

The settlement now increased rapidly, new cabins were erected constantly. 
On the 17th of December, a society event occurred, in the form of a grand ball, 
fifteen ladies being present. 

John Cleves Symmes had contracted for 2,000,000 acres of land, and suc- 
ceeded in obtaining his grant, but circumstances prevented him from meeting 
his part of the obligations, and the specification was reduced to 1,000,000. 
After vain attempt to make his payments, a settlement was finally effected for 
248,540 acres, and Symmes was prepared to dispose of clear titles to new-com- 
ers. In 1788, a town Avas established within the boundaries of his grant, at the 
mouth of the little Miami, known as Columbia, and in the early part of 1787 
another was formed opposite the mouth of the Licking River, by name Losanti- 
ville, analyzed by a frontier scholar — ville, the town ; anti, opposite to ; os, the 
mouth of; i, Licking. 

Judge Symmes had projected building his main town at North Bend. This 
plan was frustrated by reason of Ensign Luce — who had been commissioned by 
Gen. Harmar to erect a fort — deciding that North Bend was not suitable for the 
purpose. He selected Losantiville for the purpose, and Fort Washington was 
the result. In 1790, Gov. St. Clair was called to inspect the settlement, and 
proceeded to organize Hamilton County, at the same time calling the town 
Cincinnati. 

It will be remembered that Connecticut ceded most of her western lands to 
General Government, retaining, however, a minor portion. As the settlements 
began to increase on the "Virginia Reserve" and between the Scioto and Miami 
Rivers, all those holding claims were not disposed to part with them, while 
others were anxious to secure grants for the purpose of speculation, rather than 
the advancement of civilization. The Scioto Company was a questionable ad- 
herent of the Ohio Company, and began operations, which resulted well, what- 
ever their purpose may have been. 

Gen. Putnam cleared the land and directed the building of 100 dwellings and 
six block-houses. During 1791, the colony arrived, consisting of 500 persons. 
Only ten of these were tillers of the soil. Viscount Malartie ventured into the 
wilderness, but instead of settling, joined Gen. St. Clair's army, and was ulti- 
mately his aid-de-camp. Indian conquests were not to his taste, and he soon 
returned to France. This new colony was essentially French, and its location 
was Gallia County. The name " Gallipolis " was selected. 

These settlers, being unaccustomed to severe toil, and disinclined to learn 
its hard lesson, soon became demoralized, through deprivation and absolute 
want. Congress came to their aid with a land grant of 24,000 acres, but few 
of them cared to enter claims, and soon all traces of the old town were lost, and 
its inhabitants scattered. 



98 HISTORY OF THE STATE OK oil In. 

Gen. St. Clair having become unpopular, through repeated failures in Indian 
campaigns, and Gen. Anthony Wayne having wintered at Fort Washington, 
the spring of 1793 was opened by a march of the army, well disciplined and 
led by " Mad Anthony," on a campaign that must crush the rapidly increasing 
depredations of the Indians, notwithstanding which these new settlements had 
been made. All winter, Gen. Wayne had dispatched scouts, spies and hardy 
frontiersmen on errands of discovery^ and his plans were, therefore, practically 
matured. His army cut its way through the forests, gathering horses, provis- 
ions, etc., as they marched, and finally came nearly up to the enemy before dis- 
covery. They again returned to Fort Washington, as the Commander-in-Chief, 
under the order of the Executive, had proclaimed inaction until the Northern 
or British Commissioners and Indians should convene and discuss the situation 
and prospects. Gen. Wayne, meantime, drilled his men at " Hobson's Choice," 
a place near Fort Washington. 

The Commissioners came from Detroit, and assembled at Capt. Matthew 
Elliot's house, at the mouth of the Detroit River. 

A meeting was called at Sandusky, and twenty Indian representatives were 
present, to argue the grounds of a treaty. Simon Girty acted as interpreter, 
and has been vehemently accused of unfaithfulness in this trust, since he did 
not advocate the adjustment of matters on any grounds. The Indians reiterated 
their rights and wrongs, and offered to receive the half of the purchase money, 
provided the actual settlers would accept it as the price of the land, move away, 
and leave the original owners the proud possessors of their lands. The Govern- 
ment would then expend less money than they would have done in a full Indian 
purchase, or a long and cruel war. This being out of the question and rejected, 
a decided specification was made that the Ohio boundary was to be obliterated, 
and a new one adopted, that encompassed a mere fraction of territory. This 
was also rejected. The Indians indignantly bade the Americans to go back to 
their father, and they would return to their tribes. 

The council was terminated in confusion. It is highly probable that some 
settlement might have been made, had it not been for English influence which 
instigated the savages, in the hope of ultimately making conquests for them- 
selves. The commander at Detroit evinced great uneasiness whenever there 
was a shadow of an opportunity for a peaceful understanding. 

On Christmas Day, 1793, a detachment of the army encamped on the 
identical ground made memorable by St. Clair's horrible defeat. A reward was 
offered for every human skull that was found, and 600 were gathered. The 
bones of the victims were removed from the spot where they built Fort Recovery. 
This, point was left in charge of Alexander Gibson. 

Early in the year 1794, Lord Dorchester addressed the Commissioners in 
behalf of the English. Even at this time, Gen. ^ Wayne, to avoid the terrors of 
a great war, again made overtures of peace, dispatching Freeman, Trueman and 
Hardin, all initiated in savage tactics, on errands of mercy — and the three men 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 99 

were inhumanly murdered. The English went so far as to order Gov. Simcoe 
to erect a fort, in April, 1794, on the Rapids of the Maumee, thus rousing the 
Indians by a bold proof that they had espoused their cause. In May, the 
Spanish, who were ever jealous of colonial encroachments, were willing to aid 
in a general raid against the Americans. 

In June, a scouting party from Fort Recovery, fell into an Indian ambush 
and suffered severely, their foes following them to the very entrance. The siege 
continued for two days. It was plainly evident that white men augmented the 
Indian force ; ounce balls and buck-shot surely came from their rifles. Again, 
the Indians immediately began a search beneath the logs where pieces of artillery 
were hidden during the great battle of St. Clair, but fortunately. Fort Recovery 
had the use of them and they accomplished much. 

On July 26, Scott joined Wayne at Greenville, with 1,600 mounted 
Kentuckians, and on the 28th, the legion took up its line of deadly march. 
Halting at Girty's Town, they built Fort Mary's, later on Fort Adams. Throw- 
ing the enemy off their guard by feints and counter-marching, the troops surprised 
the Indians, and without the slightest resistance took possession of their villages 
at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee. They found provision in 
abundance, and tarried a week building Fort Defiance. 

Again Gen. Wayne would have made terms of peace, on the principle of the 
Government to arrest bloodshed, but the Indians were rendered cruelly intent 
on war by an addition of a body of British militia from Detroit, and by regulars 
stationed at a fort they had built on the left bank of the river, below the rapids, 
called Fort Miami. The "Fallen Timber" ground was selected as the field 
for a battle by the savages, in the expectation that the trees cast down by a 
tornado and there remaining, would seriously impede American progress. 

August 15th, Wayne marched down the river, and at Roche de Boeuf, erected 
a fortification for their stores and luggage, naming it " Fort Deposit." On the 
20th, the American army began the attack. Maj. Price and Maj. Gen. Scott 
were heroic in their assistance, and after a sharp, deadly conflict, the enemy 
was routed, fleeing in confusion, and leaving their dead and wounded strewn 
thickly over the field. The savages were pressed to the front always, and when 
the carnage was painful, the British troops not engaged looked on coolly from the 
fort and ofiered no assistance, aiding their own, however, when possible. Gen. 
Wayne being an ardent soldier, was apt tc forget his position, and impetuously 
place himself constantly in danger. Lieut. Harrison is reported to have 
requested the General not to forget to give him field orders, in his own partici- 
pation in the battle, and to have received the reply that the standing order ivas 
ahvays to charge hayonets. 

Notwithstanding the treaty of 1783, and the fact that the British were tres- 
passing, they encroached upon the Ohio soil, and essayed to vindicate their 
action by discarding American claims and recognizing the Indian rights, whereby 
thev might seek their own colonization and make treaties. 



100 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Maj. Campbell was in command at Fort Miami, and when he saw the sava- 
ges being cut down almost mercilessly, he not only refrained from offering aid, 
but when, in their desperate retreat, they attempted to enter the fort for pro- 
tection, he ordered the doors closed in their faces. 

On the following day, Campbell sent a message to Wayne, demanding a 
reason for hostile action, adding that Great Britain was not now at war with the 
United States. He received a characteristic reply. 

During the Revolution, Detroit w^as an important British point, and the 
Maumee was its outlet. Therefore, the English clung tenaciously to this pos- 
session, giving, as it did, the advantage of the great fur trade. The English 
Government evidently regretted ceding so much of her territory in the AVest, 
and were searching for an excuse to quarrel and attempt to regain at least a part 
of what they had lost. Their policy was to sustain the bitter hatred between 
the Indians and the Americans. 

The settlement of the Maumee Valley had been rapid, but the very name 
was an agony of remembrance of frightful massacres and atrocities. Col, 
McKee, the British Indian agent, and his assistant, Capt. Elliott, were from 
Pennsylvania, but being Tories, they had assimilated with the Indians. They 
joined the Shawnee tribe and married Indian wives, and made their, fortunes 
thereby, through British appointments to secure the savage interests. The 
Indians were directly served by McKee and Elliott, with ammunition and sup- 
plies, during the Wayne conflict. 

Several skirmishes ensued, but severe weather approaching, the troops 
moved for quarters, and on the 14th day of September, they attacked the Miami 
villages, captured them with provisions and stores, and erected a fort, leaving 
it in charge of Lieut. Col. Hamtramck. With cheers and rifle-shooting, this post 
was named Fort Wayne. The main army marched into Greenville and went into 
winter quarters. 

Wayne had achieved a brilliant victory, but his success did not overcome his 
practical reasoning, and he was unwilling to subject his men to a severe winter's 
campaign unless necessity was peremptory. 

Gov. Simcoe, Col. McKee and a few of the most savage Indian chiefs 
attempted to rally the Indians for a new attack. Gov. Simcoe, of Detroit, was 
aware that the mounted volunteers under Wayne had been allowed to return 
home, and that the term of service of a portion of the " Legion " was about to 
expire. 

The British and Indians held a conference, but the latter were weary with 
fighting for the glory of the Great Father at Detroit, and did not enter into the 
plan. The winter proved most poverty stricken to them, the English failing to 
supply them, and their crops and sustenance having been destroyed by Wayne. 
They were then fully prepared to listen to the faintest signal from Wayne to 
conciliate affairs, and the Wyandots and Delawares were the first to confer with 
him on the subject. Their position was exposed and they had suffered severely. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE UF OHIO. 101 

They soon influenced other tribes to consider the question. As a mass, they 
were convinced of their inability to overcome the Americans, and had become 
impatient and disgusted with the duplicity of their British friends, who had not 
hesitated to sacrifice them in every instance, and who deserted them in their 
hour of distress. United, they sued for peace. Terms were made, and about 
the 1st of August, the famous Greenville treaty was ratified and established, 
and the old Indian war in Ohio terminated. 

The Wyandots, Delawares, Shawnees, Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, 
Miamis, Eel Rivers, Weas, Kickapoos, Piankeshaws and Kaskaskias were thus 
conciliated. The old Indian boundary line, settled upon at the Fort Mcintosh 
treaty, was retained, and the southwestern line was prolonged from old Fort 
Recovery, southwest of the Ohio River. 

" The general boundary lines between the lands of the United States and 
the lands of the said Indian tribes shall begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga 
River, and thence run up the same to the portage between that and the Tus- 
carawas Branch of the Muskingum ; thence down that branch to the crossing- 
place above Fort Laurens ; thence westerly to a fork of that branch of the 
Great Miami River (running into the Ohio), at or near which fork stood Lar- 
amie's store — Mary's River, which is a branch of the Miami that runs into Lake 
Erie ; thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on a branch of 
the Wabash ; thence southwesterly on a direct line to the Ohio, so as to inter- 
sect that river opposite the mouth of the Kentucky or Cuttawa River." 

This boundary line has, ever since this memorable treaty, been a prominent 
landmark, and may now be traced as the southern boundary line of Stark, Ash- 
land, Richland and Marion Counties, and the northern. line, in part, of Tuscar- 
awas and Knox. Old Fort Recovery was located in Mercer, near the Indiana 
line. Laramie's store was in Shelby. 

Within the Indian Reservation, the United States held sixteen distinct sec- 
tions of land, for the purpose of military posts, so arranged that the Govern- 
ment had full right of way north and west. 

The "Joy treaty " between England and the United States was ratified early 
in 1796, and the British were obliged to vacate Detroit and Fort Miami, and recall 
the fact that they had no claim or right to either points. Gen. Wayne received 
them, and accompanied by Gov. St. Clair, "proceeded to Detroit. Here the lat- 
ter laid out a county, calling it Wayne, and designated Detroit as it's seat of 
justice. This was the fifth county in the Northwest Territory, north of the 
Ohio River. Washington County, with Marietta as a seat of justice, was first 
established ; next Hamilton, with Cincinnati as a county seat. Wayne County 
was organized in 1796, and included about twenty-six of the present counties, 
in the northwest part of the State, covering about a quarter of its area, besides 
parts of Indiana and Michigan. 

In other parts of the State, the population was rapidly increasing. In May, 
1795, the Legislature authorized a committee to institute measures for the 



102 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

disposal of their "Western lands. The Virginia and Connecticut Reservations 
required some action on the part of Government, inasmuch as ceding a portion 
and re-selling had in a measure disturbed free titles. Fifty-six persons negoti- 
ated and purchased lands, receiving (;[uit-claim titles and entire rights. Thej 
re-sold to John Morgan and John Caldwell and Jonathan Bruce, in trust. Thus 
3,000,000 acres were prepared for settlement. Upon the quit-claim deeds of 
these representatives, the full title of lands included within the old Western 
Reserve rests. 

Judge Symmes began his active operations in 1796, and by the close of 
1797 all lands east of the Cuyahoga were laid out in townships, five miles square. 
The agent of the Connecticut Land Company was Gen. Moses Cleveland, and in 
his honor the leading city in the Reserve was named. Some townships were 
retained for private sale, and others were disposed of by lottery, in 1798. 

Wayne's treaty led to the formation of Dayton, and the peopling of that 
section, A difficulty arose regarding the original Symmes grant and its modifi- 
cation. Symmes had sold land titles, in good faith, beyond his vested power, 
and Congress was now called upon to adjust these claims and titles. Seventeen 
days after the Wayne or Greenville treaty, St. Clair, Wilkinson, Dayton and 
Ludlow contracted with Symmes for seven and eight ranges, between the Mad 
and Little Miami Rivers. November 4, 1795, Mr. Ludlow laid out Dayton. 

During the years 1790 and 1795, the Governor and Supreme Judges of the 
Northwest Territory had published sixty-four statutes. Thirty-four of these 
were ratified at Cincinnati, for the purpose of forming a complete statutory. It 
was termed the " Maxwell Code." 

Mr. Nathaniel Massie founded a town on the Scioto, which was called 
Chillicothe. The Iroquois treaty had previously invited settlement, and embryo 
towns had begun as early as 1769, under the protection of the Connecticut 
Company. A land company was organized in Hartford, Conn., in 1795, sending 
out forty-three surveyors to divide the townships of that part of the Western 
Reserve, east of the Cuyahoga, five miles square. The first resident of the town 
of Cleveland was Mr. Job Stiles and family, and Mrs. Stiles was the mother of 
the first white child born on the Reserve. Some other parts of the territory 
progressed more rapidly in population. 

Along the Muskingum, Scioto and Miami, towns began to spring up, which 
might perhaps better be termed farming settlements. 

Cincinnati was increasing, and in 1796, had reached 100 cabins, 15 frame 
houses and 600 persons, with prospects for a firm future. 

The Virginia Military Land District was between the Little Miami and 
Scioto, and was rapidly increasing in population. 

Mr. Massie was unceasing in his eiforts to advance the West, and laid out 
Manchester, offering inducements that could not fail to attract settlers. 

Ebenezer Zane procured a grant in consideration of opening a bridle path 
from the Ohio River at Wheeling, over the country via Chillicothe, to Limestone, 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 103 

in Kentucky. The year following, the United States mail was taken over 
this route. 

The comparatively tranquil condition of the country and the inducements it 
had to offer encouraged a rapid settlement of the Territory. A prominent 
feature of the early growth of Ohio was the general prevalence of reliable, 
stanch principle. The people were of the good colonial stock. 

In 1800, Chillicothe was denominated the seat of the Territorial govern- 
ment, and the first stone edifice in the State was begun in this town, soon after 
this appointment. About this time, a serious diflBculty suddenly occurred to 
those individuals who had taken lands on the Western Reserve of Connecticut. 
That Eastern power had, it is true, ceded a part of her claim to the General 
Government, and had stipulated for the sale of certain other tracts. At the 
same time, the State had not signed away her jurisdiction over some sections of 
her claim, and those unfortunate people in and about Dayton found themselves 
without any government upon Avhich they might depend in a case of emergency. 
The matter Avas, accordingly, presented to the Territorial government, which 
interceded with the Eastern State, and, sanctioned by the Assembly at Congress, 
Connecticut relinquished her jurisdiction in 1800. 

Cleveland was an important point, and was growing in the mean time. How- 
ever, it had suffered exceedingly from the ravages of fever and ague. For a 
period of two months, there was not an individual, but a boy thirteen years 
of age, able to procure food for the others. Flour was out of all rational con- 
sideration, and the meal upon which they lived was pounded by hand. In 
1799, Williams and Myatt erected a grist-mill at the falls, near Newbury. 

A startling agitation occurred in 1801, which in these days would cause but a 
ripple in the political sea, but happening during a time when legislative dignity 
and state authority were regarded with reverential awe, it created the most 
intense feeling. Great indignation was openly expressed. 

The Governor and several legislators felt that they had been insulted in 
the performance of their respective duties, at Chillicothe, while the Assembly 
was in session in 1801. No measures being taken by the authorities at the 
capital to protect the Executive, a law was passed removing the seat of govern- 
ment to Cincinnati. 

This circumstance led to a general consideration of the advantages of a 
State government, and a popular desire Avas expressed for a change in this 
respect. Gov. St. Clair had fallen into disfavor through his failure as a military 
leader and his failures in the Indian campaigns, and from his assuming powers 
which were not vested in him, especially the subdivision of counties. He was 
also identified with the Federal party, which was not popular in Ohio. The 
opposition was strong in the Assembly, but was in the minority in the House of 
Representatives. The boundary question was agitated at the same time. The 
intention was to thus effect the limits of Ohio that a State government would 
necessarily have to be postponed. Against this measure. Tiffin, Worthington, 



104 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Langham, Darlington, Massie, Dunlavy and Morrow strenuously objected. After 
considerable discussion, Thomas Worthington obtained leave of absence from 
the session, and journeyed to Washington in behalf of a State government. It 
was obvious that the Territory, under the ordinance, was not entitled to a 
change. Massie suggested the feasibility of appointing a committee to address 
Congress on the subject. This the House refused to pass. 

An effort was then made to take a census, but any action on this subject 
was postponed until the next session. 

During all this ineffectual struggle, Worthington was doing his best in Wash- 
ington, and succeeded so well that on March 4, a report was made to the House 
in favor of the State government. This report was made on a basis that the 
census, in 1800, summed up over 45,000 for Ohio. 

April 30, Congress passed a law carrying into effect the views expressed on 
this subject. A convention met on November 1. Its members were generally 
Jeffersonian in their views. Gov. St. Clair proposed to address them as their 
chief executive magistrate. Several members resolutely opposed this action, 
insisting upon a vote, which, through courtesy and not a sense of right, resulted 
in permitting him to address them. He advised the postponement of the State 
government until the original eastern portion of the State was sufficiently pop- 
ulated to demand this right. Only one, out of thirty-three, voted to sustain 
the Governor in these views. 

The convention agreed to the views of Congress. November 29, the agree- 
ment was ratified and signed, as was the constitution of the State of Ohio. 
The General Assembly was ordered to convene the first Tuesday of March, 1803. 

This was carried into effect. A constitution was framed for the new State, 
adhering to the Ordinance of 1787. The rights and duties of citizens were 
plainly set forth, and general business was transacted. The new State consti- 
tution was signed by : 

Edward Tiffin, President and Representative from Ross County. 

Adams County — Joseph Darlington, Israel Donalson, Thomas Vinker. 

Belmont County — James Caldwell and Elijah Woods. 

Clermont County — Philip Gatch and James Sargent. 

Fairfield County — Henry Abrams and Emanuel Carpenter. 

Hamilton County — John W. Brown, Charles Willing Byrd, Francis Dun- 
lavy, William Goforth, John Gitchel, Jeremiah Morrow, John Paul, John Riley, 
John Smith and John Wilson. 

Jefferson County — Rudolph Blair, George Humphry, John Milligan, Nathan 
Updegraff and Bezaleel Wells. 

Ross County — Michael Baldwin, James Grubb, Nathaniel Massie and F. 
Worthington. 

Washington County — Ephraim Cutler, Benjamin Ives Gilman, John Mc- 
Intyre and Rufus Putnam. 

Thomas Scott, Secretary. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 105 

The first Legislature of the State, under the new constitution, created eight 
new counties, viz., Gallia, Scioto, Franklin, Columbiana, Butler, Warren, 
Greene and Montgomery. 

The first State officers were : Michael Baldwin, Speaker of the House ; Na- 
thaniel Massie, President of the Senate ; William Creighton, Secretary of 
State ; Col. Thomas Gibson, Auditor ; William McFarland, Treasurer ; Return 
J. Meigs, Jr., Samuel Huntington and William Sprigg, Judges of the Supreme 
Court ; Francis Dunlavy, Willis Silliman and Calvin Pease, Judges of the Dist- 
rict Court. 

The General Assembly held a second session in December, at which time 
the militia law was revised, also giving aliens equal proprietary rights with native 
citizens. The revenue system was modified and improved. Acts authorizing 
the incorporation of townships were passed, and for the establishment of coun- 
ties. Furthermore, Jacob White, Jeremiah Morrow and William Ludlow were 
authorized to locate a township for collegiate purposes, according to previous 
specified terms of Congress. The Symmes grant and the college specification 
collided materially, but the irregularity of the former was not to create any 
inconvenience for the latter. Mr. Symmes had in good faith marked oiF this 
township, but circumstances preventing the perfection of his plans, that lapsed 
with the others, and the original township was now entered by settlers. 

Accordingly, thirty-six sections, west of the Great Miami, were selected, 
and are now held by the Miami University. 

Gov. St. Clair, notwithstanding his unpopularity, was re-appointed. 

Ohio was under a system of government which guaranteed the best improve- 
ments ; her Legislature being composed of her best statesmen, and the laws 
passed having the general interest of the people embodied in them. 

A bill was passed, appropriating the net proceeds of the land lying within 
said State, sold by Congress after the 20th day of June, 1802, after deducting 
all expenses incident to the same, to be applied to the laying-out of roads, 
leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic to the Ohio,- to 
the said State, and through the same ; such roads to be laid out under the 
authority of Congress, with the consent of the several States through which the 
road shall pass. In conformity with these provisions, steps were taken, in 1805, 
which resulted in the making of the Cumberland or National road. 

Burr, at this time, began an organization for the ostensible purpose of 
making a settlement on the Wachita, but his party being armed and his plans 
not being frankly disclosed, an investigation proved that his real design was a 
mutinous revolt against Governmental powers, and to gratify his ambition by 
founding his own kingdom in Mexico, and defeating the Spanish. If success 
crowned his efibrts, his ultimate victory was to rupture the Union by forcing the 
Western States to withdraw from their allegiance. By gaining an influence 
over the noble but misguided Blennerhasset, he established his headquarters on 
his island in the Ohio. The history of Burr's expedition is already well known. 



106 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

The final capture by Gov. Tiffin, of ten boats loaded with stores, on the Mus- 
kingum, and four near Marietta, decided the fate of this scheme, and Burr was 
finally arrested and put on trial May 22, 1807. 

The advancement of the settlement of the State was in no manner impeded, 
and towns sprang up, farms were laid out, and all other improvements inaugu- 
rated which tended to a permanent prosperity. 

In 1808, Tecumseh left Greenville to join the Prophet on the banks of the 
Tippecanoe, a tributary of the Upper Wabash, on a tract of land granted herein 
by the Pottawatomies. 

The Indians were virtually by treaty allowed but a small proportion of land 
within the boundaries of the State, and were maintaining peaceful attitudes 
toward the whites, with exceptional border depredations, which were settled by 
mutual understanding. 

Although the United States had gained independence, and was treating with 
England as with other foreign powers, the British persisted in violating the 
national rights of the United States, impressing American seamen into the 
British service, seizing American vessels engaged with France in trade, and 
otherwise violating the rights of an independent nation, at peace with the Brit- 
ish power. 

The mission upon which Henry was sent by the British, to create disturb- 
ance between the States, and thus broken, to weaken the strength of the Gen- 
eral Government, added fuel to the fire, and united indignation cried for war. 

British agents again bargained with the Indians of the Wabash and Maumee 
Valleys, desiring them to inaugurate another war upon the western sections and 
to make a desperate attack upon the settlements south of the lakes. The Brit- 
ish agent at Maiden negotiated in rifles, powder, ball, merchandise, lead, blank- 
ets and shirts. The Indians were inspired again with the hope that the whites 
would be driven back, and that all the country north of the Ohio w^ould again 
revert to them. 

The Canadians in league with the English, gave the savages unlimited 
quantities of whisky, -which naturally aroused their fierce natures to acts of 
violence and blood. It is highly probable that the use of liquor was the main 
cause of the deterioration of the best traits of the Indian character, after the 
Revolution. Again, many unscrupulous men upon the frontier did not hesi- 
tate to commit the most merciless crimes against the Indians, such was the 
prejudice against them, and the courts invariably failed to indict them for these 
atrocities. This error on the part of the Americans served to influence the 
savages against them. 

At this time, the seats of justice were distant over a hundred miles each 
from the other, uninhabited tracts frequently extending between them which were 
absolute wildernesses. The routes were in many cases difficult and circuitous. 

As early as 1808, there was a mail communication for the people on the 
Lower Maumee, many days elapsing between the arrivals and departures of 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 107 

the same, however. Horace Gunn was the carrier. Benoni Adams brought 
the news from Cleveland to the same point, his trip requiring a fortnight. It 
must be remembered that this journey was mostly made on foot. The Black 
Swamp could not be traversed in any other manner. 

THE WAR OF 1812. 

The war of 1812 can be called a continuation of the Revolution, with all 
justice. Although rumors had reached Ohio, that active preparations were 
being made for general action, no official tidings had been sent to Hull, com- 
mand^-in-chief of the Western forces. 

The Secretary of War, instead of sending a special messenger directly to 
Hull, communicated with the' post adjacent, depending upon a continuation of 
the news from that point. At the same time, advices were sent the British 
post at Maiden and Detroit. Hull sent out a packet with official papers, stores, 
etc., the day previous to that on which the official intelligence arrived that an 
open rupture existed between the two powers, and this was of course captured. 

The Western forces marched to Detroit and crossed over to Sandwich, pre- 
paratory to attacking Maiden, a post most favorable for the transportation of 
stores, troops, etc. which was therefore considered valuable. 

Peter Minard first gave the news to the settlers of the Maumee. He had 
heard from a Delaware chief, who assured him a general massacre was to take 
place in the valley. Maj. Spaffiard paid no heed to this "idle fear," until a 
few days thereafter a messenger came to his quarters, reporting a band of fifty 
Pottawatomies on the march to join the hostile tribes near Maiden. They had 
plundered and burned Monclova, and had nearly reached the rapids. 

The Major, with his family and settlers, immediately launched a barge on 
the river and were able to reach old Fort Miami just as the savages reached 
Maumee City. They could plainly witness the flames that devoured their old 
homes. They kept on their way in their miserable craft, until they reached 
Milan, where they learned that the entire country was in danger. 

Although the Indians were defeated in the battle of Tippecanoe in the fall 
of 1811, they plotted vigorously with the English for the invasion of Ohio. 

Gen. William Hull marched from the southwestern part of the State 
directly north, crossing the counties of Champaign, Logan, Hardin, Hancock 
and Wood, establishing military posts along the route and cutting a way 
through the wilderness of the unsettled portions. He crossed the Maumee on 
the 1st of July, and marched to Detroit. 

Hull was evidently actuated in his succeeding disgraceful failures by two 
fears — ^lack of confidence in the ability of his troops, and the belief that they 
might desert him in action. He proclaimed freedom, and a necessity of sub- 
mitting to the Canadians under existing circumstances. He held out induce- 
ments to the British regulars to desert their cause and essayed to pacify the 
savages, but he accomplished nothing beyond jeopardizing the American cause 



108 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

and disgracing his army. His men became restless. Col. Miller and Col. 
Cass were delighted when detailed on scouting expeditions, and did not hesi- 
tate to attack advancing squads of the enemy. At last, an attack was made on 
the Niagara frontier, and Hull speedily abandoned his project and collected his 
forces at Detroit. 

Meantime, Col. Proctor had reached Maiden, and quickly perceiving the 
advantage of a post at that point, whereby he could cut off supplies and starve 
Hull into subjection, he massed his forces about this section, captured Van 
Horn and his two hundred men, and withstood the attack of Miller, although 
he gained nothing by so doing. Again Hull displayed his weakness by recall- 
ing his forces from further molestations. 

Gen. Brock, however, reached Maiden on the 13th of August, 1812, and 
began war preparations. 

Gen. Dearborn placed a force on the Niagara frontier, but an armistice was 
made with the British. Hull dispatched a third party under McArthur, to 
open communications to the Raisin River. 

Gen. Brock appeared at Sandwich and began to erect batteries, which Hull 
would not allow to be molested. The result was, that on the 26th of August 
Detroit was surrendered to the enemy, and not a blow had been struck in its 
defense. 

By this dastardly act, 1,400 brave men who had not been permitted to 
make a single effort to sustain the American cause, were surrendered to 300 
English regulars, 400 Canadians and their Indian allies. Gen. Hull was, in 
consequence of this series of "mistakes," accused of treason and cowardice, 
and convicted of the latter. By the middle of August, the British had gained 
the control over most of the Northwestern Territory. 

The appointment of William Henry Harrison to the position of com- 
mander in chief of the Western forces, was most opportune. He speedily 
raised a vigorous army, and advanced by three routes to the foot of the rapids. 

Gen. Harrison commanded the right wing, and marched by the way of Upper 
Sandusky, where he located his depot of supplies. Gen. Tupper commanded 
the center, Fort McArthur, in Hardin County, being his base, while Gen. Win- 
chester marched from Fort Defiance down the Maumee to the foot of the rapids. 

A large force of British and Indians moved up the left bank of the Mau- 
mee toward Fort Wayne, and Gen. Harrison, to intercept them, marched to 
the confluence of the Auglaize with the Maumee. 

Harrison was aware that the enemy would be also hemmed in by Win- 
chester. The weather was rainy, and the prospects were that a most unfortun- 
ate season was to follow the expected engagements. Harrison heard that 
Winchester had reached Fort Defiance, and that the Indians and British were 
retreating down the Maumee. He followed, and marched to Winchester's 
camp, where he arrived in season to quell a mutiny under command of Col. 
Allen, of the Kentucky troops. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 109 

In January, 1813, Winchester had reached the rapids, where he received 
tidings that Frenchtown was menaced and exposed. Without orders, he sent a 
party to the rescue, which defeated the enemy. The weather was intensely 
cold, and the company lay within eighteen miles of Maiden, where the enemy 
was collected in full force, consequently re-enforcements must be dispatched 
immediately or the town again left to its fate. 

Winchester then marched with a force of 259 men, and upon arriving at 
nightfall, insisted upon remaining on open ground, although warned repeatedly 
that this would be a most dangerous experiment. 

In the morning, he was surprised by the enemy, massed directly before 
him, with a battery within three hundred yards of his camp, and a shower of 
bombs, balls and grape-shot falling among his exposed troops, and the yells of 
Indians reminding him of his fatal error. Lewis, who led the party out in the 
beginning and had apprehended the danger, bravely defended himself behind 
garden pickets. Winchester was defeated on the 22d of January, 1813, and 
the Indians Avere permitted to massacre the prisoners and the settlers. 

Harrison fell back to the foot of the rapids. On the 1st of February, he 
began the construction of Fort Meigs. On the 27th of April, Proctor and 
Tecumseh attacked this fort, and laid siege with the full expectation of success. 
The stipulation was that Gen. Harrison was to be delivered to Tecumseh. 
While the balls and bombs were making havoc with the fort, the Indians were 
climbing trees and pouring a galling fire down upon the troops. Gen. Proctor 
invited Harrison to surrender, which was politely declined, with the assurance 
that the British General would have the opportunity to distinguish himself as a 
soldier before such a proceeding was enacted, 

Gen. Clay was descending the Maumee with 1,200 Kentuckians in flat 
boats. Orders went from Harrison that 800 men should land on the left bank, 
take and spike the British cannon, and then to enter the fort, from which 
soldiers were to issue to assist the re-enforcements. 

Capt. Hamilton was to pilot Gen. Clay to the fort, cutting their way 
through. All succeeded, Col. Dudley taking the batteries and spiking the 
cannon. But his men, too much elated by their success, against orders, and 
against the repeated expostulations of Col. Dudley, insisted on pursuing the 
Indians. Col. Dudley would not desert them. This act proved their ruin. 
By a decoy, they were led into a defile which proved an ambush, and the men 
found themselves surrounded by savages, without means of escape. 

A most frightful massacre began, and every man would have fallen had not 
Tecumseh sternly forbidden the cowardly carnage. One of his principal chiefs 
ignored this order, and the next instant the great warrior buried his hatchet in 
his head. The brave Col. Dudley was, however, tomahawked and scalped. 

There were no immediate signs that the fort would be surrendered, and the 
siege was raised on the 9th of May. It was renewed on the 20th of July, and 
abandoned a few days later. The enemy decided this stronghold was invulnerable. 



110 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

On the 1st of August, the enemy proceeded to Fort Stevenson, at Lower 
Sandusky, garrisoned by 150 men under Maj. Croghan. The fort had the 
use of but one piece of cannon. The enemy with Tecumseh's Indians num- 
bered 3,300 strong, with six pieces of cannon. 

Gen. Proctor again tendered the offer to surrender, adding that a refusal 
would only bring about a useless resistance, and a massacre by the Indians. 
The reply was, that before the fort went over to the British, not an American 
would be left to be massacred, as they should hold out to the last man. Proc- 
tor opened fire. The first movement was an assault upon the northwest angle 
of the fort, as if to make a breach and thus carry the works. The command- 
ant strengthened that point by bags of sand, and during the night stealthily 
placing his one cannon in a concealed position, he filled it with slugs. 

The following day, the fire again swept the northwest corner, and, evening 
approaching, a column of 350 men swept up within twenty yards of the walls. 
They were met by the musketry, which had little effect, and the ditch was soon 
filled with men. The next instant the hidden cannon, so placed as to sweep 
the ditch, suddenly began action, and the surprised assailants quickly recoiled, 
and the fort was saved, with the loss of only one man. 

The next morning, the enemy had disappeared, evidently in haste, as guns, 
clothing and stores were left behind. They had lost over one hundred and 
fifty men by this useless attempt. Croghan had previously received orders to 
evacuate the fort from Gen. Harrison, and his determination to hold the position 
merited Harrison's reprimand and remand of commission. Such was the sev- 
erity of military law. However, the rank of Colonel was immediately conferred 
upon him by the President, for his gallantry. The ladies of Chillicothe pre- 
sented him with an elegant testimonial in the shape of a sword. 

It was decided to make a naval warfare effectual in the recovery of the 
Northwestern Territory, and accordingly vessel-building began under Commo- 
dore Perry's supervision. 

The British looked upon this proceeding with derision, fully intending to 
use these boats for their own purpose. They publicly proclaimed their intention. 

By the 1st of August, 1813, Commodore Perry set sail a flotilla, the Law- 
rence and the Niagara, of twenty guns each, with smaller vessels following. 
Some difficulty was encountered in launching the larger vessels, on account of 
the shallowness of the water. 

Perry's first destination Avas Put-in-Bay, thirty miles from Maiden, where 
the British fleet lay under the guns of the fort. On the 10th of September, 
the British fleet — exceeding the American by ten guns — under Commodore 
Barclay, appeared off Put-in-Bay, distant about ten miles. Perry immediately 
set sail. The wind shifting, the Americans had the advantage. 

Perry hoisted his battle-flag and a general preparation was made for the 
conflict. An ominous silence settled over all as the fleets approached. A 
bugle sounded on the enemy's ship Detroit, and a furious fire was opened upon 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. Ill 

the Lawrence. The frightful and desperate battle that ensued is so familiar 
that it is not necessary for us to repeat its details. It forever remains in his- 
tory as a prominent, desperate struggle that turned the tide most decisively in 
favor of the Americans. Hand to hand, for three hours, this furious struggle 
surged, resulting in a pronounced victory for the Americans. 

Commodore Perry immediately requested parole for his severely wounded 
antagonist, Commodore Barclay. Capt. Elliott was at this engagement highly 
commended by Perry for his bravery. 

Gen. Harrison now made preparations to follow Proctor, and reached Mai- 
den on the 27th of September. 

Proctor had retreated to Sandwich, and thence Harrison followed him, 
overtaking the enemy on the 9th of October, on the bank of the Thames. An 
engagement ensued, which was not particularly marked in its events, but which 
practically terminated the war in the Northwest. 

Tecumseh fell during this battle, and his death disheartened the savages to 
such an extent that they were willing to make terms of peace. Accordingly 
a treaty was concluded on the 22d of July, 1814, with the Wyandots, Dela- 
wares, Shawnees, Senecas and Miamis, the tribes engaged in hostilities. 

Again Ohio was able to turn her attention to the improvements within her 
own boundaries. Weary and disabled though she was, her ambition and 
energy were unimpaired. The struggle had been severe, but a grand reward 
had been won, and peace and independence belonged to these sturdy, earnest, 
pioneers. 

In 1815, a town was founded near Fort Meigs, and, in 1816, Gen. John 
E. Hunt and Judge Robert A. Forsythe located at Maumee. 

BANKING. 

Up to the year 1817, Ohio had no banking system, and on the 28th of 
January of that year, the United States Bank opened a branch at Cincinnati, 
and yet another during the following October at Chillicothe. These branches 
found a large amount of business to transact, and while being of assistance in 
various ways to the State, also received a fine revenue themselves. The State 
therefore resolved upon a tax levy, and, in 1819, the branches were to pay 
$50,000 each, and the State Auditor was authorized to issue his warrant for 
the collection of the same. 

The bank branches demurred, but the State was decided, and the banks 
accordingly filed a bill in chancery, in the United States Circuit Court, setting 
forth reasons whereby their prayer that Ralph Osborn, State Auditor, should 
be restrained from making such collection, should be seriously considered. 

Osborn being counseled not to appear on the day designated in the writ, an 
injunction was obtained, with the security given in the shape of bonds from the 
bank, to the amount of $100,000. On the 14th of September, the bank sent a 
commissioner to Columbus, who served upon the Auditor a copy of tlie petition 



112 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

for the injunction, and a subpoena to make an appearance before the court 
on the first Monday in the following January. Osborn submitted both the 
petition and the injunction to the Secretary of State, with his warrant for col- 
lecting the tax. Legally, the matter was somewhat complicated. 

The Auditor desired the Secretary of State to take legal advice, and if the 
papers did not actually amount to an injunction, to give orders for the execu- 
tion of the warrant. 

The decision Avas that the papers did not equal a valid injunction. The State 
writ for collection was therefore given over to John L. Harper, with directions 
to enter the banking-house and demand the payment of the tax. In case of a 
refiisal, the vaults Avas to be entered and a levy made upon the amount required. 
No violence was to be used, and if force was used to deter the act, the 
sAme was to be reported to a proper magistrate and an affidavit made to that 
fact. 

On September IT, Mr. Harper went about his errand, taking with him T. 
Orr and J. MacCollister. After securing access to the vault, a demand was 
made for the payment of the tax. This was promptly refused, and a notice 
given of the granting of the injunction. This was disregarded, and the officer 
seized ^98,000 in gold, silver and notes. This was placed in charge of the 
State Treasurer, Mr. H. M. Curry. 

The officers were arrested and imprisoned by the United States Circuit 
Court, and the money returned to the bank. The case was reviewed by 
the Supreme Court, and the measures of the Circuit Court were sustained. The 
State, therefore, submitted. In the mean time, the Legislature had prepared 
and passed a resolution, as follows : 

Resolved, by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That in respect to the powers of the 
Governments of the several States that compose the American Union, and the powers of the Fed- 
eral Government, this General Assembly do recognize and approve the doctrines asserted by the 
Legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia in their resolutions of November and December, 1798, 
and January, 1800, and do consider their principles have been recognized and adopted by a 
majority of the American people. 

Resolved further. That this General Assembly do assert and will maintain by all legal and 
constitutional means, the rights of States to tax the business and property of any private corpo- 
ration of trade, incorporated by the Congress of the United States, and located to transact its 
corporate business within any State. 

Resolved further. That the bank of the United States is a private corporation of trade, the 
capital and business of which may be legally taxed in any State where they may be found. 

Resolved further. That the General Assembly do protest against the doctrines that the politi- 
cal rights of the separate States that compose the American Union and their powers as sovereign 
States, may be settled and determined in the Supreme Court of the United States, so as to con- 
clude and bind them in cases contrived between individuals, and where they are, no one of them, 
parties direct. 

The bank was thus debarred from the aid of State laws in the collection of 
its dues and in the protection of its rights. An attempt was made to effect a 
change in the Federal constitution, which would take the case out of the 
United States Courts. This, however, proved ineffectual. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 113 

The banking system in Ohio has, by reason of State surveillance, not been 
subjected to those whirlwind speculations and questionable failures which have 
marked many Western States, in the establishment of a firm basis upon which 
a banking law could be sustained, with mutual benefit to the institution and the 
people. 

THE CANAL SYSTEM. 

In the first part of 1817, the Legislature considered a resolution relating 
to a canal between Lake Erie and the Ohio River. No action was taken and 
the subject was not again agitated until 1819. Gov. Brown appointed three 
commissioners in 1820, for the purpose of employing an efiicient engineer and 
such assistants as he deemed necessary, for the purpose of surveying a practical 
route for this canal. The commissioners were restricted in their actions until 
Congress should accept a proposition in behalf of the State, for a donation and 
sale of the public lands lying upon and near the route of the proposed canal. 
A delay was thus occasioned for two years. 

In 1822, the matter was referred to a committee of the House of Repre- 
sentatives. This committee approved and recommended the employment of the 
engineer. They furthermore added illustrations to prove the feasibility of the 
project. 

James Geddes, a skillful engineer of New York, was in due time appointed 
to the position and instructed to make the necessary examinations and sur- 
veys. 

The surveys were made, and estimates given of the expenses, which docu- 
ments were laid before the Legislature at several sessions. 

In 1825, an act was passed providing for the internal improvement of the 
State by navigable canals. Directly thereafter, the State set vigorously about 
the work of constructing two canals, one leading from the Ohio to Lake Erie, 
by way of the valleys of the Scioto and Muskingum, the other from Cincinnati 
to Dayton. 

The first canal-boat from Cincinnati to Dayton, reached her destination in 
1829, on the 25th of January. This outlet of communication was extended 
to Lake Erie, and was completed in 1845. The largest artificial lake now 
known is on the elevation between the Ohio and the lake, in Mercer County, 
and supplies the St. Mary's feeder of the Miami Canal, about three miles dis- 
tant, eastwardly. This reservoir is about nine miles long, and from two to 
four broad. 

Two walls of earth, from ten to twenty feet high, were formed, on the east 
and west, which united with the elevations north and south, surrounded this 
basin. When the water was admitted, whole farms were submerged, and the 
"neighbors" complained lest this overflow should tempt miasma. So great 
was the excitement, that over one hundred and fifty residents of the county 
united, and with shovels and spades, made a breach in the embankment. 
Many holding prominent positions in the county were engaged in this work, 



114 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

and all laid themselves liable to the State laws, which made the despoiling of 
public works a penitentiary offense. 

The matter was taken up by the courts, but a grand jury could not be 
found in Mercer County to find a bill of indictment. 

The officers who had charge of the work, ignored the law requiring the cut- 
ing and saving of the timber on lands appropriated, for canal reservoirs. The 
trees were ruthlessly girdled, and thousands of acres of valuable timber that 
might have been highly desirable in the building of bridges, etc., were 
destroyed. However, an adjustment was finally effected, and the work was 
prosecuted with the entire approbation of the people, who were convinced that 
convenient transportation was to be desired. 

OHIO LAND TRACTS. 

After the Indians relinquished all claims against the lands of those States 
west of the Alleghanies, as they had been obtained by conquest, the United 
States, as a government, owned the soil. When Ohio was admitted into the 
Union, a stipulation was made that the fee simple to all the lands within its 
boundaries, with the exception of those previously sold or granted, should vest 
in the General Government. At the present writing, but few tracts remain 
that can be called " public lands." In this, as in other States, tracts are des- 
ignated by their pioneer signification or the purpose to which they were origi- 
nally devoted. In Ohio, these tracts are known as : 



1. 


Congress Lands. 


8. 


Symmes' Purchase. 


15. 


Maumee Road. 


2. 


United States Military. 


9. 


Refugee Tract. 


16. 


School Lands. 


3 


Virginia Military. 


10. 


French Grant. 


17. 


College Lands. 


4. 


Western Reserve. 


11. 


Dohrman's Gi'ant. 


18. 


Ministerial Lands. 


5. 


Fire Lands. 


12. 


Zane's Grant. 


19. 


Moravian Lands. 


6. 


Ohio Company's Purchase. 


13. 


Canal Lands. 


20. 


Salt Sections. 


7. 


Donation Tract. 


14. 


Turnpike Lands. , 







The lands sold by the direct officers of the Government, under the direc- 
tion of Congress, according to the laws, are known as Congress lands. They 
are properly surveyed, and laid out in townships six miles square, under the 
direction of the Government, and the expense incurred settled by Congress. 
These townships are subdivided into sections, containing 640 acres. One sec- 
tion is reserved, in every township, for educational purposes, to be utilized in 
any manner approved by the State as being the best to aid the cause for which 
they are assigned. 

The Western Reserve will be remembered as the tract originally belonging to 
Connecticut. It lies in the northeast quarter of the State. A half-million acres 
were donated by the old Eastern State, when her claim was in force, to sufferers 
from fire during the Revolutionary war, which created the name, " fire lands." 
Many settled here whose homes were destroyed by the British during the war. 

It will be remembered, that on account of discoveries by subjects of empires, 
in the New World, the " Old World " kings laid claim to different portions 




^^^^^/-'^:^^T/^^ 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 117 

of the young continent. At that period, European knowledge of American 
geographical positions and limits was exceedingly meager, which occasioned 
several wars and more discussions. These Old- World sovereigns also assumed 
the authority to sell or present tracts of land to their subjects, in those terri- 
tories they deemed their own. 

King Charles II of England granted to his loyal subjects the colony of 
Connecticut, in 1662, placing with them a charter of right to all lands within 
certain prescribed boundaries. But these " boundaries " frequently conflicted 
with those of others, and sometimes extended to the Pacific Ocean, or " South 
Sea," as it was then termed. Connecticut, by her original charter rights, held 
all lands between the forty-first and forty-second parallels of north latitude, and 
from Providence Plantation on the east, to Pacific Ocean on the west, except- 
ing the New York and Pennsylvania colonies. As late as the establishment of 
the Edited States as an independent government, those colliding claims fre- 
quently engendered confusion and warm discussion between the nation and 
Connecticut, regarding the original colony claim. This was compromised by 
the national claims being relinquished in regard to the territorial claim in Ohio, 
and Connecticut holding the 3,800,000 acres described as the " Western Reser- 
vation." The Government held the right of jurisdiction. 

In 1796, Congress set aside a certain division of land, to satisfy the claims 
of officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary war. It includes the 2,500,000 
acres between the Greenville treaty line and the Congress and refugee lands, 
and " VII ranges of townships," on the east, and the Scioto River, west. This 
constitutes the '' Military Tract. " The " Virginia Military Tract " lies between 
the Scioto and Little Miami Rivers, and extends south to the Ohio. 

James I, in his authorized charter to the Virginia colony, in the year 
1609, made rather visionary boundary lines, sweeping over the continent, west 
of the Ohio River, " of the north and south breadth of Virginia." Virginia 
reconciled the matter by relinquishing all her claims northwest of the Ohio 
River, with the exception of a tract for the purpose of donating the same to her 
troops of the Revolution — their claims demanding such a return in some section. 
Unfortunately, this tract was not regularly surveyed, and conflicting " lines " 
have given rise to litigation ever since that stipulation was made. 

The Ohio Company's Purchase has already been described — as has the 
Symmes Purchase. 

The Refugee Tract covers an area of 100,000 acres, extending eastwardly 
from the Scioto River forty-eight miles, in a strip of country four and one-half 
miles broad, north to south. Columbus, the capital of the State, is situated in 
the western portion. This land was donated by Congress to those individuals 
who left the British dominions and rule, during the Revolution, and espoused 
the American cause. 

The French Tract borders on the Ohio River, in the southeastern quarter 
of Scioto County. It includes 24,000 acres, and was ceded to those French 



118 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

families that lost their claims at Gallipolis, through invalid titles ; 1,200 acres 
were added, after the above grant of 1795. 

Dohrman's Grant includes a section, six miles square, in the southeastern 
portion of Tuscarawas County. It was granted to Arnold Henry Dohrman, a 
Portuguese merchant, as a token of appreciation of the aid and shelter he ren- 
dered American cruisers and vessels of war, during the Revolution. 

The Moravian Lands were originally grants by the old Continental Con- 
gress, in 1787, and confirmed by the act of the Government Congress, in 1796, 
to the Moravian Brethren, of Bethlehem, Penn., in sacred trust, and for the 
use of those Indians who embraced Christianity and civilization, desiring to live 
and settle thereon. These three tracts include 4,000 acres each, and are situ- 
ated in Tuscarawas County. In 1823, the Indians relinquished their rights to 
the 12,000 acres in this county, for 24,000 acres, in a territory designated by^ 
the United States, together with an annuity of $400. 

Zane's Tracts included a portion of land on the Muskingum, whereon Zanes- 
ville was built ; another at the crossing of the Hocking, on which Lancaster i» 
located ; and yet another on the left bank of the Scioto River, opposite Chilli- 
cothe. These grants were made to Ebenezer Zane, by Congress, in 1796, as a 
reward for opening a road from Wheeling, Va., to Maysville, Ky. In 1802, 
Mr. Zane received three additional tracts, one square mile each, in considera- 
tion of being captured and held a prisoner, during the Revolutionary war, 
when a boy, by the Indians. He lived with these people most of his life, secur- 
ing many benefits for the Americans. These tracts are located in Champaign 
County. 

The Maumee Road Lands extend the length of the road, from the Maumee 
River, at Perrysburg, to the western limits of the Western Reserve, a distance 
of forty-six miles — in a strip two miles wide. This includes about 60,000 
acres. These lands were ceded by the Indians, at the treaty of Brownstown, in 
1808. The original intention of Congress was to mark a highway through this 
strip, but no definite action was taken until 1823, whe j the land was ceded to 
the State of Ohio, under an obligation that the State make and sustain the pro- 
jected road, within four years after the transfer. 

The Turnpike Lands extended over 31,360 acres along the western side of 
the Columbus & Sandusky Turnpike, in the eastern parts of Seneca, Craw- 
ford and Marion Counties. They were designed for the transportation of mail 
stages, troops and other United States property, free from toll. The grant was 
made in 1827. 

" The Ohio Canal Lands " comprise about 1,000,000 acres, set aside for the 
purpose of canal construction. 

When Ohio was admitted to the Union, a guarantee was given that the State 
should not tax Government lands until they should have been sold for five years. 
That the thirty-sixth part of all territory within the State limits should be de- 
voted to educational purposes, for the general benefit of the population. In. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 119^ 

order to secure tracts which would prove available, and thus insure returns, 
they were selected in small lots. No. 16 was designated as the sectional portion, 
in each township of Congress lands, the Ohio Company's and Symmes Pur- 
chases, the United States Military Lands, the Connecticut Reserve, and a num- 
ber of quarter townships. These school lands were selected by the Secretary 
of the Treasury. 

The college townships are thirty-six miles square. A section, thirty-six 
miles square, in the center of Jackson County, in the vicinity and containing 
the Scioto Salt Licks, was also reserved by Congress, together with a quarter- 
mile township in Delaware County. This swept over 27,040 acres. In 1824, 
Congress authorized the State to sell these lands. The proceeds were to be 
devoted to literary requirements, such as might be specified by Congress. 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

We have heretofore briefly alluded to the canal system of Ohio, which in 
the beginning caused considerable anxiety to settlers directly in the course of 
its survey. The Legislature passed the " Internal Improvement by Navigable 
Canals " act, in 1825, and the work was immediately inaugurated and hastened. 
The " Ohio Canal " extends from the lake to the Ohio, and the " Miami " con- 
nects Cincinnati with Dayton. The latter was completed to Toledo in 1844, a 
length of 493 miles. Its total cost, including reservoir cutting and feeders, was 
$7,500,000. The Ohio Canal was finished in 1833. 

During the construction of these canals, the curiosities which have attracted 
antiquarians and scientists, in the State of Ohio, were found in various places. 
Relics were discovered that must have belonged to a giant race. Nearly 3,000 
graves were found, of the " mound type." 

A third canal was begun in 1836, reaching from Walhonding, in Coshocton 
County, to Roscoe, its length being twenty-five miles, involving an expense of 
$610,000. This was completed in 1842. The Hocking Canal, between Car- 
roll, in Fairfield County, and Athens, in Athens County, a distance of fifty- 
six miles, was also cut, about the same time, at a cost of nearly $1,000,000. 

The Muskingum improvements were also being carried forward. Locks and 
dams were requisite for the perfection of navigation in this water-course, from 
Dresden to Marietta, a distance of ninety-one miles. This added an expense 
of $1,630,000 to the call for improvement appropriations. To the Miami Canal 
was added a feeder, known as the Warren County Canal — extending from 
Franklin to Lebanon, which was not completed, although over $250,000 were 
expended in its construction as far as it went. 

Railway transportation was a subject which engrossed the attention of those in- 
terested in State perpetuity and general prosperity. About the year 1831, the Leg- 
islature received applications for railway charters. The first one granted was the 
'' Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland Railroad," on June 5, 1832. The " Sandusky, 
Mansfield & Newark Railroad " obtained a charter in 1836, March 11, followed. 



120 iiiSToiiv OF thl: state of ohio. 

three days thereafter, by the " Cleveland, Columbus k Cincinnati Railroad." 
The " Little Miami " was begun in 1837. Notwithstanding these chartered 
rights, but 129 miles were completed in 1847, and in operation. In 1878, 
the mileage had increased to 6,264. The valuation of the operating roads 
was estimated the same year, at $76,113,500. Their taxation summed up 
$1,128,116. 

No State in the Union has been more zealous in her educational interests than 
Ohio. Public lands were generously granted by Congress, and the State added 
her affirmation. However, no practical and eifectual system Avas adopted until 
1825. 

An act was then passed to tax all real property one-half mill per dollar for 
the establishment of schools in each township, and the support of the same. 
An act of 1829, increased the tax to three-fourths of a mill. Trustees of 
townships were instructed to make divisions and locate convenient school dis- 
tricts. Householders were to elect three school directors, a clerk and treasurer 
annually. Privileges and restrictions were enjoined in all cases. The house- 
holders were allowed their discretion, governed accordingly, in imposing taxes 
for the erection of school buildings. The Courts of the Common Pleas 
appointed a committee to examine the qualifications of those individuals mak- 
ing application for the position of teachers. The school extended equal privi- 
leges to all white children. Those of colored parentage were excluded, and no 
tax was levied for school purposes upon colored parents. An amendment has 
admitted the children of colored parents. The system has continued the same, 
with a few amendments. A State Commissioner of Common Schools is elected 
every third year, who has general charge of the interests of public schools. A 
State Board of Examiners, composed of three persons, appointed by the State 
Commissioner, for two years' term, is authorized to issue life certificates of high 
qualifications, to such teachers as it may find to possess the requisite scholarship, 
character, experience and ability. These certificates, signed by the Commis- 
sioner, are valid throughout the State. A County Board of Examiners, of 
three members, is formed in each county. Boards of education, for cities, are 
made up of one or two members from each ward. City Boards of Examiners 
are also appointed. Section 4 of the law of 1873, was amended in 1877, which 
made the territory annexed to an incorporated village, at the option of the 
voters of the village and tributary section, whether it be included with the vil- 
lage as one school district, or left as two school districts. Section 56 of the law was 
amended, in its bearing upon cities of 30,000 to 75,000 inhabitants, by limiting 
to five mills on the dollar of taxable property, the levies in such cities for con- 
tinuing schools, for purchasing sites for schoolhouses, for leasing, purchasing, 
erecting and furnishing school houses, and for all school expenses. The public 
funds are subject to the discretion of voters, and boards are authorized, under 
instructions, to make the best use of such funds. Taxation is subject to the 
discretion of the State, certain limits being prescribed. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 121 

In 1878, the number of youth of the school age numbered 1,041,963. 
On the rolls, 740,194 names were recorded. In the year 1878, 23,391 teach- 
ers were employed, receiving $4,956,514.46 for their services. 

Ohio not only sustains her public schools on a broad, liberal basis, but she 
encourages educational pursuits in superior universities and colleges throughout 
the State. These institutions are not aided by State funds, but are sustained by 
society influence, added to their self-supporting resources. Ohio alsc 
a large number of normal schools, academies, seminaries and busiiless colleges. 
These are not entitled to the privileges of the school fund. ScieKtific^ profes- 
sional, theological, legal and medical instructions are in no in3»jj:^ limited in 
their facilities. Industrial and reformatory school§.-«rg^espmally thorough. 
Institutions for the instruction of the deaf ahdclumb, arva blind, and feeble- 
minded, are under the best discipline. 

We may add, many female seminaries have been estal5lished which are entirely 
sustained by other than State aid. Ohio has, from its inception, been solid and 
vigorous in whatever tended toward improvement and enlightenment. 

We have also referred to the banking system of this State, as being first 
established on a basis through a contest between the State and the General 
Government. Authorities differ regarding the exact date and location of the 
very first house established in the State for the purpose of transacting banking 
business. It is highly probable that Marietta is more directly associated with 
that event than any other town. There are at present over one hundred and 
sixty-seven national banks, with an aggregate capital of $27,794,468. It also 
has eighteen banks of deposit, incorporated under the State banking laws of 
1845, representing an aggregate capital of $539,904. Twenty-three savings 
banks, incorporated under the State act of 1875, with an aggregate capital of 
$1,277,500. Of private banks it has 192, with an aggregate capital of 
$5,663,898. The State represents in her banking capital over $36,275,770. 
The First National of Cincinnati has a capital stock of over $1,000,000. 
The others fall below that sum, their capital diminishing from 10,000 shares of 
$100 each. The valuation for taxation is $850,000 — Merchant's National of 
Cincinnati — to the valuation of a tax of $5,000 on the First National of 
Beverly. 

BOUNDARY LINES. 

We must not omit the subject of the State boundaries. Ohio was especially 
the field for most animated discussions, relative not only to State limits but 
county lines and township rights. In 1817, a severe controversy arose, which 
was settled only after violent demonstrations and Government interference. 

In primitive times, the geographical position, extent and surface diversities 
were but meagerly comprehended. In truth, it may be asserted they could not 
' have been more at variance with actual facts had they been laid out " hap- 
hazard." The ordinance of 1787 represented Lake Michigan far north of its 
real position, and even as late as 1812, its size and location had not been 



122 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

definitely ascertained. During that year, Amos Spafford addressed a clear, com- 
{)rehensive letter to the Governor of Ohio, on this subject, relative to the 
boundary lines of Ohio. Several lines of survey were laid out as the first 
course, but either Michigan or Ohio expressed disapproval in every case. This 
culminated in 1835, when the party beginning a '"pern^anent" survey began 
at the northwest corner of the State, and was attacked by a force of Michigan 
settlers who sent them away badly routed and beaten. No effort was made to 
return to the work until the State and various parties had weighed the subject, 
and finally the interposition of the Government became necessary. 

A settlement resulted in Ohio being bounded on the north by Lake Erie 
and the State of Michigan, on the east by Pennsylvania and West Virginia, on 
the south by the Ohio River, and on the west by Indiana. 

It is situated between the 38° 25' and 42° north latitude, and 84° 50' 
west longitude from Greenwich, or 3° 30' and 7° 50' west from Washington. 
From north to south, it extends over 210 miles, and from east to west 220 
miles — comprising 89,964 square miles. 

The State is generally higher than the Ohio River. In tlie southern 
counties, the surface is greatly diversified by the inequalities produced by the 
excavating power of the Ohio River and its tributaries. The greater portion 
of the State was originally covered with timber, although in the central and 
northwestern sections some prairies were found. The crest or watershed 
between the waters of Lake Erie and those of the Ohio is less elevated than 
in New York or Pennsylvania. Sailing upon the Ohio the country appears 
to be mountainous, bluffs rising to the height of two hundred and fifty to six 
hundred feet above the valleys. Ascending the tributaries of the Ohio, these 
precipitous hills gradually lessen until they are resolved into gentle undulations, 
and toward the sources of the river the land is low and marshy. 

Although Ohio has no inland lakes of importance, she possesses a favorable 
river system, which, aided by her canals, gives her prestige of a convenient 
water transportation. The lake on her northern boundary, and the Ohio 
River on her southern limit, afford most convenient outlets by water to impor- 
tant points. Her means of communication and transportation are superior in 
every respect, and are constantly being increased. 

ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES AND EARLY EVENTS. 

Adams County was named in honor of John Adams, second President of 
the United States. Gov. St. Clair proclaimed it a county on July 10, 1797. 
The Virginia Military Tract included this section, and the first settlement made 
withinits boundaries was in this county in 1790-91, between the Scioto and Little 
Miami, at Manchester, by Gen. Nathaniel Massie. In this town was held the 
first court of the county. 

West Union, the present county seat, was laid out by the Hon. Thomas 
Kirker. It occupies the summit of a high ridge. The surface of this county is 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 123 

ihilly and broken, and the eastern part is not fertile. It produces corn, wheat, oats 
and pork. Beds of iron are found in the eastern part. Its hills are composed of 
aluminous shale. The barren hills afford a range for- cattle and hogs. A sort 
of vagrant class derive a support by collecting stones, hoop-poles and tanners' 
barks from these hills. 

Ashland County is one of the finest agricultural sections. It was formed 
February 26, 1846. Wheat comprises its principal crop, although large quan- 
tities of oats, corn, potatoes, grass and fruit are raised. Ashland is its county 
.seat, and was laid out by William Montgomery in 1816. It was called Union- 
town for several years. Daniel Carter raised the first cabin within the county 
limits in 1811. 

Auglaize County was formed in February, 1848, from Allen and Mercer 
Counties. Wapakoneta is its county seat. 

Allen County was formed from the Indian Territory April 1, 1820. Lima 
is its county seat. 

Ashtabula County was formed June 7, 1807, and was organized January 
22, 1811. The surface is level near the lake, while the remainder is undulat- 
ing. The soil is mostly clay. Very little wheat is raised, but considerable- 
corn and oats. Butter and cheese are the main marketable productions. This 
was the first county settled on the Western Reserve, and also the earliest in 
Northern Ohio. On the 4th of July, 1796, the first surveying party arrived 
at the mouth of Conneaut Creek. Judge James Kingsbury was the first who 
wintered there with his family. He was the first man to use a sickle in the 
first wheat-field in the Western Reserve. Their child was the first born on the 
Western Reserve, and was starved to death. The first regular settlement was 
at Harpersfield, in 1798. 

Jefferson is the county seat. Ashtabula is pleasantly situated on the river, 
with a fine harbor two and a half miles from the village. 

The first church on the Western Reserve was founded at Austinburg in 
1801. 

Athens County was formed from Washington March 1, 1805. It producer 
wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. The surface is hilly and broken, with rich bot- 
tom lands between. Coal, iron ore and salt add materially to its commercial 
value. It has the advantage of the canal, as well as other transportation. 
Athens, its county seat, is situated on the Hocking River. The Ohio Uni- 
versity, the first college founded in the State, is located here. We have 
mentioned the ancient mounds found in this county, heretofore. Yellow pine is 
abundant in the lower part of the Hocking Valley. 

Brown County was formed March 1, 1818, from Adams and Clermont. It 
produces wheat, corn, rye, oats and pork. The southern part is prolific in 
grain, while the northern is adapted to grazing purposes. The surface is undu- 
lating, with the exception of the Ohio River hills. Over this county Tecumseh 
^nce held sway 



124 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Georgetown is the county seat, and was laid out in 1819. Ripley is the larg- 
est business town in the county. 

Belmont County was announced by Gov. St. Clair September 7, 1801. It 
produces large crops of wheat, oats, corn and tobacco, an annual crop of over 
2,000,000 pounds of the latter being the average. It also trades largely in 
wool and coal. It is a picturesque tract of country, and was one of the 
pioneers in the early settled portions. 

In 1790, Fort Dillie was erected on the west side of the Ohio. Baker's 
Fort was a mile below the mouth of the Captina. Many desperate Indian bat- 
tles were fought within the limits of this county, and the famous Indian scout, 
Lewis Wetzel, roamed over the region. 

St. Clairsville is the county seat, situated on the elevation of land, in a fer- 
tile district. Capt. Kirkwood and Elizabeth Zane, of historic fame, were early 
pioneers here. 

Butler County was formed in 1803, from Hamilton. It is within the blue 
limestone formation, and one of the most fertile sections of Ohio. It produces 
more corn than any other, county in the State, besides fine crops of whesit, 
oats and large quantities of pork. Hamilton, the county seat, is situated on the 
Great Miami. Its hydraulic works furnish superior water-power. Rossville, 
on the opposite side of the Miami, is a large mercantile town. 

St. Clair passed through this county on his Indian campaigns in 1791, 
building Fort Hamilton on the Miami. 

Champaign County was formed March 1, 1805, from Greene and Franklin. 
It is drained by Mad River and its tributaries, which furnishes extensive mill 
privileges. Nearly a half is undulating, a quarter rolling, a fifth hilly, and 
6 per cent wet prairie. The soil is fertile, and produces wheat, corn, oats, 
barley, hay, while beef and wool add to the general wealth. Urbana, the- 
county seat, was laid out in 1805, by Col. William Ward. He was chief owner 
of the land and donated many lots to the county, under condition that their 
proceeds be devoted to public improvements. Joseph Vance and George 
Fithian were the first settlers. The Methodists built the first church in 1807. 
The main army of Hull concentrated at this point before setting out for Detroit. 
Many Indian councils were called here, and Tecumseh was located for a time 
near Deer Creek. 

Carroll County was formed from Columbiana in 1832-33. It produces 
wheat, oats and corn, and valuable coal and iron. The surface is hilly. Car- 
rollton is its county seat. At Harlem is a celebrated chalybeate spring. 

Clark County Avas formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and 
Greene. Its second settlement was at Kreb's Station, in 1796. It is highly culti- 
vated, well watered and very fertile. The Mad River, Buck and Beaver Creeks 
furnish abundant water-power. It produces principally wheat, corn and oats. 

Tecumseh, the old Indian warrior, was born at the ancient Indian vil- 
lage of Piqua, on the Mad River, on the site of New Boston. Piqua was 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 125 

destroyed by Gen. George Rogers Clarke. Skeletons, beads, gun barrels, 
tomahawks, kettles, etc., have been found in the vicinity. 

Springfield, the county seat, is situated on the National road. It has con- 
venient transportation facilities, is handsomely laid out, and is noted for its 
cultured citizens. It is near Mad River, and Buck Creek runs through it. 

Clinton County was formed in 1810. It produces chiefly wheat, oats, 
wool and pork. Its surface is undulating, in some parts hilly, and the soil fer- 
tile. Its streams furnish desirable water-power. The county was settled in 
1798-99. Wilmington is the county seat, and was laid out in 1810. The first 
log house was built by William Hobsin. 

Clermont County was the eighth formed in the Northwest Territory, by 
proclamation of Gov. St. Clair, December 9, 1800. The soil is exceedingly 
rich, and the surface is broken and, near the Ohio, hilly. Wheat, corn, oats, 
hay, potatoes, tobacco, barley, buckwheat and rye form the main crops, while 
beef, pork, flour, hay and whisky constitute its main exports. Its streams 
furnish good water-power. Batavia, its county seat, is situated on the Little 
Miami River, and was laid out in 1820, by George Ely, 

Columbiana County was formed March 25, 1803, from Jefferson and Wash- 
ington. Its soil is very fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and potatoes. It 
is wealthy in mineral deposits, coal, iron ore, lime and freestone being abun- 
dant. Its water-lime stone is of superior quality. Salt water is found on Yel- 
low and Beaver Creeks. This is also the great wool-producing county of 
the State. It was settled in 1797. New Lisbon, its county seat, is well 
built. 

The first paper-mill in Ohio was erected in this county, on Little Beaver 
Creek, by John Coulter and John Bever. 

Coshocton County Avas organized April 1, 1811. Its principal products are 
wheat, corn, oats and wool. Hills and valleys alternate along the Muskingum 
River. Abrupt changes are strongly marked — a rich alluvum being overhung 
by a red-bush hill, while directly beside it may be seen the poplar and sugar 
tree. Coal and iron ore add to its general importance, while salt wells have 
proven remunerative. 

Coshocton, the county seat, is built on four wide, natural terraces, at the 
junction of the Tuscarawas with the Walhonding. 

Cuyahoga County was formed June 7, 1807, from Geauga. Near the lake, 
the soil is sandy, while a clayey loam may be found elsewhere. The valleys 
near the streams produce wheat, barley and hay. Fruit is successfully grown, 
and cheese, butter, beef and wool are largely exported. Bog iron is found in 
the western part, and fine grindstone quarries are in operation. The sandstone 
from these quarries is now an important article of commerce. As early as 
1775, there was a French settlement within the boundaries of Cuyahoga. In 
1786, a Moravian missionary came to the present site of Cleveland, and set- 
tled in an abandoned village of the Ottawas. Circumstances prevented a 



126 * lUSTOKV OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

permanent settlement, and the British tacitly took possession, even remaining 
upon the lake shores after the Revolution. 

The first permanent settlement was made at Cleveland in 1796. Mr. Job 
V. Stiles and family and Edward Paine passed the first winter there, their log 
cabin standing where the Commercial Bank is now located. Rodolphus 
Edwards and Nathaniel Doane settled here. The town was, in 1813, a depot 
of supplies and a rendezvous for troops engaged in the war. 

Cleveland, the county seat, is situated at the northern termination of the 
Ohio Canal, on the lake shore. In 1814, it was incorporated as a village, and 
in 1836, as n city. Its elevation is about a hundred feet above the lake. It 
is a lovely city, and has one of the best harbors on Lake Erie. 

Ohio City is another important town, nearly opposite Cleveland, on the 
Cuyahoga. It was incorporated in 1836. 

Crawford County was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian territory. " 
The entire county is adapted to grazing. The soil is generally composed of 
rich vegetable loam, and in some parts the subsoil is clay mixed with lime. 
Rich beds of shell marl have been discovered. It produces wheat, corn, oats, 
clover, timothy seed, wool and cattle. Fine limestone quarries are worked with 
success. 

Bucyrus is the county seat, and was laid out February 11, 1822, by Samuel 
Norton and James Kilbourn, original owners of the land. The first settler in 
the town proper was Samuel Norton. A gas well has been dug in Bucyrus, 
on the land of R. W. Musgrove, which burns in a brilliant light when con- 
ducted to the surface by means of pipes. Crawford's Sulphur Springs are 
located nine miles from Bucyrus. The water is impregnated with sulphuretted 
hydrogen. It deposits a reddish-purple sediment. In its nature the water is a 
cathartic, and is diuretic and diaphoretic in its efiects. A few rods away is a 
burning spring. The Annapolis Sulphur Spring is clear and has gained consid- 
erable fame by its curative qualities. Opposite Bucyrus is a chalybeate spring 
of tonic qualities. 

There are some beds of peat in the county, the most extensive one being a 
wet prairie called Cranberry Marsh, containing nearly 2,000 acres. 

Darke County was organized in March, 1817, from Miami County. It is 
abundantly timbered with poplar, walnut, blue ash, hickory, beech and sugar 
maple. It yields superior wheat, and is well adapted to grazing. In this 
county occurred the lamentable defeat of St. Clair, and the treaty of Greenville. 

Greenville is the county seat, and was laid out August 10, 1808, by Robert 
Gray and John Dover. In December, 1793, Wayne built Fort Greenville on 
this spot, which covered about the same extent as the present town. 

Delaware County was formed February 10, 1808, from Franklin. It pro- 
duces mainly wheat, corn, oats, pork and wool. ♦ 

Delaware is the county seat, and was laid out in the spring of 1808, by 
Moses Byxbe. The Delaware Spring in the village is of the white sulphur or 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 127 

cold hydro-sulphurous nature, valuable for medicinal qualities in cases of bilious 
derangements, dyspepsia, scrofulous aftections, etc. 

Defiance County was inaugurated March 4, 1845, from Williams, Henry 
and Paulding. The Maumee, Tifiin and Auglaize flow through it. The Black 
Swamp covers much of its area. 

Defiance, the county seat, is situated on the Maumee. It was laid out in 
1822, by B. Level and H. Phillips. A large Indian settlement occupied its 
gite in very early times. Wayne arrived here August 8, 1794, captured the 
place, finding about one thousand acres of corn, peach and apple orchards, and 
vegetables of all varieties. Here he built Fort Defiance. 

Erie County was formed in 1838, from Huron and Sandusky. The soil is 
alluvial, and yields large crops of wheat, corn, oats and potatoes. It possesses 
inexhaustable quarries of limestone and freestone. Immense quantities of bog 
iron are also found. The Erie tribe is said to have once occupied the land, and 
were extirpated by the Iroquois. As early as 1754, the French had built set- 
tlements. In 1764, the county was besieged. Pontiac came here with warlike 
demonstrations, but made peace with the whites. Erie was included in the 
"■fire lands"' of the Western Reserve. 

Sandusky City is the county seat, and was laid out in 1817, then termed 
Portland. At that time it contained two log huts. The town is finely situated, 
and is based upon an inexhaustible quarry of the finest limestone. In the 
"patriot war" with the Canadians, this city was the rendezvous for the 
"patriots." 

Franklin County was formed April 30, 1803, from Ross. It contains 
much low wet land, and is better adapted to grazing than agricultural purposes. 
It was in early times occupied by the Wyandot Indians. Its first white set- 
tlement was made in 1797, by Robert Armstrong and others. Franklinton 
was laid out in 1797, by Lucas Sullivan. Worthington was settled by the 
Scioto Company in 1801. Col. Kilbourn, who was interested in the work, 
constructed the first map of Ohio during his explorations, by uniting sectional 



Columbus, the capital of the State of Ohio, is also the county seat of 
Franklin County. After the organization of a State government, the capital 
was "portable" until 1816, In 1810, the sessions were held at Chillicothe, 
in 1811 and 1812 at Zanesville, removing again to Chillicothe, and, in 1816, 
being located at Columbus. The town was laid out during the spring of 1812. 
A penitentiary was erected in 1813, and the State House was built in 1814. 
It was incorporated as "the borough of Columbus," February 10, 1816. The 
city charter was granted March 3, 1834. 

It is beautifully located on the east bank of the Scioto, The Columbus 
Institute is a classical institution. A female and a theological seminary also 
add to its educational advantages. The Ohio Lunatic Asylum is also located 
here — also the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. East of the 



128 lliyTORV OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

State House is the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Deaf and 
Dumb. 

Fairfield County was formed by proclamation of Gov. St. Clair, December 
9, 1800. 

The soil is varied, being in some parts exceedingly rich, and in others very 
sterile. It produces principally wheat, corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, barley, 
potatoes and tobacco. 

Lancaster is the county seat, laid out by Ebenezer Zane in 1800, In 1797, 
he opened the road known as "Zane's Trace," from Wheeling to Limestone — 
now Maysville. It passed through Lancaster, at a fording about three hundred 
yards below the present turnpike bridge. Near the turn stands an imposing 
eminance called " Standing Stone. ' ' Parties of pleasure frequently visit this spot. 

Fayette County was formed from Ross and Highland in 1810. Wheat, 
corn, cattle, hogs, sheep and wool comprise its main productions. " The bar- 
rens" are situated in the northeastern part. This tract is covered by a growth 
of grass. 

Washington is its county seat, laid out in 1810. 

Col. Stewart was active in the interests of this section, and his memory is 
sacredly revered. Jesse Milliken was prominent in public affairs. 

Fulton County, bordering on Michigan, was organized in 1850, It is 
drained by Bean Creek and other small affluents of the Maumee River. The 
surface is nearly level, and a large part of it is covered with forests of ash, 
beech, elm, hickory, white oak, black walnut, etc., furnishing excellent timber. 
The soil is fertile. Wheat, corn, oats and hay are the staple products. Wau- 
seon is the county seat. 

Guernsey County was organized in March, 1810. Wool is a staple prod- 
uct, together with beef, horses and swine. It produces wheat, corn and oats. 

Cambridge is the county seat and was laid out in June, 1806. Mr. 
Graham was the first settler on the site of the town, and his Avas the only 
dwelling between Lancaster and Wheeling. 

The first cannel coal found in the county was discovered near Mill's Creek. 

Greene County was formed May 1, 1803, from Hamilton and Ross. It 
produces wheat, corn, rye, grass-seed, oats, barley, sheep and swine. The 
streams furnish good water-power. There are five limestone quarries, and a 
marble quarry of variegated colors. The Shawnee town was on the Little 
Miami, and was visited by Capt. Thomas Bullit in 1773. When Daniel Boone 
was captured in 1778, he was brought to this town, and escaped the following 
year. Gen. Clarke invaded this county and the Indians reduced the town to ashes. 
Xenia, the county seat, was laid off in the forest in 1803, by Joseph C. 
Vance. The first cabin was erected in April, 1804, by John Marshall. The 
Rev. James Fowler built the first hewed-log cabin. David A. Sanders built 
the first frame house. Nine miles north of the town, on the Little Miami 
River, are the Yellow Springs, which are impregnated with sulphur. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 129 

Geauga County was formed in 1805 from Trumbull. It exports sheep, 
cattle, butter and cheese. It is situated at the head of Chargrine, Cuyahoga and 
a part of Grand Rivers, on high ground, and is subjected to snowstorms more 
frequently than any other part of the Reserve. Its first settlement was made 
in 1798, at Burton. Chardon is fourteen miles from Lake Erie, and is 600 
feet above it. It was laid out as the county seat in 1808. 

Gallia County was fonued April 30, 1803, from Washington. Its princi- 
pal crops are wheat, corn, oats and beans. The surface is generally broken. 
Its first settlement was made in 1791, by a French colony, at Gallipolis. This 
colony was sent out under the auspices of the Scioto Company. This town is 
noAV the county seat. 

Hamilton County was the second established in the Northwestern Territory 
by proclamation of Gov. St. Clair, January 2, 1790. Its surface is gen- 
erally rolling. It produces the ordinary farm products, and a great variety 
of fruits and vegetables for the Cincinnati market. Vineyards thrive well 
within its limits, and the manufacture of wine is carried on to a considerable 
extent. 

This county was the second settled in Ohio, and the first within the Symmes 
purchase. Settlers arrived at the spot now occupied by Cincinnati, and three 
or four log cabins were erected. Gen. Arthur St. Clair arrived here in Janu- 
ary, 1790. The army of Wayne encamped here later, at Fort Washington. 
Mr. Maxwell established in 1793 the Sentinel of the Northwestern Territory, 
the first newspaper printed north of the Ohio River. In 1796, Edward Free- 
man became its proprietor, and changed the name to Freeman s Journal. 
January 11, 1794, two keel-boats sailed from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, making 
regular trips every four weeks. In 1801, the first sea vessel built at Mari- 
etta came down the Ohio. 

Cincinnati, the county seat, was incorporated January 2, 1802. It was char- 
tered as a city in 1819. The city is beautifully laid out and delightfully situ- 
ated. Its public buildings are elegant and substantial, including the court 
house and many literary and charitable institutions. 

The Cincinnati College was founded in 1819. It stands in the center of 
the city. It is built in Grecian-Doric style, with pilaster fronts and facade of 
Dayton marble. Woodward College is also popular. 

The Catholics have founded the St. Xavier's College. Lane Seminary, a 
theological institution, is at Walnut Hills, two miles from the center of the city. 
It has over 10,000 volumes in its libraries. No charge is made for tuition. 
Rooms are provided and furnished at $5 per year, and board ranges from 62|- 
cents to 90 cents a week. The Cincinnati Law School is connected with Cin- 
cinnati College. The Mechanics' Institute was chartered in 1828, and is in all 
respects well supplied with apparatus. A college for teachers was established in 
1831, its object being to perfect those contemplating entering that profession in 
their studies and system. 



130 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

The Cincinnati Orphan Asylum is an elegant building, and has a library 
and well-organized school attached. The Catholics of the city have one male 
and female orphan asylum. The Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum of 
Ohio was incorporated in 1821. 

Cincinnati is a large manufacturing city, and possesses fine water-power 
facilities. It communicates with the world by means of its canal, river, turnpikes, 
and railways. North Bend is another prominent town in this county, having 
been the residence of Gen. William H. Harrison, and the site of his burial 
place. The town was of considerable importance in the early settlement of the 
State. About thirty yards from Harrison's tomb is the grave of Judge 
SymmeS. 

Hancock County was formed April 1, 1820. It produces wheat, oats, corn, 
pork and maple sugar. The surface is level and its soil is fertile. Blanchard's 
Fork waters the central and southern part of the county. Findlay, the county 
seat, was laid out by ex-Gov. Joseph Vance and Elnathan Corry, in 1821. It 
was relaid in 1829. Wilson Vance settled there in the fall of 1821. Located 
in Findlay are the greatest gas wells of Ohio, the city being lighted and heated 
by natural gas, which has been known for over 40 years to exist at Findlay. 

Hardin County was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. 
It produces, principally, wheat, corn and swine. A portion of the surface is 
level, and the remainder undulating. Fort McArthur was built on the Scioto 
River, but proved a weak stockade. Kenton is the county seat,, situated on the 
Scioto River. 

Harrison County was formed from Jefierson and Tuscarawas January 1» 
1814. The surface is hilly, abounding in coal and limestone. Its soil is clayey. 
It is one of the important wool-growing counties in Ohio. It produces large 
quantities of wheat, corn, oats and hay, besides a considerable number of horses, 
cattle and swine. 

In April, 1799, Alexander Henderson and family settled in this county, and 
at the same .time, Daniel Peterson and his family resided at the forks of Short 
Creek. The early settlers were much annoyed by Indians and wild beasts. 
Cadiz is the county seat, and was laid out in 1803 and 1804, by Messrs. Briggs 
and Beatty. 

Henry County was formed from the old Indian Territory, April 1, 1820. 
Indian corn, oats, potatoes, and maple sugar constitute the main products. 
The county is well supplied with running streams, and the soil is unusually rich. 

The greater portion of this county is covered by the "Black Swamp." 
Throughout this swamp are ridges of limestone, covered with black walnut, re<i 
elm, butternut and maple. The soil is superior for grain. Fruit thrives and 
all varieties of vegetables are produced in large quantities. Simon Girty, noto- 
rious for his wicked career, resided in this county. Girty led the attack on 
Fort Henry, in September, 1777. He demanded the surrender of the fort, 
and menaced its inmates with an Indian massacre, in case of refusal. The 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 131 

action began, but the fort gained the victory. He led a ferocious band of Indi- 
ans, and committed the most fiendish atrocities. 

Napoleon, the county seat, is situated on the Maumee River. 

Highland County was formed in May, 1805, from Ross, Adams and Cler- 
mont. It is a wealthy, productive county. Its wheat commands a high mar- 
ket price. The crops consist of wheat, corn, oats, maple sugar, wool, swine 
and cattle. Its first settlement began in 1801, at New Market, by Oliver Ross, 
Robert Keeston, George W. Barrere, Bernard Weyer and others. Simon Ken- 
ton made a trace through this county in early times. Hillsboro is the 
county seat, and was laid out in 1807, by David Hays, on the land of Benja- 
min Ellicott. It is situated on the dividing ridge, between the Miami and Sci- 
oto. The Hillsboro Academy was founded in 1827. 

Hocking County was formed March 1, 1818, from Ross, Athens and Fair- 
field. Its principal products are corn, wheat, tobacco and maple sugar. Its 
surface is broken and hilly, but is level and fertile beside the streams. 

The Wyandots once occupied this tract, and built a large town herein. In 
1798, a few white families ventured to settle. Logan is its county seat, and is 
situated on the Hocking River. 

Holmes County was formed from Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne, Janu- 
ary 20, 1824. It produces wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, maple sugar, swine, 
sheep and cattle. The southwestern portion is broken. Thomas Butler was 
the first settler, in 1810. Millersburg is the county seat, and was laid out in 
1830. 

Huron County was organized in 1815. It produces hay, wheat, corn, oats, 
barley, buckwheat, flaxseed, potatoes, butter, cheese, wool and swine. Nor- 
walk is the county seat. 

Jackson County was organized March, 1816. The country is rich in min- 
erals and abounds in coal and iron ore. The exports are cattle, wool, swine, 
horses, lumber, millstones, tobacco and iron. Jackson, the county seat, was 
laid out in 1817. The old Scioto salt-works were among the first worked in 
Ohio by the whites. Prior to this period, the Indians came some distance to 
this section to make salt. When Daniel Boone was a prisoner, he spent some 
time at these works. 

Jefferson County was proclaimed by Gov. St. Clair July 29, 1797, and 
was the fifth county established in Ohio. It is one of the most important 
manufacturing counties in the State. Its resources in coal are also extended. 
The surface is hilly and the soil fertile, producing wheat, corn and oats. The 
old "Mingo" town was on the present farms of Jeremiah Hallock and Mr. 
Daniel Potter. The troops of Col. Williamson rendezvoused at this point, 
when they set out in their cruel Moravian campaign, and also the troops of 
Col. Qrawford, when they started on the campaign against the Sandusky 
Indians. Here Logan, the powerful and manly chief of the Mingo nation, 
once resided. He took no active part in the old French war, which closed in 



132 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

1760, except that of a peacemaker. He was a stanch friend of the whites 
until the abominable and unprovoked murder of his father, brother and sister, 
which occurred in 1774, near the Yellow 'Creek. He then raised the battle 
cry and sought revenge. 

However, Logan was remarkably magnanimous toward prisoners who fell 
into his hands. The year 1793 was the last spent in Indian warfare in Jeffer- 
son County. 

Fort Steuben was erected on the present site of Steubenville, the county seat, 
in 1789. It was constructed of block-houses, with palisade fences, and was dis- 
mantled during Wayne's campaign. Bezaleel Wells and Hon. James Ross laid 
the town out in 1798. It was incorporated February 14, 1805. It is situated 
upon an elevated plain. In 1814, Messrs. Wells and Dickerson built a woolen 
manufactory, and introduced merino sheep to the county. 

Knox County was formed March 1, 1808, from Fairfield. It is drained by 
the Vernon River. It produces wheat, corn, oats, tobacco, maple sugar, pota- 
toes and wool. Mount Vernon was laid out in 1805. The early settlers found 
two wells on the Vernon River, built of hammered stone, neatly laid, and near 
by was a salt-lick. Their direct origin remains a mystery. Gilman Bryant, 
in 1807, opened the first store in Mount Vernon. The court house was built 
in 1810. The Indians came to Mount Vernon in large numbers for the pur- 
pose of trading in furs and cranberries. Each Saturday, the settlers worked 
on the streets, extracting stumps and improving the highway. The first settler 
north of the place was N. M. Young, who built his cabin in 1803. Mount 
Vernon is now the county seat, beautifully situated on Vernon River. Kenyon 
College is located at Gambler. It is richly endowed with 8,000 acres, and is 
valued at $100,000. This institution was established under the auspices of 
Bishop Chase, in July, 1826, in the center of a 4,000-acre tract belonging to 
Kenyon College. It was chartered as a theological seminary. 

Lucas County is of comparatively recent origin. A large portion is covered 
by the "Black Swamp." It produces corn, wheat, potatoes and oats. This 
county is situated in the Maumee Valley, which was the great arena of histori- 
cal events. The frightful battle of Wayne's campaign, where the Indians found 
the British to be traitors, was fought near Fort Miami, in this county. Maumee 
City, once the county seat, was laid out in 1817, as Maumee, by Maj. Wm. Oliver 
and others. It is situated on the Maumee, at the head of navigation. The 
surface is 100 feet above the water level. This town, with Perrysburg, its neighbor, 
is exceedingly picturesque, and was in early times frequented by the Indians. 
The French had a trading station at this point, in 1680, and in 1794, the Brit- 
ish Fort — Miami — was built. Toledo is on the left bank of the Maumee, and 
covers the site of a stockade fort, known as Fort Industry, erected in 1800. 
An Indian treaty was held here July 4, 1805, by which the Indians relinquished 
all rights to the " fire lands." In 1832, Capt. Samuel Allen gave an impetus 
to the place, and Maj. Stickney also became interested in its advancement. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 138 

Speculation in lots began in 1834. The Wabash & Erie Canal interest arose in 
1836. Mr. Mason and Edward Bissel added their energies to assist the growth 
of the town. It was incorporated as a city in 1836. It was the center of the 
military operations in the " Ohio and Michigan war," known as the "boundary 
conflict." 

The Ordinance of 1787 provided for the division of the Northwestern Terri- 
tory into three or five States. The three southern were to be divided from the 
two northern by a line drawn east and west through the southern point of Lake 
Michigan, extending eastward to the Territorial line in Lake Erie. The consti- 
tutior. of Ohio adds a provision that if the line should not go so far north as the 
north cape of Maumee Bay, then the northern boundary of Ohio should be a 
line drawn from the southerly part of Lake Michigan to the north cape of the 
!Maumee Bay. 

The line of the ordinance was impossible, according to its instructions and 
the geography of the country. 

When Michigan became a Territory, the people living between the " Fulton " 
and '• Harris " lines found it more to their wishes to be attached to Michigan. 
They occupied disputed ground, and were thus beyond the limits of absolute 
law. In 1835, the subject was greatly agitated, and J. Q. Adams made a warm 
speech before Congress against the Ohio claim. The Legislature of Ohio dis- 
cussed the matter, and an act was passed to attach the disputed section to Ohio, 
according to the constitutional decree. An active campaign opened between 
Michigan and Ohio. Gov. Lucas came out with the Ohio troops, in the spring 
of 1835, and Gov. Mason, of Michigan, followed the example. He marched 
into Toledo, robbed melon-patches and chicken-houses, crushed in the front 
door of Maj, Stickney's house, and carried him away prisoner of war. Embas- 
sadors were sent from Washington to negotiate matters — Richard Rush, of Penn- 
sylvania and Col. Howard, of Maryland. At the next session of Congress, the 
matter was settled. Samuel Vinton argued for Ohio, in the House, and Thomas 
Ewing in the Senate. Michigan received an equivalent of the large peninsula 
between Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior. Ohio received the disputed 
strip, averaging eight miles in width. Manhattan, Waterville and Providence 
are all flourishing towns. 

Lorain County was formed from Huron, Cuyahoga and Medina, on Decem- 
ber 26, 1822. The soil is generally fertile, and the surface level. Wheat, 
grass, oats, corn, rye and potatoes constitute the principal crops. Bog-iron ore 
is found in large quantities. A curious relic has been found in this county, bear- 
ing the date of 1533. Elyria is the county seat, and was laid out in 1817. 
The first settler was Mr. Heman Ely. Oberlin is situated about eight miles 
.southwest of Elyria. The Oberlin Collegiate Institute has attained a wide 
celebrity. 

Logan County was formed March 1, 1817. The surface is broken and hilly 
;iear the Mad River, but is generally level. The soil is fertile, producing 



134 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO 

wheat, corn, rye, oats, clover, flax and timothy seed. The Shawnee Indians 
were located here, and built several villages on the Mad River. These towns 
were destroyed in 1786, by a body of Kentuckians, under Gen. Benjamin 
Logan. The whites surprised the towns. However, they returned after the 
work of destruction had been completed, and for many years frequented the 
section. On the site of Zanes field was a Wyandot village. By the treaty of 
September 29, 1817, the Senecas and Shawnees held a reservation around 
Lewistown. April 6, 1832, they vacated this right and removed west. Isaac 
Zane was born about the year 1753, and was, while a boy, captured and after- 
ward adopted by the Wyandots. Attaining the age of manhood, he had no 
desire to return to his people. He married a Wyandot woman, who was half 
French. After the treaty of Greenville, he bought 1,800 acres on the site of 
Zanesville, where he lived until the year 1816, when he died, lamented by all 
his friends. 

Logan County was settled about the year 1806. During the war of 1812, 
it was a rendezvous for friendly Indians. Bellefontaine, the county seat, was 
laid out March 18, 1820, on land owned by John Tulles and William Powell. 
Joseph Gordon built a cabin, and Anthony Ballard erected the first frame 
dwelling. 

Gen. Simon Kenton is buried at the head of Mad River, five miles from 
Bellefontaine. He died April 29, 1836, aged eighty-one years and twenty-six 
days. This remarkable man came West, to Kentucky, in 1771. He probably 
encountered more thrilling escapes than any other man of his time. In 1778, 
he was captured and suffered extreme cruelties, and was ransomed by the British. 
He soon recovered his robust health, and escaped from Detroit the following 
spring. He settled in Urbana in 1802. He was elected Brigadier General of 
the militia, and in the war of 1812, joined Gen. Harrison's army. In the year 
1820, he removed to Mad River. Gen. Vance and Judge Burnet secured him 
a pension, of $20 per month 

Licking County was formed from Fairfield March 1, 1808. The surface is 
generally level, diversified by slight hills in the eastern portion. The soil is 
fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and grass. Coal and iron ore of good 
quality add to the wealth of the county. Wool and dairy productions are also 
staples. Newark is the county seat, and is situated at the confluence of the 
three principal branches of the Licking. It was laid out by Gen. William C. 
Schenk, George W. Burnet and John M. Cummings, who owned this military 
section of 4,000 acres, in 1801. In 1802, Samuel Elliott and Samuel Parr 
built hewed-log houses. The picturesque "Narrows of the Licking " are in 
the eastern part of the county, which have elicited general praise from scenic 
hunters. 

Lawrence County was organized March 1, 1816. There are many high 
and abrupt hills in this section, which abound in sand or freestone. It is rich 
in minerals, and the most important section of Ohio for iron manufacture. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 135 

Coal is abundant, and white clay exists in the western part suitable for pot- 
tery purposes. Agricultural productions are not extensive. 

The county was settled in 1797 by the Dutch and Irish. The iron region 
extends through the west part of this county. Lawrence County produces a 
superior quality of iron, highly esteeme^i for castings, and is equal to Scotch 
pig for furnace purposes. Burlington is the county seat. 

Lake County was formed from Geauga and Cuyahoga March 6, 18-40. The 
soil is good and the surface rolling. It produces wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, 
barley, hay and potatoes. Dairy products, cattle and wool are also staples. 
Its fruits — apples, peaches, pears, plums and grapes are highly prized. As 
early as 1799, a settlement was formed at Mentor. Painesville, the county 
seat, is situated on Grand River, in a beautiful valley. The Painesville Acad- 
emy is a classical institution for the education of both sexes. Near the town 
is the Geauga furnace. Painesville was laid out by Henry Champion in 1805. 
At Fairport, the first warehouse in this section, and probably the first on the 
lake, was built by Abraham Skinner in 1803. This town has a fine harbor, 
and has a light-house and beacon. Kirtland, southwest from Painesville, was, 
in 1834, the headquarters of the Mormons. At that time, they numbered 
about three thousand. The old Mormon temple is of rough stone, plastered 
over, colored blue, and marked to imitate regular courses of masonry. As is 
well known, the Mormons derive their name from the book of Mormon, said to 
have been translated from gold plates found in a hill in Palmyra, N. Y. 

Madison County was organized in March, 1810. The surface is generally 
level. It produces grass, corn, oats and cattle — the latter forming a chief 
staple, while wool and pork add to the general wealth. 

Jonathan Alder was much interested in the settlement of the county. He, 
like some other whites, had lived with the Indians many years, and had formed, 
a lasting affection for them, and had married a squaw, with whom he became 
dissatisfied, which caused him to desire finding his own family. He suc- 
ceeded in this through the assistance of John Moore. He left his wife and 
joined his people. 

This county was first settled in 1795. Benjamin Springer made a clearing 
and built a cabin. He settled near Alder, and taught him the English lan- 
guage. Mr. Joshua Ewing brought four sheep to this place, and the Indians 
exhibited great astonishment over these strange animals. When the hostilities 
of 1812 began, the British offered inducements to the Indians to join them, and 
they consulted Alder regarding the best policy to adopt. He advised them to 
preserve neutrality until a later period, which they did, and eventually became 
firm friends of the Americans. 

London is the county seat, and was laid out in 1810-11, by Patrick McLene. 

Marion County was organized March 1, 1824. The soil is fertile, and pro- 
duces extensive farm crops. The Delaware Indians once held a reservation 
here, and conceded their claims in 1829, August 3, and removed west of the- 



136 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Mississippi. Marion, the county seat, was laid out in 1821, by Eber Baker 
and Alexander Holmes. Gen. Harrison marched through this section during 
his campaign. 

Mahoning County was formed in 1846, from Trumbull and Columbiana. 
The surface is rolling and the soil generally fertile. The finer qualities of wood 
are produced here. Bituminous coal and iron are found in large quantities. 
Col. James Hillman came to the Western Reserve in 1786. The settlement 
of the county went forward. Canfield is the county seat. 

Medina County was formed from the Western Reserve February 12, 1812. 
The surface is rolling and the soil is fertile, producing fine agricultural prod- 
ucts. The first trail made through the county was made by George Poe, 
Joseph H. Larwell and Roswell M. Mason. The first settlement was made 
by Joseph Harris in 1811. He was soon joined by the Burr brothers. Me- 
dina is the county seat. 

Meigs County was formed from Gallia and Athens April 1, 1819. The 
general character of the soil is clayey, producing large quantities of wheat, oats, 
corn, hay and potatoes. Yast quantities of salt are made and exported. Pom- 
eroy, the county seat, is situated under a lofty hill, surrounded by picturesque 
scenery. Mr. Nathaniel Clark was the first settler of the county. He arrived in 
1816. The first coal mine opened in Pomeroy was in 1819, by David Bradshaw. 

Mercer County was formed from the Indian Territory in 1820. The sur- 
face is generally flat, and while covered with forests, inclined to be wet ; but, 
being cleared, it is very fertile, and adapted to producing farm crops. St. 
Clair's Battle was fought on the boundary line between this and Darke County. 
The Hon. Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur made a treaty at St. Mary's with 
the Wyandots, Shawnees and Ottawas, in 1818. The odious Simon Girty lived 
at one time at St. Mary's. Wayne built St. Mary's Fort, on the west bank of 
the river. John Whistler was the last commander of the fort. The largest 
artificial lake in the world, so it is asserted, is formed by the reservoir sup- 
plying the St. Mary's feeder of the Miami Extension Canal. It is about nine 
miles long, and from two to four broad. Celina is the county seat. 

Miami County was formed January 16, 1807, from Montgomery. It abounds 
in excellent limestone, and possesses remarkable water-power facilities. Its agri- 
cultural products rank highly in quality and quantity. John Knoop came into this 
section about the year 1797, and its first settlement began about this time. Troy, 
the county seat, is situated upon the Great Miami. Piqua is another lovely 
town. The Miami River affords delightful scenery at this point. 

Monroe County was formed January 29, 1813, from Belmont, Washington, 
and Guernsey. A portion of its surface is abrupt and hilly. Large quantities 
of tobacco are raised, and much pork is exported. Wheat and corn grow well 
in the western portion. Iron ore and coal abound. The valleys of the streams 
are very narrow, bounded by rough hills. In some places are natural rock 
o;rottoes. The first settlement was made in 1799, near the mouth of the Sunfish. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 137 

At this time, wolves were numerous, and caused much alarm. Volney entered 
this county, but was not prepossessed in its favor. One township is settled by 
the Swiss, who are educated and refined. Woodsfield is the county seat. 

Montgomery County was formed from Ross and Hamilton May 1, 1803. 
The soil is fertile, and its agricultural products are most excellent. Quarries of 
grayish-white limestone are found east of the Miami. 

Dayton is the county seat, situated on the Great Miami, at the mouth of Mad 
River. A company was formed in 1788, but Indian wars prevented settlement. 
After Wayne's treaty, in 1795, a new company was formed. It advanced 
rapidly between the years 1812 and 1820. The beginning of the Miami Canal 
renewed its prosperity, in 1827. The first canal-boat from Cincinnati arrived 
at Dayton on the 25th of January, 1829. The first one arrived from Lake 
Erie in June, 1845. Col. Robert Patterson came to Dayton in 1804. At one 
time, he owned Lexington, Ky., and about one third of Cincinnati. 

Morgan County was organized in 1818, March 1. The surface is hilly and 
the soil strong and fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. Pork is a 
prolific product, and considerable salt is made. The first settlement was made 
in 1790, on the Muskingum. McConnelsville is the county seat. Mr. Ayres 
made the first attempt to produce salt, in 1817. This has developed into a 
large industry. 

Morrow County was organized in 1848. It is drained by the Vernon 
River, which rises in it, by the East Branch of the Olontangy or Whetstone 
River, and by Walnut Creek. The surface is undulating, the soil fertile. 
The staple products are corn, wheat, oats, hay, wool and butter. The sugar 
maple abounds in the forests, and sandstone or freestone in the quarries. 
Mount Gilead, the county seat, is situated on the East Branch of the Olen- 
tangy River. 

Muskingum County was formed from Washington and Fairfield. The sur- 
face is rolling or hilly. It produces wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, tobacco, wool 
and pork. Large quantities of bituminous coal are found. Pipe clay, buhr- 
stone or cellular quartz are also in some portions of the State. Salt is made in 
large quantities— the fine being obtained from a stratum of whitish sandstone. 
The Wyandots, Delawares, Senecas and Shawanoese Indians once inhabited this 
section. An Indian town occupied the site of Duncan's Falls. A large Shawan- 
oese town was located near Dresden. 

Zanesville is the county seat, situated opposite the mouth of the Licking. 
It was laid out in 1799, by Mr. Zane and Mr. Mclntire. This is one of the 
principal towns in the State, and is surrounded by charming scenery. 

Noble County, organized in 1851, is drained by Seneca, Duck and Wills 
Creeks. The surface is undulating, and a large part of it is covered with for- 
ests. The soil is fertile. Its staples are corn, tobacco, wheat, hay, oats and 
wool. Among its mineral resources are limestone, coal and petroleum. Near 
Caldwell, the county seat, are found iron ore, coal and salt. 



138 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Ottawa County was formed from Erie, Sandusky and Lucas, March 6, 1840, 
It is mostly within the Black Swamp, and considerable of its land is prairie and 
marsh. It was very thinly settled befere 1830. Extensive plaster beds exist 
on the peninsula, which extends into Lake Erie. It has also large limestone 
quarries, which are extensively worked. The very first trial at arms upon the 
soil of Ohio, during the war of 1812, occurred upon this peninsula. Port Clin- 
ton, the county seat, was laid out in 1827. 

Perry County was formed from Washington, Fairfield and Muskingum, 
March 1, 1817. Fine tobacco is raised in large quantities. Wheat, corn, oats, 
hay, cattle, pork and wool add to the general wealth. This county was first set- 
tled in 1801. First settler was Christian Binckley, who built the first cabin in 
the county, about five miles west of Somerset, near the present county line. 
New Lexington is now the county seat. 

Paulding County was formed from old Indian territory August 1, 1820. 
It produces corn, wheat and oats. Paulding is the county seat. 

Pickaway County was formed from Fairfield, Ross and Franklin, January 
12, 1810. The county has woodland, barren, plain and prairie. The barrens 
were covered by shrub oaks, and when cleared are adapted to the raising of corn 
and oats. The Pickaway plains are three and a half miles west of Circleville, 
and this tract is said to contain the richest land in Ohio. Here, in the olden 
times, burned the great council fires of the red man. Here the allied tribes met 
Gen. Lewis, who fought the battle of Point Pleasant. Dunmore's campaign 
was terminated on these plains. It was at the Chillicothe towns, after Dun- 
more's treaty, that Logan delivered his famous speech. Circleville, the county 
seat, is situated on the Scioto River and the Ohio Canal. It was laid out in 
1810, by Daniel Dresbach. It is situated on the site of ancient fortifications. 

Portage County was formed June 7, 1807, from Trumbull. It is a wealthy, 
thriving section. Over a thousand tons of cheese are annually produced. It 
also produces wheat, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, rye, butter and wool. 
Ravenna is the county seat, and was originally settled by the Hon. Benjamin 
Tappen in June, 1799. In 1806, an unpleasant difficulty arose between the 
settlers and a camp of Indians in Deerfield, caused by a horse trade between a 
white man and an Indian. David Daniels settled on the site of Palmyra in 1799. 

Pike County was organized in 1815. The surface is generally hilly, which 
abound with freestone, which is exported in large quantities for building pur- 
poses. Rich bottom lands extend along the Scioto and its tributaries. John 
Noland and the three Chenoweth brothers settled on the Pee Pee prairie about 
1796. Piketown, the former county seat, was laid out about 1814. Waverly, 
the present county seat, is situated on the Scioto River. 

Preble County was formed March 1, 1808, from Montgomery and Butler. 
The soil is varied. Excellent water-power facilities are furnished. 

Eaton, the county seat, was laid out in 1806, by William Bruce, who owned 
the land. An overflowing well of strong sulphur water is near the town, while 
directly beside it is a limestone quarry. Holderman's quarry is about two 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 139 

miles distant, from which is obtained a beautifully clouded gray stone. Fort St. 
Clair was built near Eaton, in the winter of 1791-92. Gen. Harrison was an En- 
sign at the time, and commanded a guard every other night for three weeks, during 
the building. The severe battle of November 6, 1792, was fought under its very 
guns. Little Turtle, a distinguished chief of the Miamis, roamed over this county 
for a time. He was witty, brave and earnest, and, although engaged in several 
severe contests with the whites, he was inclined toward peace. But when his 
warriors cried for war he led them bravely. 

Putnam County was formed April 1, 1820, from old Indian territory. The 
soil is fertile, its principal productions being wheat, corn, potatoes and oats. 
Large quantities of pork are exported. Kalida, once the county seat, was laid 
out in 1834. Ottawa is the county seat. 

Ross County was formed August 20, 1798, by the proclamation of Gov. St. 
Clair, and was the sixth county formed in the Northwestern Territory. The 
Scioto River and Paint Creek run through it, bordered with fertile lands. 
Much water-power is obtained from the many streams watering it. The main 
crops are wheat, corn and oats. It exports cattle and hogs. 

The Rev. Robert W. Finley, in 1794, addressed a letter of inquiry to CoL 
Nathaniel Massie, as many of his associates had designed settling in the new 
State. This resulted in packing their several effects and setting out. A triv- 
ial Indian encounter was the only interruption they m t with on their way. 
After Wayne's treaty, Col. Massie and many of these early explorers met 
again and formed a settlement — in 1796 — at the mouth of Paint Creek. In. 
August of this year, Chillicothe was laid out by Col. Massie, in a dense forest. 
He donated lots to the early settlers. A ferry was established over the Scioto, 
and the opening of Zane's trace assisted the progress of settlement. 

Chillicothe, the county seat, is situated on the Scioto. Its site is thirty 
feet above the river. In 1800, it was the seat of the Northwestern Territorial 
Government. It was incorporated as a city in January, 1802. During the war 
of 1812, the city was a rendezvous for the United States troops. A large num- 
ber of British were at one time guarded here. Adena is a beautiful place, and 
the seat of Gov. Worthington's mansion, which was built in 1806. Near this 
is Fruit Hill, the residence of the late Gen. Mc Arthur, and latterly the home 
of his son-in-law, the Hon. William Allen. Eleven miles from Chillicothe, on. 
the road to Portsmouth, is the home of the hermit of the Scioto. 

Richland was organized March 1, 1813. It produces wheat, corn, oats, hay, 
potatoes, rye, hemp and barley. It was settled about 1809, on branches of the 
Mohican. Two block-houses were built in 1812. Mansfield, the county seat, 
is charmingly situated, and was laid out in 1808, by Jacob Newman, James 
Hedges and Joseph H. Larwell. The county was at that period a vast wilder- 
ness, destitute of roads. From this year, the settlement progressed rapidly. 

Sandusky County was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. 
The soil is fertile, and country generally level. It mainly produces corn, wheat, 



140 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

oats, potatoes and pork. The Indians were especially delighted with this tract. 
Near Lower Sandusky lived a band of Wyandots, called the Neutral Nation. 
These two cities never failed to render refuge to any who sought their protec- 
tion. They preserved their peacemaking attributes through the Iroquois 
conflicts. Fremont, formerly called Lower Sandusky, the county seat, is 
situated at the head of navigation, on the Sandusky, on the site of the old 
reservation grant to the Indians, at the Greenville treaty council. Fort 
Stephenson was erected in August, 1813, and was gallantly defended by Col. 
Croghan. 

Summit County was formed March 3, 1840, from Medina, Portage and 
Stark. The soil is fertile and produces excellent fruit, besides large crops of 
corn, wheat, hay, oats and potatoes. Cheese and butter may be added as 
products. 

The first settlement made in the county was at Hudson, in 1800. The old 
Indian portage-path, extending through this county, between the Cuyahoga, and 
Tuscarawas Branch of the Muskingum. This was a part of the ancient boundary 
between the Six Nations and the Western Indians. Akron, the county seat, is 
situated on the portage summit. It was laid out in 1825. In 1811, Paul 
Williams and Amos and Minor Spicer settled in this vicinity. Middlebury was 
laid out in 1818, by Norton & Hart. 

Stark County was formed February 13, 1808. It is a rich agricultural 
county. It has large quantities of mineral coal, iron ore, flocks of the finest 
sheep and great water-power. Limestone and extensive beds of lime-marl exist. 
The manufacture of silk has been extensively carried on. Frederick Post, the 
first Moravian missionary in Ohio, settled here in 1761. 

Canton is the county seat, situated in the forks of the Nimishillen, a tribu- 
tary of the Muskingum. It was laid out in 1806, by Bezaleel Wells, who 
owned the land. Massillon was laid out in March, 1826, by John Duncan. 

Shelby County was formed in 1819, from Miami. The southern portion is 
undulating, arising in some places to hills. Through the north, it is a flat table- 
land. It produces wheat, corn, oats and grass. The first point of English set- 
tlement in Ohio was at the mouth of Laramie's Creek, in this county, as early 
as 1752. Fort Laramie was built in 1794, by Wayne. The first white family 
that settled in this county was that of James Thatcher, in 1804. Sidney, the 
county seat, was laid out in 1819, on the farm of Charles Starrett. 

Seneca County was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian territory. 
Its principal products are corn, wheat, grass, oats, potatoes and pork. 

Fort Seneca was built during the war of 1812. The Senecas owned 
40,000 acres of land on the Sandusky River, mostly in Seneca County. 
Thirty thousand acres of this land Avas granted to them in 1817, at the treaty 
held at the foot of the Maumee Rapids. The remaining 10,000 was granted 
the following year. These Indians ceded this tract, hoAvever, to the Govern- 
ment in 1831. It was asserted by an old chief, that this band was the remnant 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 141 

of Logan's tribe. Tiffin, the county seat, was laid out by Josiah Hedges in 
"the year 1821. 

Scioto County was formed May 1, 1803. It is a good agricultural section, 
besides producing iron ore, coal and freestone. It is said that a French fort 
stood at the mouth of the old Scioto, as early as 1740. In 1785, four families 
settled where Portsmouth now stands. Thomas McDonald built the first cabin in 
the county. The "French grant" was located in this section — a tract com- 
prising 24,000 acres. The grant was made in March, 1795. Portsmouth, the 
county seat, is located upon the Ohio. 

Trumbull County was formed in 1800. The original Connecticut Western 
Reserve was within its limits. The county is well cultivated and very wealthy. 
Coal is found in its northern portion. We have, in our previous outline, given 
a history of this section, and it is not, therefore, necessary to repeat its details. 
Warren, the county seat, is situated on the Mahoning River. It was laid out 
by Ephraim Quinby in 1801. Mr. Quinby owned the soil. His cabin was built 
here in 1799. In August, 1800, while Mr. McMahon was away from home, 
a party of drunken Indians called at the house, abused the family, struck a 
child a severe blow with a tomahawk and threatened to kill the family. Mrs. 
McMahon could not send tidings which could reach her husband before noon 
the following day. The following Sunday morning, fourteen men and two 
boys armed themselves and went to the Indian camp to settle the difficulty. 
Quinby advanced alone, leaving the remainder in concealment, as he was better 
acquainted with these people, to make inquiries and ascertain their intentions. 
He did not return at once, and the party set out, marched into camp, and found 
Quinby arguing with Capt. George, the chief Capt. George snatched his 
tomahaAvk and declared war, rushing forward to kill McMahon. But a bullet 
from the frontierman's gun killed him instantly, while Storey shot " Spotted 
John" at the same time. The Indians then fled. They joined the council at 
Sandusky. Quinby garrisoned his house. Fourteen days thereafter, the 
Indians returned with overtures of peace, which were, that McMahon and 
Storey be taken to Sandusky, tried by Indian laws, and if found guilty, pun- 
ished by them. This could not be done. McMahon was tried by Gen. St. 
Clair, and the matter was settled. The first missionary on the Reserve was the 
Rev. Joseph Badger. 

Tuscarawas County was formed February 15, 1808, from Muskingum. It 
is well cultivated with abundant supplies of coal and iron. 

The first white settlers were Moravian missionaries, their first visits dating 
back to 1761. The first permanent settlement was made in 1798. Miss Mary 
Heckewelder, the daughter of a missionary, was born in this county April 16, 
1781. Fort Laurens was built during the Revolution. It was the scene of a 
fearful carnage. It was established in the fall of 1778, and placed under the 
command of Gen. Mcintosh. New Philadelphia is the county seat, situated on 
the Tuscarawas. It was laid out in 1804 by John Knisely. A German 



142 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

colony settled in this county in 1817, driven from their native land by religious 
dictation they could not espouse. They called themselves Separatists. They 
are a simple-minded people, strictly moral and honest. 

Union County was formed from Franklin, Delaware, Logan and Madison in 
1^20. It produces corn, grass, wheat, oats, potatoes, butter and cheese. 
Extensive limestone quarries are also valuable. The Ewing brothers made the 
first white settlement in 1798. Col. James Curry, a member of the State Leg- 
islature, was the chief instigator in the progress of this section. He located 
within its limits and remained until his death, which occurred in 1831. Marys- 
ville is the county seat. 

Van Wert County was formed from the old Indian territory April 1, 1820. 
A great deal of timber is within the limits of this county, but the soil is so 
tenacious that water will not sink through it, and crops are poor during wet 
seasons. The main product is corn. Van Wert, the county seat, was founded 
by James W. Riley in 1837. An Indian town had formerly occupied its site. 
Capt. Riley was the first white man who settled in the county, arriving in 1821. 
He founded Willshire in 1822. 

Vinton County was organized in 1 850. It is drained by Raccoon and Salt 
Creeks. The surface is undulating or hilly, and is extensively covered with 
forests in which the oak, buckeye and sugar maple are found. Corn, hay, but- 
ter and wool are staple products. Bituminous coal and iron ore are found. 
McArthur is the county seat. 

Washington County was formed by proclamation of Gov. St. Clair July 27, 
1788, and was the first county founded within the limits of Ohio. The surface 
is broken with extensive tracts of level, fertile land. It was the first county 
settled in the State under the auspices of the Ohio Company. A detachment 
of United States troops, under command of Maj. John Doughty, built Fort 
Harmar in 1785, and it was the first military post established in Ohio by 
Americans, with the exception of Fort Laurens, which was erected in 1778. 
It was occupied by United States troops until 1790, when they were ordered 
to Connecticut. A company under Capt. Haskell remained. In 1785, the 
Directors of the Ohio Company began practical operations, and settlement 
went forward rapidly. Campus Martins, a stockade fort, was completed in 
1791. This formed a sturdy stronghold during the war. During the Indian 
war there was much suffering in the county. Many settlers were killed and 
captured. 

Marietta is the county seat, and the oldest town in Ohio. Marietta College 
was chartered in 1835. Herman Blannerhassett, whose unfortunate association 
with Aaron Burr proved fatal to himself, was a resident of Marietta in 1796. 
About the year 1798, he began to beautify and improve his island. 

Warren County was formed May 1, 1803, from Hamilton. The soil is 
very fertile, and considerable water-power is furnished by its streams. Mr. 
Bedell made the first settlement in 1795. Lebanon is the county seat. Henry 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 143 

Taylor settled in this vicinity in 1796. Union Village is a settlement of 
Shakers. They came here about 1805. 

Wayne County was proclaimed by Gov. St. Clair August 15, 1796, and 
was the third county in the Northwest Territory. The settlement of this sec- 
tion has already been briefly delineated. Wooster is the county seat. It was 
laid out during the fall of 1808, by John Beaver, William Henry and Joseph 
H. Larwell, owners of the land. Its site is 337 feet above Lake Erie. The 
first mill was built by Joseph Stibbs, in 1809, on Apple Creek. In 1812, a 
block- house was erected in Wooster. 

Wood County was formed from the old Indian territory in 1820. The soil 
is rich, and large crops are produced. The county is situated within the Mau- 
mee Valley. It was the arena of brilliant military exploits during early times. 
Bowling Green is the county seat. 

Williams County was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian territory. 
Bryan is the county seat. It was laid out in 1840. 

Wyandot County was formed February 3, 1845, from Marion, Hardin, Han- 
cock and Crawford. The surface is level, and the soil exceedingly fertile. 
The Wyandot Indians occupied this section, especially the reservation, from 
time immemorial until 1843. The treaty of 1817, by Hon. Lewis Cass and 
Hon. Duncan McArthur, United States Commissioners, granted to the Indians 
a reservation twelve miles square, the central point being Fort Ferree, now 
within the corporate limits of Upper Sandusky. The Delaware Reserve was 
ceded to the United States in 1829. The Wyandots ceded theirs March 17, 
1842. Col. John Johnston, the United States Commissioner, conducted the 
negotiations, and thus made the Indian treaty in Ohio. It was the scene of 
Col. Crawford's defeat and tragic death, June 11, 1782. The Wyandots were 
exceedingly brave, and several of their chiefs were distinguished orators and 
men of exalted moral principles. 

Upper Sandusky is the county seat, and was laid out in 1843. Gen. Har- 
rison had built Fort Ferree on this spot during the war of 1812. Gov. Meigs, 
in 1813, encamped on this river with several thousand of the Ohio militia. 

The Indian village of Crane Town was originally called Upper Sandusky. 
The Indians, after the death of Tarhe, or " the Crane," transferred their town 
to Upper Sandusky. 

GOVERNORS OF OHIO. 

The Territorial Governors we have already mentioned in the course of our 
brief review of the prominent events of the State of Ohio. After the Terri- 
tory was admitted as a State, in 1802, Edward Tiffin was elected to that posi- 
tion, and again received the same honor in 1804 and 1806. In 1807, circum- 
stances led him to resign, and Thomas Kirker, Speaker of the Senate, acted as 
Governor until the close of the term. 

Edward Tiffin was born in Carlisle, England, coming to this country in 
1784, at the age of eighteen. He entered the University of Pennsylvania, and 
applied himself to the study of medicine, graduating and beginning his practice 
at the age of twenty, in the State of Virginia. In 1789, he married Mary, 



144 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

daughter of Col. Worthington, and sister of Thomas Worthingtoii, who subse- 
quently became Governor of Ohio. In his profession, Gov. Tiffin was highly 
esteemed, and his public labors were carried forward with a zealous earnestness 
which marked his career as one of usefulness. He settled in Chillicothe, Ohio, 
in 1796, where he died, in 1829. 

Samuel Huntington, the recipient of the honor of third Governor, was 
inaugurated in 1808. He was an American by birth, Norwich, Conn.^ 
being his native place. He was a diligent student in Yale College, graduating 
in 1785. He removed to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1801. He attained a reputation 
for integrity, ability and rare discretion. As a scholar, he Avas eminently supe- 
rior. He resided in Cleveland at the time of his death, in 1817. 

Return Jonathan Meigs followed Gov. Huntington. He was born in Mid- 
dletown, Conn., in 1765. He was also a student in Yale College, graduating 
in 1785, with the highest honors. He immediately entered the study of law, 
and was admitted to practice in his twenty-third year. He married Miss Sophia 
Wright, and settled in Marietta, Ohio, in 1788. He took his seat as Gover- 
nor in 1810, and was re-elected in 1812. In 1813, President Madison appointed 
him to the position of Postmaster General, which occasioned his resignation as 
Governor. Othniel Looker, Speaker of the Senate, acted as Governor during 
the remainder of the term. Mr. Meigs died in 1825, leaving as a memento of 
his usefulness, a revered memory. 

Thomas Worthington, the sixth Governor, was born in Jefferson County, 
Va., in 1769. He gained an education in William and Mary's College. 
In 1788, he located at Chillicothe, and was the first Senator from the new 
State. He was also the first man to erect the first saw-mill in Ohio. He 
served two terms as Senator, from 1803 to 1815, resigning in 1814, to take his 
position as Governor. In 1816, he was re-elected. He was exceedingly active 
in paving the way for the future prosperity of Ohio. His measures were famous 
for practical worth and honesty. Chief Justice Chase designated him as '' a 
gentleman of distinguished ability and great influence." He died in 1827. 

Ethan Allen Brown followed Mr. Worthington. His birthplace was on the 
shore of Long Island Sound, in Fairfield County, Conn., July 4, 1766. His 
education was derived under the most judicious instruction of a private tutor. 
In classics, he became proficient. Directly he had reached the required stand- 
ard in general education, he began the study of law% at home. After becoming 
conversant with preliminary requirements, he entered the law office of Alex- 
ander Hamilton, who at that time was a national pride, as a scholar, lawyer and 
statesman. Opportunities coming in his way, which promised a fortune, he 
abandoned the law, and achieved success and a fortune. He then decided to 
return to his study, and was admitted to practice in 1802. Thereafter, he was 
• seized with an exploring enthusiasm, and with his cousin as a companion, set 
out upon a horseback tour, following the Indian trails from east to west, through 
Pennsylvania, until they reached Brownsville, on the Monongahela River. Here 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 145 

they purchased two flatboats, and fully stocking them with provisions and 
obtaining efficient crews, started for New Orleans. Reaching that city, they 
found they could not dispose of their (cargoes to any advantage, and shipped the 
flour to Liverpool, England, taking passage in the same vessel. They succeeded 
in obtaining good prices for their stock, and set sail for America, arriving in Bal- 
timore nine months after first leaving " home," on this adventure. Mr. Brown's 
father decided to secure a large and valuable tract of Western land, as a per- 
manent home, and authorized his son to select and purchase the same for him. 
He found what he desired, near Rising Sun, Ind. After this, he settled in 
Cincinnati, and engaged in the practice of law, speedily achieving prominency 
and distinction. Financially, he was most fortunate. In 1810, he was elected 
Judge of the Supreme Court, Avhich position he filled with honor, until he was 
chosen Governor, in 1818. He was re-elected in 1820. In 1821, he received 
the honor of Senator, and served one term. Allen Trimble, Speaker of the 
Senate, acted as Governor the remainder of the term. In 1830 he was 
appointed Minister to Brazil. He remained there four years, and returning, 
was appointed Commissioner of Public Lands, by President Jackson, holding 
this position two years. At this time, he decided to retire from public life. 
Since he never married, he was much with his relatives, at Rising Sun, Ind., 
during the latter part of his life. His death was sudden and unexpected, occur- 
ring in February, 1852, while attending a Democratic Convention, at Indianap- 
olis, Ind. He was interred near his father, at Rising Sun. 

Jeremiah Morrow, the ninth Governor of Ohio, was born at Gettysburg, 
Penn., in October, 1771. His people were of the " Scotch-Irish " class, and his 
early life was one of manual labor upon his father's farm. During the winter, 
he had the privilege of a private school. With a view of establishing himself 
and securing a competency, he bade the old home farewell, in 1795, and set out 
for the " Far West." A flatboat carried him to a little cluster of cabins, known 
by the name of Columbia, six miles from Fort Washington — Cincinnati, He 
devoted himself to whatever came in his way, that seemed best and most worthy 
— teaching school, surveying and working on farms between times. Having 
accumulated a small capital, he ascended the Little Miami, as far as Warren 
County, and there purchased an extensive farm, and erected an excellent log 
house. In the spring of 1799, he married Miss Mary Packtrell, of Columbia. 
The young couple set out upon pioneer farming. Gaining popularity as well as 
a desirable property, he was deputized to the Territorial Legislature, which met 
at Chillicothe, at which time measures were inaugurated to call a Constitutional 
Convention, during the following year, to organize the State of Ohio. Mr. 
Morrow was one of the Delegates to this convention, and steadfastly worked in the 
interests of those who sent him, until its close in 1802. The following year, 
he was elected to the Senate of Ohio,, and in June of the same year, he was 
appointed the first Representative to the United States Congress from the new 
State. 



146 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Ohio was then entitled to but one Representative in Congress, and could not 
add to that number for ten years thereafter. During these years, Mr. Morrow 
represented the State. In 1813, he was sent to the United States Senate, and 
in 1822, was elected Governor of Ohio, almost unanimously, being re-elected in 
1824. It was during his administration that work was begun on the Ohio 
Canal. Mr. Morrow received the national guest. La Fayette, with an earnest 
and touching emotion, which affected the emotions of the generous Frenchman 
more profoundly than any of the elaborate receptions which paved his way 
through America. On the 4th of July, 1839, Gov. Morrow was appointed to 
lay the corner stone of the new State capitol, at Columbus, and to deliver the 
address on this occasion. Again, in 1840, he was in the House of Representa- 
tives, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hon. Thomas Corwin. 
He was elected for the following term also. He died at his own honlestead, in 
Warren County, March 22, 1853. 

Allen Trimble was a native of Augusta County, Va. The date of his birth 
was November 24, 1783. His ancestors were of Scotch-Irish origin, and were 
among the early settlers of Virginia. His father moved to Ohio in 1804, pur- 
chasing a tract of land in Highland County. His cabin was remarkably spa- 
cious, and elicited the admiration of his neighbors. He cleared six acres of 
land for an orchard, and brought the trees on horseback, from Kentucky. Be- 
fore this new home was completed, Allen, then a young man of twenty, took 
possession. This was in the year 1805. Four years thereafter, he occupied 
the position of Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and Recorder of High- 
land County. He was serving in the latter capacity at the breaking out of the 
war of 1812. Naturally enthusiastic and patriotic, he engaged a competent 
person to perform his civil duties, while he went into active service as Colonel 
of a regiment he had summoned and enlisted. He was always eager to be in 
the front, and led his men with such valor that they were termed soldiers who 
did not know the art of flinching. His commanding General lavished praises 
upon him. In 1816, he was in the State Senate, representing Highland 
County. He occupied the same position for four terms, two years each. In 
1818, he was Speaker of the Senate, over Gen. Robert Lucas. He remained 
in this office until elected to the United States Senate, to fill the vacancy caused 
by the death of his brother. Col. William A. Trimble. When Governor Brown 
resigned to accept the office of United States Senator in 1822, he succeeded to 
the office, acting as Governor the remainder of the term. In October, 1826, 
he was elected Governor of Ohio, by an astonishing majority. The united vote 
of his three competitors was but one-sixth of the vote polled. Gov. Trimble 
was an earnest Henry Clay Whig. In 1828 he was re-elected. Gov. Trimble 
was married in 1806 to Miss Margaret McDowell. Three years thereafter 
she died, leaving two children. He was united in marriage to Miss Rachel 
Woodrow, and they lived together sixty years, when he died, at home, in Hills- 
boro. Highland County, Feb. 3, 1870. His wife survived him but a few months. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 147 

Duncan McArthur, the tenth Governor of Ohio, was born in Dutchess 
County, N. Y., in 1772. While yet a child, his parents removed to the west- 
ern part of Pennsylvania, where they entered upon the hard life of pioneers. 
While there, young Duncan had the meager advantages of a backwoods school. 
His life was a general routine -until his eighteenth year, when he enlisted under 
Gen. Harmer for the Indian campaign. His conduct and bravery won worthy 
laurels, and upon the death of the commander of his company, he was elected 
to that position, although the youngest man in the company. When his days 
of service had expired, he found employment at salt-making in Maysville, Ky., 
until he was engaged as chain-bearer in Gen. Massie's survey of the Scioto 
Valley. At this time, Indian atrocities alarmed the settlers occasionally, and 
his reputation for bravery caused him to be appointed one of the three patrols 
of the Kentucky side of the Ohio, to give the alarm to scattered cabins in case 
of danger. This was during the summer of 1793. Gen. Massie again secured 
his services, this time as assistant surveyor. He was thus engaged for several 
years, during which time he assisted in platting Chillicothe. He purchased a 
large tract of land just north of town, and under his vigorous and practical 
management, it became one of the finest estates of Ohio, which reputation it 
sustains at the present time. He amassed wealth rapidly, his investments 
always being judicious. In 1805, he was elected to the State Legislature. 
He was a Colonel of an Ohio regiment, and accompanied Gen. Hull to Detroit 
in 1813. At Hull's surrender he was a prisoner, but released on parole, 
returned to Ohio in a state of indignation over his commander's stupidity. 
Soon thereafter he was sent to Congress on the Democratic ticket. Soon there- 
after he was released from parole by exchange, and, greatly rejoiced, he 
resigned his seat, entered the army as a Brigadier General under Gen. Harri- 
son, and the following year succeeded him as commander of the Northwestern 
forces. At the termination of the war, he was immediately returned to the 
State Legislature. He occupied State offices until 1822, when he was again 
sent to Congress. Serving one term, he declined re-election. In 1830, he 
was elected Governor of Ohio. When his term expired, he decided to enjoy 
life as a citizen on his farm, "Fruit Hill," and lived there in contentment until 
1840, when he died. 

Robert Lucas was another Virginian, having been born in 1781, in Jeffer- 
son County of that State. While a boy, his father liberated his slaves, movinc^ 
to Chillicothe as one of the early settlers. He procured a proficient tutor for 
his children. Robert became an expert in mathematics and surveying. Before 
he reached his majority, he was employed as surveyor, earning liberal compen- 
sation. At the age of twenty-three, he was appointed Surveyor of Scioto 
County. At twenty-five, he was Justice of the Peace for Union Township, 
Scioto County. He married Miss Elizabeth Brown in 1810, who died two 
years thereafter, leaving a young daughter. In 1816, he married Miss Sum- 
ner. The same year he was elected a member of the Ohio Legislature. Tor 



148 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

nineteen consecutive years he served in the House or Senate. In 1820 and 
1828, he was chosen one of the Presidential electors of Ohio. In 1832, 
he was Chairman of the National Convention at Baltimore, which nom- 
inated Gen. Jackson as President of the United States. In 1832, he 
became Governor of Ohio, and was re-elected in 1834. He declined a third 
nomination, and was appointed by President Van Buren Territorial Governor 
of Iowa and Superintendent of Indian Affairs. On the 16th of August, 
1838, he reached Burlington, the seat of government. He remained in Iowa 
until his death, in 1853. 

Joseph Vance, the twelfth Governor of Ohio, was born in Washington 
County, Penn., March 21, 1781. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, and his 
father emigrated to the new Territory when Joseph was two years of age. He 
located on the southern bank of the Ohio, building a solid block house. This 
formed a stronghold for his neighbors in case of danger. In 1801, this pioneer 
decided to remove north of the Ohio River, and eventually settled in Urbana. 
Joseph had the primitive advantages of the common schools, and became pro- 
ficient in handling those useful implements — the plow, ax and rifle. The first 
money he earned he invested in a yoke of oxen. He obtained several barrels 
of salt, and set out on a speculative tour through the settlements. He traveled" 
through a wilderness, over swamps, and surmounted serious difficulties. At 
night he built a huge fire to terrify the wolves and panthers, and laid down to 
sleep beside his oxen, frequently being obliged to stand guard to protect 
them from these ferocious creatures. Occasionally he found a stream so swol- 
len that necessarily he waited hours and even days in the tangled forest, before 
he could cross. He often suffered from hunger, yet he sturdily persevered and 
sold his salt, though a lad of only fifteen years. When he attained his major- 
ity, he married Miss Mary Lemen, of Urbana. At twenty-three, he was 
elected Captain of a rifle company, and frequently led his men to the front to 
fight the Indians prior to the war of 1812. During that year, he and his 
brother piloted Hull's army through the dense forests to Fort Meigs. In 1817, 
with Samuel McCullough and Henry Van Meter, he made a contract to supply 
the Northwestern army with provisions. They drove their cattle and hogs 
many miles, dead weight being transported on sleds and in wagons. He 
engaged in mercantile business at Urbana and Fort Meigs — now Perrysburg. 

While thus employed, he was elected to the Legislature, and there remained 
four years. He then purchased a large tract of land on Blanchard's Fork, 
and laid out the town of Findlay. He was sent to Congress in 1821, and was 
a member of that body for fifteen years. In 1836, he was chosen Governor of 
Ohio. Again he was sent to Congress in 1842. While attending the Consti- 
tutional Convention in 1850, he was stricken with paralysis, and suffered 
extremely until 1852, when he died at his home in Urbana. 

Wilson Shannon was a native of Belmont County, Ohio. He was born 
during 1803. At the age of fifteen, he was sent to the university at Athens, 





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Jae^^/?^^^^ 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 151 

where he remained a year, and then changed to the Transylvania University, 
at Lexington, Ky. He continued his studies two years, then returning home 
and entering upon reading law. He completed his course at St. Clairsville, 
Belmont County, and was admitted to practice. He was engaged in the courts 
of the county for eight years. In 1832, the Democrats nominated him to Con- 
gress, but he was not elected. He received the position of Prosecuting Attor- 
ney in 1834, in which position his abilities were so marked that in 1838 he was 
elected Governor by a majority of 3,600. He was re-nominated in 1840, but 
Tom Corwin won the ticket. Two years thereafter he was again nominated and 
elected. In 1843 he was appointed Minister to Mexico, Thomas W. Bartley, 
Speaker of the Senate, acting as Governor the remainder of the term. When 
Texas was admitted as a State, Mexico renounced all diplomatic relations with the 
United States. Mr. Shannon returned horn and resumed the practice of law. He 
was sent to Congress in 1852. President Pierce conferred upon him the posi- 
tion of Territorial Governor of Kansas, which duty he did not perform satis- 
factorily, and was superseded after fourteen months of service. He settled in 
Lecompton, Kan., and there practiced law until his death, which occurred in 
1877. 

Thomas Corwin, the fourteenth Governor of Ohio, was born in Bourbon 
County, Ky., July 29, 1794. His father settled at Lebanon in 1798. The 
country was crude, and advantages meager. When Thomas was seventeen 
years of age, the war of 1812 was inaugurated, and this young man was 
engaged to drive a wagon through the wilderness, loaded with provisions, to 
Gen. Harrison's headquarters. In 1816, he began the study of law, and 
achieved knowledge so rapidly that in 1817 he passed examination and was 
admitted to practice. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of his county, in 
1818, which position he held until 1830. He was elected to the Legislature of 
Ohio in 1822, Again, in 1829, he was a member of the same body. He was 
sent to Congress in 1830, and continued to be re-elected for the space of ten 
years. He became Governor of Ohio in 1840. In 1845, he was elected to 
the LTnited States Senate, where he remained until called to the cabinet of Mr. 
Fillmore, as Secretary of the Treasury. He was again sent to Congress in 
1858, and re-elected in 1860. He was appointed Minister to Mexico, by Pres- 
ident Lincoln. After his return, he practiced law in Washington, D. '0 , 
where he died in 1866. 

Mordecai Bartley was born in 1783, in Fayette County, Penn. There he 
remained, on his father's farm, until he was twenty -one years of age. He mar- 
ried Miss Wells in 1804, and removed to Jefferson County, Ohio, where he 
purchased a farm, near Cross Creek. At the opening of the war of 1812, he 
enlisted in a company, and was elected its Captain. He entered the field under 
Harrison. At the close of the war, he removed to Richland County, and opened 
a clearing and set up a cabin, a short distance from Mansfield. He remained 
on his farm twenty years, then removing to Mansfield, entered the mercantile 

9 



152 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

business. In 1817, he was elected to the State Senate. He was sent to Con- 
gress in 1823, and served four terms. In 1844, he became Governor of Ohio, 
on the Whig ticket. He declined a re-nomination, preferring to retire to his 
home in Mansfield, where he died in 1870. 

William Bebb, the seventeenth Governor, was from Hamilton County, Ohio. 
He was born in 1804. His early instructions were limited, but thorough. He 
opened a school himself, when he was twenty years of age, at North Bend, 
residing in the house of Gen. Harrison. He remained thus employed a year, 
during which time he married Shuck. He very soon began the study of law, 
continuing his school. He was successful in his undertakings, and many pupils 
were sent him from the best families in Cincinnati. In 1831, he was admitted 
to practice, and opened an office in Hamilton, Butler County, remaining thus 
engaged for fourteen years. In 1845, he was elected Governor of Ohio. In 
1847, he purchased 5,000 acres of land in the Rock River country. 111., and 
removed there three years later. On the inauguration of President Lincoln, he 
was appointed Pension Examiner, at Washington, and remained in that position 
until 1866, when he returned to his Illinois farm. He died at Rockford, 111., 
in 1873. 

Seabury Ford, the eighteenth Governor of Ohio, was born in the year 1802, 
at Cheshire, Conn. His parents settled in Burton Township. He attended 
the common schools, prepared for college at an- academy in Burton, and entered 
Yale College, in 1821, graduating in 1825. He then began the study of law, 
in the law office of Samuel W. Phelps, of Painesville, completing his course 
with Judge Hitchcock. He began practice in 1827, in Burton. He married 
Miss Harriet E. Cook, of Burton, in 1828. He was elected by the Whigs to 
the Legislature, in 1835, and served six sessions, during one of which he was 
Speaker of the House. He entered the State Senate in 1841, and there 
remained until 1844, when he was again elected Representative. In 1846, he 
was appointed to the Senate, and in 1848, he became Governor of Ohio. On 
the first Sunday after his retirement, he was stricken with paralysis, from which 
he never recovered. He died at his home in Burton in 1855. 

Reuben Wood, the nineteenth Governor, was a Vermonter. Born in 1792, 
in Middleton, Rutland County, he was a sturdy son of the Green Mountain 
State. He was a thorough scholar, and obtained a classical education in L^pper 
Canada. In 1812, he was drafted by the Canadian authorities to serve against 
the Americans, but being determined not to oppose his own land, he escaped 
one stormy night, accompanied by Bill Johnson, who was afterward an Ameri- 
can spy. In a birchbark canoe they attempted to cross Lake Ontario. A 
heavy storm of wind and rain set in. The night was intensely dark, and they 
were in great danger. They fortunately found refuge on a small island, where 
they were storm-bound three days, suffering from hunger and exposure. They 
reached Socket's Harbor at last, in a deplorable condition. Here they were 
arrested as spies by the patrol boats of the American fleet. They were prisoners 



likSTORV OF THE STATE OF OHIO. lo^^ 

four days, when an uncle of Mr. Wood's, residing not far distant, came ta 
their rescue, vouched for their loyalty, and they were released. Mr. Wood 
then went to Woodville, N. Y., where he raised a company, of which he was 
elected Captain. They marched to the northern frontier. The battles of 
riattsburg and Lake Champlain were fought, the enemy defeated, and the com- 
pany returned to Woodville and was disbanded. 

Young Wood then entered the law office of Gen. Jonas Clark, at Middle- 
bury, Vt. He was married in 1816, and two years later, settled in Cleveland, 
Ohio. When he first established himself in the village, he possessed his wife, 
infant daughter and a silver quarter of a dollar. He was elected to the State 
Senate in 1825, and filled the office three consecutive terms. He was appointed 
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He was promoted to the Bench of the 
Supreme Court, serving there fourteen years, the latter portion of the term as 
Chief Justice. He was termed the "Cayuga Chief," from his tall form and 
courtly bearing. He was elected Governor in 1850, by a majority of 11,000. 
The new-constitution, which went into effect in March, 1851, vacated the office 
of Governor, and he was re-elected by a majority of 26,000. The Democrats 
holding a national convention in Baltimore in 1852, party division caused fifty 
unavailing votes. The Virginia delegation offered the entire vote to Gov. 
Wood, if Ohio would bring him forward. The opposition of one man pre- 
vented this. The offer was accepted by New Hampshire, and Frank Pierce 
became President. Mr. Wood was appointed Consul to Valparaiso, South 
America, and resigned his office of Governor. He resigned his consulship and 
returned to his fine farm near Cleveland, called "Evergreen Place." He 
expected to address a Union meeting on the 5th of October, 1864, but on the 
1st he died, mourned by all who knew him. 

William Medill, the twentieth Governor, was born in New Castle County, 
Del., in 1801. He was a graduate of Delaware College in 1825. He began 
the study of law under Judge Black, of New Castle, and was admitted to the 
bar in 1832. He removed to Lancaster, Ohio, in 1830. He was elected Rep- 
resentative from Fairfield County in 1835. He was elected to Congress in 
1838, and was re-elected in 1840. He was appointed Assistant Postmaster 
General by President Polk. During the same year, he was appointed Com- 
missioner of Indian Affairs. In 1851, he was elected Lieutenant Governor, and, 
in 1853, he became Governor. He occupied the position of First Comptroller 
of the United States Treasury in 1857, under President Buchanan, retaining the 
office until 1861, when he retired from public life. His death occurred in 
1865. 

Salmon P. Chase was a native of Cornish, N. H. He was born in 1803. 
He entered Dartmouth College in 1822, graduating in 1826. He was there- 
after successful in establishing a classical school in Washington, but finan- 
cially it did not succeed. He continued to teach the sons of Henry Clay, 
William Wirt and S. L. Southard, at the same time reading law when not busy 



154 IILSTuilV ()!•• THE STATE UF OlliO. 

as tutor. He was admitted to practice in 1829, and opened a law oflEice in Cin- 
cinnati. He succeeded but moderately, and during his leisure hours prepared 
a new edition of the "Statutes of Ohio." He added annotations and a well- 
written sketch of the early history of the State. This was a thorough success, 
:and gave the earnest worker popularity and a stepping-stone for the future. 
He was solicitor for the banks of the United States in 1834, and soon there- 
rafter, for the city banks. He achieved considerable distinction in 1837, in the 
case of a colored woman brought into the State by her master, and escaping 
his possession. He was thus brought out as an Abolitionist, which was further 
sustained by his defense of James G. Birney, who had suffered indictment for 
harborina: a fugitive slave. In 1846, associated with William H. Seward, he 
defended Van Zandt before the Supreme Court of the United States. His 
thrilling denunciations and startling conjectures alarmed the slaveholding 
States, and subsequently led to the enactment of the fugitive-slave law of 1850. 
Mr. Chase was a member of the United States Senate in 1849, through the 
coalition of the Democrats and Free-Soilers. In 1855, he was elected Gover- 
nor of Ohio by the opponents of Pierce's administration. He was re-elected 
in 1859. President Lincoln, in 1861, tendered him the position of Secretary 
■of the Treasury. To his ability and official management we are indebted for 
the present national bank system. In 1864, he was appointed Chief Justice of 
the United States. He died in the city of New York in 1873, after a useful 
career. 

William Dennison was born in Cincinnati in 1815. He gained an educa- 
tion at Miami University, graduating in 1835. He began the study of law in 
the office of the father of George H. Pendleton, and was qualified and admitted 
to the bar in 1840. The same year, he married a daughter of William Neil, 
of Columbus. The Whigs of the Franklin and Delaware District sent him to 
the State Senate, in 1848. He was President of the Exchange Bank in Cin- 
cinnati, in 1852, and was also President of Columbus k Xenia Railway. He was 
elected the twenty-second Governor of Ohio in 1859. By his promptness and 
activity at the beginning of the rebellion, Ohio was placed in the front rank of 
loyalty. At the beginning of Lincoln's second term, he was appointed Post- 
master General, retiring upon the accession of Johnson. He then made his 
home at Columbus. 

David Tod, twenty-third Governor of Ohio, was born at Youngstown, Ohio, 
in 1805. His education was principally obtained through his own exertions. 
He set about the study of law most vigorously, and was admitted to practice in 
1827. He soon acquired popularity through his ability, and consequently was 
financially successful. He purchased the Briar Hill homestead. Under Jack- 
son's administration, he was Postmaster at Warren, and held the position until 
1838, when he was elected State Senator by the Whigs of Trumbull District, by 
the Democrats. In 1844, he retired to Briar Hill, and opened the Briar Hill 
Coal Mines. He was a pioneer in the coal business of Ohio. In the Cleveland 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 155 

& Mahoning Railroad, he was largely interested, and was its President, after the 
death of Mr. Perkins. He was nominated, in 1844, for Governor, by the Dem- 
ocrats, but was defeated. In 1847, he went to Brazil as Minister, where he 
resided for four and a half years. The Emperor presented him with a special 
commendation to the President, as a testimonial of his esteem. He was also the 
recipient of an elegant silver tray, as a memorial from the resident citizens of' 
Rio Janeiro. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, whicb 
met at Charleston in 1860. He was Vice President of this Convention. He 
was an earnest advocate for Stephen A. Douglas. When the Southern members 
withdrew, the President, Caleb Cushing, going with them, the convention 
adjourned to Baltimore, when Mr. Tod assumed the chair and Douglas was nom- 
nated. He was an earnest worker in the cause, but not disheartened by its 
defeat. When Fort Sumter was fired upon, he was one of the most vigorous^ 
prosecutors of the war, not relaxing his active earnestness until its close. He^ 
donated full uniforms to Company B, of the Nineteenth Regiment, and contrib- 
uted largely to the war fund of his township. Fifty-five thousand majority 
elected him Governor in 1861. His term was burdened with war duties,, 
and he carried them so bravely as Governor that the President said of him :: 
" Governor Tod of Ohio aids me more and troubles me less than any other Gov- 
ernor," His death occurred at Briar Hill during the year 1868. 

John Brough was a native of Marietta, Ohio. He was born in 1811. The death 
of his father left him in precarious circumstances, which may have been a discipline 
for future usefulness. He entered a printing office, at the age of fourteen, in 
Marietta, and after serving a few months, began his studies in the Ohio Uni- 
versity, setting type mornings and evenings, to earn sufficient for support. He 
occupied the leading position in classes, and at the same time excelled as a> 
type-setter. He was also admired for his athletic feats in field amusements. 
He completed his studies and began reading law, which pursuit was interrupted 
by an opportunity to edit a paper in Petersburg, Va. He returned to Marietta 
in 1831, and became editor and proprietor of a leading Democratic newspaper 
— the Washington County Republican. He achieved distinction rapidly, 
and in 1833, sold his interest, for the purpose of entering a more extended field 
of journalism. He purchased the Ohio Eagle, at Lancaster, and as its editor,, 
held a deep influence over local and State politics. He occupied the position 
of Clerk of the Ohio Senate, between the years 1835 and 1838, and relinquished his 
paper. He then represented the counties of Fairfield and Hocking in the Leg- 
islature. He was then appointed Auditor of State by the General Assembly, 
in which position he served six years. He then purchased the Phcenix news- 
paper in Cincinnati, changed its name to the Enquirer, placing it in the care 
of his brother, Charles, while he opened a law office in the city. His editorials 
in the Enquirer, and his activity in political affairs, were brilliant and strong- 
He retired from politics in 1848, sold a half-interest in the Enquirer and carried 
on a prosperous business, but was brought forward again by leaders of both 



156 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

political parties in 1863, through the Yallandigham contest, and was elected 
Governor the same year, by a majority of 101,099 votes in a total of 471,643. 
He was three times married. His death occurred in 1865 — Charles Anderson 
serving out his term. 

Jacob Dolson Cox, the twenty-sixth Governor, was born in 1828, in Mon- 
treal, Canada, where his parents were temporarily. He became a student of 
Oberlin College, Ohio, in 1846, graduating in 1851, and beginning the practice 
of law in Warren in 1852. He was a member of the State Senate in 1859, 
from the Trumbull and Mahoning Districts. He was termed a radical. He 
•was a commissioned Brigadier General of Ohio in 1861, and, in 1862, was pro- 
moted to Major General for gallantry in battle. While in the service he was 
nominated for Governor, and took that position in 1865. He was a member of 
Grant's Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior, but resigned. He went to Con- 
gress in 1875, from the Toledo District. 

Rutherford B. Hayes, the nineteenth President of the United States, and 
the twenty-seventh Governor of Ohio, was born at Delaware, Ohio, in 1822. He 
was a graduate of Kenyon College in 1842. He began the study of law, and, 
in 1843, pursued that course in the Cambridge University, graduating in 1845. 
He began his practice at Fremont. He was married to Miss Lucy Webb in 
1852, in Cincinnati. He was Major of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry in 1861, and in 1862, was promoted to Colonel on account of bravery 
in the field, and eventually became Major General. In 1864, he was elected to 
Congress, and retired from the service. He remained in Congress tAvo terms, 
and was Governor of Ohio in 1867, being re-elected in 1869. He was again 
elected in 1875, but resigned in 1877, to accept the oflBce of President of the 
United States, Thomas L. Young acting as Governor the remander of the term. 
Edward F. Noyes was born in Haverhill, Mass., in 1832. While a lad of 
fourteen, he entered the office of the Morning Star, published at Dover, N. H., 
in order to learn the business of printing. At the age of eighteen, he entered 
the academy at Kingston, N. H. He prepared for college, and entered 
Dartmouth in 1853, graduating with high honors in 1857. He had begun the 
.study of law, and continued the course in the Cincinnati Law School, and began 
to practice in 1858. He was an enthusiast at the opening of the rebellion and 
was interested in raising the Twentieth Regiment, of which he was made Major. 
He was promoted to Colonel in 1862. At the conflict at Ruff's Mills, in 
Georgia, in 1864, he was so unfortunate as to lose a leg. At the time, amputa- 
tion was necessary, but was unskillfuUy performed. He was brought to Cincin- 
nati, and the operation was repeated, which nearly cost him his life. He reported 
three months later, to Gen. Hooker for duty, on crutches. He was assigned to 
command of Camp Dennison. He was promoted to the full rank of Brigadier 
General, and while in discharge of his duty at that place, he was elected City 
Solicitor of Cincinnati. He occupied the position until 1871, when he was 
elected Governor, by a majority of 20,000. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 157 

William Allen, the twenty-ninth Governor of Ohio, was born in 1807, in 
Chowan County, N. C. While an infant, he was left an orphan, and his sister 
superintended his education. He was placed in a private school at Lynchburg, 
Va., at the age of fourteen. Two years later he joined his family at Chilli- 
cothe, and attended the academy a year, when he entered the law office of 
Edward King. Before he was twenty-five he was sent to Congress by a strong 
Whig district. He was elected United States Senator in 1837 and served 
until 1849. In 1845 he married Effie Mc Arthur, who died soon after the 
birth of their daughter. In 1873 he was elected Governor. His administra- 
tion gave general satisfaction. He died at his home at " Fruit Hill," in 1879. 

Richard M. Bishop, the thirty-first Governor of Ohio, was born November 
4, 1812, in Fleming County, Ky. For several years he devoted himself to 
mercantile business in his native State. In 1848 he engaged in the wholesale 
grocery business at Cincinnati, and subsequently admitted his three sons part- 
ners, under the firm name of R. M. Bishop & Sons. He was a member of the 
Council of Cincinnati, and in 1859 was its Mayor, holding that office until 1861. 
In 1877 he was nominated by the Democrats and elected Governor of Ohio. 

Charles Foster, the thirty-second Governor of Ohio, was born in Seneca 
County, Ohio, April 12, 1828. He was educated at the common schools and 
the academy at Norwalk, Ohio. Engaged in mercantile and banking business 
at Fostoria, and never held any public office until he was elected to the Forty- 
second Congress ; was re-elected to the Forty-third Congress, and again to the 
Forty-fourth Congress as a Republican. In 1879 he was nominated by the 
Republicans and elected Governor of the State, was re-elected in 1881, and 
served through both terms winning the esteem of all political parties. 

George Hoadly, the thirty-third Governor of Ohio, was born at New 
Haven, Conn., July 31, 1826. His parents, George and Mary Ann (Woolsey) 
Hoadly, names well known in the educational circles of Connecticut, were inti- 
mately connected with the commercial and social progress of that State. Gov. 
Hoadly completed his education at what is now known as Adelbert College, of 
which he is a LL. D., while in 1884 he received the same honor from Yale. In 
1844 he entered the law school of Cambridge, Mass.; in 1846 entered the 
office of Chase & Ball, Cincinnati, Ohio ; was admitted to the bar in August 
following ; elected Judge of the Cincinnati Superior Court in 1851, succeeded 
Judge Gholson on the bench of the present Superior Court in 1859, and was 
re-elected in 1864 ; refused a seat on the Supreme bench in 1856 and again in 
1862; was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention 1873-74. He 
was nominated by the Democrats for Governor in 1883 and elected. 

ANCIENT WORKS. 

Ohio has furnished a prolific field for antiquarians and those interested in 
scientific explorations, either for their own amusement and knowledge, or for 
the records of " facts and formations." 



158 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

It is well known that the " ]\loun(l Builders " had a wide sweep through this 
continent, but absolute facts regarding their era have been most difficult to 
obtain. Numerous theories and suppositions have been advanced, yet they are 
emphatic evidences that they have traced the origin and time of this primeval race. 

However, they have left their works behind them, and no exercise of faith 
is necessary to have confidence in that part of the story. That these works are 
of human origin is self-evident. Temples and military works have been found 
which required a considerable degree of scientific skill on the part of those early 
architects and builders. 

Evidently the Indians had no knowledge of these works of predecessors, 
which difiered in all respects from those of the red men. An ancient cemetery 
has been found, covering an area of four acres, which had evidently been laid 
out into lots, from north to south. Nearly 3,000 graves have been discovered, 
containing bones which at some time must have constituted the framework of 
veritable giants, while others are of no unusual size. In 1815, a jaw-bone was 
exhumed, containing an artificial tooth of silver. 

Mounds and fortifications are plentiful in Athens County, some of them 
being of solid stone. One, difiering in the quality of stone from the others, is 
supposed to be a dam across the Hocking. Over a thousand pieces of stone 
were used in its construction. Copper rings, bracelets and ornaments are 
numerous. It is also evident that these people possessed the knowledge of 
hardening copper arid giving it an edge equal to our steel of to-day. 

In the branch formed by a branch of the Licking River and Raccoon Creek, 
in Licking County, ancient works extend over an area of several miles. Again, 
three miles northwest of this locality, near the road between Newark and Gran- 
ville, another field of these relics may be found. On the summit of a high hill 
is a fortification, formed to represent an alligator. The head and neck includes 
32 feet ; the length of the body is 73 feet ; the tail was 105 feet ; from the termini of 
the fore feet, over the shoulders, the width is 100 feet ; from the termini of 
the hind feet, over the hips, is 92 feet ; its highest point is 7 feet. It is composed 
of clay, which must have been conveyed hither, as it is not similar to the clay 
found in the vicinity. 

Near Miamisburg, Montgomery County, are other specimens. Near the 
village is a mound, equaled in size by very few of these antiquities. It meas- 
ures 800 feet around the base, and rises to a height of sixty-seven feet. Others 
are found in Miami County, while at Circleville, Pickaway County, no traces 
remain. 

Two forts have been discovered, one forming an exact square, and the other 
describing a circle. The square is flanked by two walls, on all sides, these 
being divided by a deep ditch. The circle has one wall and no ditch. This is 
sixty-nine rods in diameter, its walls being twenty feet high. The square fort 
measures fifty-five rods across, with walls twelve feet high. Twelve gateways 
lead into the square fort, while the circle has but one, which led to the other, at 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 159 

the point -wlierc the walls of the two came together. Before each of these 
entrances were mounds of earth, from four to five feet high and nearly forty 
feet in diameter. Evidently these were designed for defenses for the openings, 
in cases of emergency. 

A short distance from Piketon, the turnpike runs, for several hundred feet, 
between two parallel artificial walls of earth, fifteen feet high, and six rods 
apart. In Scioto County, on both sides of the Ohio, are extensive ancient 
works. 

" Fort Ancient " is near Lebanon in Warren County. Its direct measure- 
ment is a mile, but in tracing its angles, retreating and salient, its length would 
be nearly six miles. Its site is a level plain, 240 feet above the level of the 
river. The interior wall varies in height to conform with the nature of the 
ground without — ranging from 8 to 10 feet. On the plain it reaches 100 feet. 
This fort has 58 gateways, through one of which the State road runs, passing 
between two mounds 12 feet high. Northeast from these mounds, situated on 
the plain, are two roads, about a rod wide each, made upon an elevation about 
three feet high. They run parallel to each other about a quarter of a mile, 
when they each form a semicircle around a mound, joining in the circle. It is 
probable this was at some time a military defense, or, on the contrary, it may 
have been a general rendezvous for games and high holiday festivities. 

Near Marietta, are the celebrated Muskingum River works, being a half- 
mile from its juncture with the Ohio. They consist of mounds and walls of 
earth in circular and square forms, also tracing direct lines. 

The largest square fort covers an area of 40 acres, and is inclosed by a wall 
of earth, 6 to 10 feet in height, and from 25 to 30 feet at its base. On each 
side are three gateways. The center gateways exceed the others in size, more 
especially on the side toward the Muskingum. From this outlet runs a covered 
means of egress, between two parallel walls of earth, 231 feet distant from each 
other, measuring from the centers. The walls in the interior are 21 feet high 
at the most elevated points, measuring 42 feet at the base, grading on the exte- 
rior to about five feet in heigth. This passage-way is 360 feet in length, lead- 
ing to the low grounds, which, at the period of its construction, probably reached 
the river. 

At the northwest corner, within the inclosure, is a plateau 188 feet long, 
132 feet broad and 9 feet high. Its sides are perpendicular and its surface 
level. At the center of each side is a graded pathway leading to the top, six 
feet wide. Another elevated square is near the south wall, 150x120 feet square, 
and 8 feet high, similar to the other, with the exception of the graded walk. 
Outside and next the wall to ascend to the top, it has central hollow ways, 10 
feet wide, leading 20 feet toward the center, then arising with a gradual slope to 
the top. A third elevated square is situated at the southeast corner, 108x54 
feet square, with ascents at the ends. This is neither as high or as perfect as 
the others. 



160 liiriTOKY OF THE STATE OF OiliU. 

Another ancient work is found to the southeast, covering an area of 20 acres 
with a gateway in the center of each side, and others at the corners — each of 
these having the mound defense. 

On the outside of the smaller fort, a mound resembling a sugar loaf was 
formed in the shape of a circle 115 feet in diameter, its height being 30 feet. 
A ditch surrounds it, 15 feet wide and 4 feet deep. These earthworks have 
contributed greatly to the satisfactory results of scientific researches. Their 
builders were evidently composed of large bands that have succumbed to the 
advance of enlightened humanity. The relics found consists of ornaments, 
utensils and implements of war. The bones left in the numerous graves convey 
an idea of a stalwart, vigorous people, and the conquests which swept them away 
from the face of the country must have been fierce and cruel. 

Other mounds and fortifications are found in different parts of the State, of 
which our limited space will not permit a description. 

Many sculptured rocks are found, and others with plainly discernible 
tracery in emblematical designs upon their surface. The rock on which the 
inscriptions occur is the grindstone grit of the Ohio exports — a stratum found 
in Northern Ohio. Arrow-points of flint or chert have been frequently found. 
From all investigations, it is evident that an extensive flint bed existed in Lick- 
ing County, near Newark. The old pits can now be recognized. They 
extended over a hundred acres. They are partially filled with water, and sur- 
rounded by piles of broken and rejected fragments. The flint is a grayish- 
white, with cavities of a brilliant quartz crystal. Evidently these stones were 
chipped into shape and the material sorted on the ground. Only clear, homo- 
genous pieces can be wrought into arrow-heads and spear-points. Flint chips 
extend over many acres of ground in this vicinity. Flint beds are also found 
in Stark and Tuscarawas Counties. In color it varies, being red, white, black 
and mottled. The black is found in Coshocton County. 

SOME GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 

Ohio, as a State, is renowned as an agricultural section. Its variety, quality 
and quantity of productions cannot be surpassed by any State in the Union. Its 
commercial importance ranks proudly in the galaxy of opulent and industrious 
States composing this Union. Her natural resources are prolific, and all improve- 
ments which could be instituted by the ingenuity of mankind have been added. 

From a quarter to a third of its area is hilly and broken. About the head- 
waters of the Muskingum and Scioto, and between the Scioto and the two 
Miami Rivers, are wide prairies ; some of them are elevated and dry, with fertile 
soil, although they are frequently termed "barrens." In other parts, they are 
low and marshy, producing coarse, rank grass, which grows to a height of five 
feet in some places. 

The State is most fortunate in timber wealth, having large quantities of 
black walnut, oak of different varieties, maple, hickory, birch, several kinds of 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 161 

beech, poplar, sycamore, papaw, several kinds of ash, cherry, whitewood and 
buckeye. 

The summers are usually warm, and the winters are mild, considering the 
latitude of the State. Near Lake Erie, the winters are severe, corresponding 
with sections in a line with that locality. Snow falls in sufficient quantities 
in the northern part to afford several weeks of fine sleighing. In the southern 
portion, the snowstorms are not frequent, and the fall rarely remains long on 
the ground. 

The climate is generally healthy, with the exception of small tracts lying 
near the marshes and stagnant waters. 

The Ohio River washes the southern border of the State, and is navigable 
for steamboats of a large size, the entire length of its course. From Pitts- 
burgh to its mouth, measuring it meanderings, it is 908 miles long. Its current 
is gentle, having no falls except at Louisville, Ky., where the descent is twenty- 
two and a half feet in two miles. A canal obviates this obstruction. 

The Muskingum is the largest river that flows entirely within the State. It 
is formed by the junction of the Tuscarawas and Walhonding Rivers, and enters 
the Ohio at Marietta One hundred miles of its length is navigable. 

The Scioto is the second river in magnitude, is about 200 miles long, and 
flows into the Ohio at Portsmouth. It affords navigation 130 miles of its length. 
The Great Miami is a rapid river, in the western part of the State, and is 100 
miles long. The Little Miami is seventy miles in length, and enters the Ohio 
seven miles from Cincinnati. 

The Maumee rises in Indiana, flows through the northwestern part of the 
State, and enters Lake Erie at Maumee Bay. It affords navigation as far as 
Perrysburg, eighteen miles from the lake, and above the rapids, it is again nav- 
igable. 

The Sandusky rises in the northern part of the State, is eighty miles long, 
and flows into Lake Erie, via Sandusky Bay. 

Lake Erie washes 150 miles of the northern boundary. The State has sev- 
eral fine harbors, the Maumee and Sandusky Bays being the largest. 

We have, in tracing the record of the earlier counties, given the educational inter- 
ests as exemplified by different institutions. We have also given the canal system 
of the State, in previous pages. The Governor is elected every two years, by 
the people. The Senators are chosen biennially, and are apportioned according 
to the male population over twenty-one years of age. The Judges of the 
Supreme and other courts are elected by the joint ballot of the Legislature, for 
the term of seven years. 

During the early settlement of Ohio, perfect social equality existed among the 
settlers. The line of demarkation that was drawn was a separation of the good 
from the bad. Log-rollings and cabin-raisings were mutual affairs. Their 
sport usually consisted of shooting, rowing and hunting. Hunting shirts and 
buckskin pants were in the fashion, while the women dressed in coarse material, 



162 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

woven by their own hands. A common American cotton check was con- 
sidered a magnificent addition to one's toilet. In those times, however, the 
material was $1 per yard, instead of the shilling of to-day. But five yards 
was then a large "pattern," instead of the twenty-five of 1880. In cooking 
utensils, the pot, pan and frying-pan constituted an elegant outfit. A few plain 
dishes were added for table use. Stools and benches were the rule, although a 
few wealthy families indulged in splint-bottom chairs. The cabin floors were 
rough, and in many cases the green sward formed the carpet. Goods were very 
expensive, and flour was considered a great luxury. Goods were brought by 
horses and mules from Detroit, or by wagon from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, 
and then down the Ohio. Coarse calicoes were $1 per yard ; tea $2 to ^3 per 
pound ; coffee 75 cents ; whisky, from $1 to $2 per gallon, and salt, $5 to $6 
per barrel. In those towns where Indian trade constituted a desirable interest, 
a bottle was set at each end of the counter — a gratuitous offering to their red 
friends. 

OUTLINE GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 

Should we group the rocks of Ohio, according to their lithological characters, 
we should give five distinct divisions. They are marked by difference in appear- 
ance, hardness, color and composition : 

1 — Limestone. 

2— Black shale. 

3 — Fine-grained sandstone. 

4 — Conglomerate. 

5 — Coal series. 

They are all stratified and sedimentary. They are nearly horizontal. The 
lowest one visible, in a physical as well as a geological sense, is "blue lime- 
stone." 

The bed of the Ohio River near Cincinnati is 133 feet below the level of 
Lake Erie. The strata incline in all directions from the southwestern angle of 
the State. In Scioto County may be seen the outcropping edges of all these 
rocks. They sink at this point in the direction south 80|° east ; easterly at the 
rate of 37^ feet per mile. The cliff limestone, the upper stratum of the lime- 
stone deposit, is 600 feet above the river at Cincinnati ; at West Union, in 
Adams County, it is only 350 feet above the same level. 

The finely grained sandstone found on the summit of the hills east of Brush 
Creek and west of the Scioto sinks to the base of the hills, and appears beneath 
the conglomerate, near the Little Scioto. Although the rock formations are the 
same in all parts of the State, in the same order, their thickness, mass and dip, 
are quite different. 

Chillicothe, Reynoldsburg, Mansfield, Newburg, Waverly and Rockville, are 
situated near the western border of the " fine-grained limestone." Its outcrop 
forms a continuous and crooked line from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. In the 
southwest portion of the State is the "blue limestone," occupying a circular 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 163 

space from West Union via Dayton, to the State line. The conglomerate is to 
the east of the given towns, bending around from Cuyahoga Falls to Burton, in 
Geauga County, and then eastward into Pennsylvania. Near this outcrop are 
the coal-bearing rocks which occupy the east and southeastern portions of Ohio. 
From Rockville to Chillicothe, the course is north, about 10° east, and nearly 
corresponds with the line of outcrop of the fine-grained sandstone for an equal 
distance. The dip at Rockville, given by Charles Whittlesey, is 801°, almost 
at a right angle, and at the rate of 37 feet per mile. 

At Chillicothe, the other end of the line, the general dip is south 70° east, 
30 feet to the mile, the line curving eastward and the dip line to the southward. 
This is the universal law. 

The northern boundary of the great coal fields passes through Meadville, in 
Pennsylvania, and turning south arrives at Portage Summit, on the summit of 
the Alleghanies, 2,500 feet above the ocean level. It then plunges rapidly to 
the westward. From the Alleghanies to the southwest, through Pennsylvania, 
Virginia and Tennessee, sweeps this great coal basin. 

Much of the county of Medina is conglomerate upon the surface, but the 
streams, especially the South Branch of the Rocky River, set through this sur- 
face stratum, and reach the fine-grained sandstone. This is the case with 
Rocky, Chagrin, Cuyahoga and Grand Rivers — also Conneaut and Ashtabula 
Creeks. This sandstone and the shale extend up the narrow valleys of these 
streams and their tributaries. Between these strata is a mass of coarse-grained 
sandstone, without pebbles, which furnishes the grindstones for which Ohio is 
noted. In Lorain County, the coarse sandstone grit nearly displaces the fine- 
grained sandstone and red shale, thickening at Elyria to the black shale. South 
of this point, the grindstone grit, red shale and ash-colored shale vary in thick- 
ness. The town of Chillicothe, the village of Newburg, and a point in the west 
line of Crawford County, are all situated on the "black shale." 

Dr. Locke gives the dip, at Montgomery and Miami Counties, at north 14°, 
east, six feet to the mile ; at Columbus, Whitelesey gives it, 81° 52' east, 22y'^% 
feet to the mile. The fine-grained sandstone at Newburg is not over eighty 
feet in thickness ; at Jacktown and Reynoldsburg, 500 ; at Waverly 250 to 
300 feet, and at Brush Creek, Adams County, 348 feet. The black shale is 
251 feet thick at Brush Creek ; at Alum Creek, 250 to 300 feet thick ; in Craw- 
ford County, about 250 feet thick. The conglomerate in Jackson County is 
200 feet thick : at Cuyahoga Falls, 100 to 120 feet ; at Burton, Geauga County, 
300 feet. The great limestone formation is divided into several numbers. At 
Cincinnati, at the bed of the river, there is : 

1 — A blue limestone and slaty marlite. 

2 — Dun-colored marl and layers of lime rock. 

3 — Blue marl and layers of blue limestone. 

4 — Marl and bands of limestone, with immense numbers of shells at the 
surface. 



164 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

In Adams County, the detailed section is thus : 

1 — Blue limestone and marl. 

2 — Blue marl. 

3 — Flinty limestone. 

4 — Blue marl. . 

5 — Cliif limestone. 

The coal-fields of Ohio are composed of alternate beds of coarse-grained 
sandstone, clay shales, layer? of ironstone, thin beds of limestone and numer- 
ous strata of coal. The coal region abounds in iron. From Jacktown to Con- 
cord, in Muskingum County, there are eight beds of coal, and seven strata of 
limestone. The distance between these two points is forty-two miles. From 
Freedom, in Portage County, to Poland, in' Trumbull County, a distance of 
thirty-five miles, there are five distinct strata. Among them are distributed 
thin beds of limestone, and many beds of iron ore. The greater mass of coal 
and iron measures is composed of sandstone and shale. The beds of sandstone 
are from ten to twenty or eighty feet thick. Of shale, five to fifty feet thick. 
The strata of coal and iron are comparatively thin. A stratum of coal three 
feet thick can be worked to advantage. One four feet thick is called a good 
mine, few of them averaging five. Coal strata are found from six to ten and 
eleven feet. There are four beds of coal, and three of limestone, in Lawrence 
and Scioto Counties. There are also eight beds of ore, and new ones are con- 
stantly being discovered. The ,ore is from four to twelve inches thick, occasion- 
ally being two feet. The calcareous ore rests upon the second bed of limestone, 
from the bottom, and is very rich. 

The most prominent fossils are trees, plants and stems of the coal-bearing 
rocks, shells and corals and crustaceae of the limestone, and the timber, leaves 
and dirt-beds of the "drift" — the earthy covering of the rocks, which varies 
from nothing to 200 feet. Bowlders, or " lost rocks," are strewn over the State. 
They are evidently transported from some remote section, being fragments of 
primitive rock, granite, gneiss and hornblende rock, which do not exist in 
Ohio, nor within 400 miles of the State, in any direction. In the Lake Supe- 
rior region we find similar specimens. 

The superficial deposits of Ohio are arranged into four geological formations : 

1 — The ancient drift, resting upon the rocks of the State. 

2 — The Lake Erie marl and sand deposits. 

3 — The drift occupying the valleys of large streams, such as the Great Miami, 
the Ohio and Scioto. 

4 — The bowlders. 

The ancient drift of Ohio is meager in shell deposits. It is not, therefore, 
decided whether it be of salt-water origin or fresh water. 

It has, at the bottom, blue clay, with gravel-stones of primitive or sedimen- 
tary rocks, containing carbonate of lime. The yellow clay is found second. 
Above that, sand and gravel, less stratified, containing more pebbles of the 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 165 

sedimentary rocks, such as limestone and stone, iron ore, coal and shale. The 
lower layer contains logs, trees, leaves, sticks and vines. 

The Lake Erie section, or "Lake Erie deposits," may be classed in the 
following order : 

1 — From the lake level upward, fine, blue, marly sand — forty-five to sixty 
feet. 

2 — Coarse, gray, water-washed sand — ten to twenty feet. 

3 — Coarse sand and gravel, not well stratified, to surface — twenty to fifty feet. 

Stratum first dissolves in water. It contains carbonate of lime, magnesia, 
iron, alumina, silex, sulphur, and some decomposed leaves, plants and sticks. 
Some pebbles are found. In contact with the water, quicksand is formed. 

The Hickory Plains, at the forks of the Great Miami and White Water, and 
also between Kilgore's Mill and New Richmond, are the results of heavy dilu- 
vial currents. 

In presenting these formations of the State, we have quoted from the experi- 
ence and conclusions of Charles Whittlesey, eminent as a geologist, ai^d who 
was a member of the Ohio Geological Corps. 

OHIO'S RANK DURING THE WAR. 

The patriotism of this State has been stanch, unswerving and bold, ever 
since a first settlement laid its corner-stone in the great Western wilder- 
ness. Its decisive measures, its earnest action, its noble constancy, have earned 
the laurels that designate it "a watchword for the nation." In the year 1860, 
Ohio had a population of 2,343,739. Its contribution of soldiers to the great 
conflict that was soon to surge over the land in scarlet terror, was apportioned 
310,000 men. In less than twenty-four hours after the President's proclama- 
tion and call for troops, the Senate had matured and carried a bill through, 
appropriating $1,000,000 for the purpose of placing the State on a war footing. 
The influences of party sentiments were forgotten, and united, the State 
unfurled the flag of patriotism. Before the bombardment of old Fort Sumter 
has fairly ceased its echoes, twenty companies were offered the Governor for 
immediate service. When the surrender was verified, the excitement was 
tumultuous. Militia officers telegraphed their willingness to receive prompt 
orders, all over the State. The President of Kenyon College — President 
Andrews — tendered his services by enlisting in the ranks. Indeed, three 
months before the outbreak of the war, he had expressed his readiness to the 
Governor to engage in service should there be occasion. He was the first citi- 
zen to make this offer. 

The Cleveland Grays, the Rover Guards, the State Fencibles, the Dayton 
Light Guards, the Governor's Guards, the Columbus Videttes and the Guthrie 
Grays — the best drilled and celebrated militia in the State — telegraphed to 
Columbus for orders. Chillicothe, Portsmouth and Circleville offered money 
and troops. Canton, Xenia, Lebanon, Lancaster, Springfield, Cincinnati, 



166 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Dayton, Cleveland, Toledo and other towns urged their assistance upon the State. 
Columbus began to look like a great army field. The troops were stationed 
wherever they could find quarters, and food in sufficient quantities was hard to 
procure. The Governor soon established a camp at Miamiville, convenient to 
Cincinnati. He intended to appoint Irvin McDowell, of the stafi" of Lieut. 
Gen. Scott, to the leading command, but the friends of Capt. McClellan became 
enthusiastic and appealed to the Governor, who decided to investigate his case. 
Being satisfied, he desired Capt. McClellan to come up to Columbus. But that 
officer was busy and sent Capt. Pope, of the regular army, in his stead. This 
gentleman did not suit Gov. Dennison. The friends of McClellan again set 
forth the high qualities of this officer, and Gov. Dennison sent an earnest 
request for an interview, which was granted, and resulted in the appointment 
of the officer as Major General of the Ohio militia. Directly thereafter, he 
received an invitation to take command of the Pennsylvania troops, but Ohio 
could not spare so valuable a leader. 

For three-years troops were soon called out, and their Generals were to be 
appointed by the President. Gov. Dennison advised at once with the War 
Department at Washington, and McClellan received his appointment as Major 
General in the regular army. 

Cincinnati and Louisville became alarmed lest Kentucky should espouse the 
Confederate cause, and those cities thus be left insecure against the inroads of a 
cruel foe. Four hundred and thirty-six miles of Ohio bordered Slave States. 
Kentucky and West Virginia were to be kept in check, but the Governor pro- 
claimed that not only should the border of Ohio be protected, but even beyond 
that would the State press the enemy. Marietta was garrisoned, and other river 
points rendered impregnable. On the 20th of May, 1861, official dispatches 
affirmed that troops were approaching Wheeling under the proclamation of 
Letcher. Their intention was to route the convention at Wheeling. 

Military orders were instantly given. Col. Steedman and his troops crossed 
at Marietta and crushed the disturbance at Parkersburg — swept into the country 
along the railroad, built bridges, etc. Col. Irvine crossed at Wheeling and 
united with a regiment of loyal Virginians. At the juncture of the two tracks 
at Grafton, the columns met, but the rebels had retreated in mad haste. The 
loyal troops followed, and, at Philippi, fought the first little skirmish of the war. 
The great railway lines were secured, and the Wheeling convention protected, 
and West Virginia partially secured for the Union. 

After preliminary arrangements, McClellan's forces moved in two columns 
upon the enemy at Laurel Hill. One remained in front, under Gen. Morris, 
while the other, under his own command, pushed around to Huttonsville, in 
their rear. Gen. Morris carried his orders through promptly, but McClellan 
was late. Rosecrans was left with McClellan's advance to fight the battle of 
Rich Mountain, unaided. Garnett being alarmed at the defeat of his outpost, 
retreated. McClellan was not in time to intercept him, but Morris continued 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 167 

the chase. Steedman overtook the rear-guard of Garnett's army at Carrick's 
Ford, where a sharp skirmish ensued, Garnett himself falling. The scattered 
portions of the rebel army escaped, and West Virginia was again free from 
armed rebels — and was the gift of Ohio through her State militia to the nation 
at the beginning of the war. 

At this period. Gen. McClellan was called to Washington. Gen. Rose- 
crans succeeded him, and the three-years troops left in the field after the dis- 
banding of the three-months men, barely sufficed to hold the country. He 
telegraphed Gov. Dennison to supply him immediately with re-enforcements, the 
request being made on the 8th of August. Already had the Confederate lead- 
ers realized the loss they had sustained in Western Virginia, and had dispatched 
their most valued General, Robert E. Lee, to regain the territory. Rosecrans 
again wrote : " If you. Governor of Indiana and Governor of Michigan, will 
lend your efforts to get me quickly 50,000 men, in addition to my present 
force, I think a blow can be struck which will save fighting the rifled-cannon 
batteries at Manassas. Lee is certainly at Cheat Mountain. Send all troops 
you can to Grafton." Five days thereafter, all the available troops in the 
West were dispatched to Fremont, Mo., and the plans of Rosecrans were 
foiled. 

Heavy re-enforcements had been sent to the column in Kanawha Valley 
under Gen. Cox. He became alarmed, and telegraphed to Gov. Dennison. 
Rosecrans again appealed to Gov. Dennison, that he might be aided in march- 
ing across the country against Floyd and Wise to Cox's relief, "I want to 
catch Floyd while Cox holds him in front." 

The response was immediate and effective. He was enabled to employ 
twenty-three Ohio regiments in clearing his department from rebels, securing 
the country and guarding the exposed railroads. With this achievement, the 
direct relation of the State administrations with the conduct and methods of 
campaigns terminated. The General Government had settled down to a sys- 
tem. Ohio was busy organizing and equipping regiments, caring for the sick 
and wounded, and sustaining her home strength. 

Gov. Dennison 's staff officers were tendered better positions in the national 
service. Camps Dennison and Chase, one at Cincinnati and the other at 
Columbus, were controlled by the United States authorities. A laboratory was 
established at Columbus for the supply of ammunition. During the fall and 
early winter, the Ohio troops suffered in Western Virginia. The people of 
their native State responded with blankets, clothing and other supplies. 

In January, 1862, David A. Tod entered upon the duties of Governor. 
The first feature of his administration was to care for the wounded at home, 
sent from Pittsburg Landing. A regular system was inaugurated to supply 
stores and clothing to the suffering at home and in the field. Agencies were 
established, and the great and good work was found to be most efficacious in 
alleviating the wretchedness consequent upon fearful battles. A. B. Lyman 



168 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

had charge of aflFairs in Cincinnati, and Royal Taylor held the same position 
in Louisville. J. C. Wetmore was stationed at Washington, F. W. Bingham 
at Memphis, Weston Flint at Cairo and St. Louis. Thus the care which Ohio 
extended over her troops at home and in the battle-field, furnished a practical 
example to other States, and was the foundation of that commendable system 
all over the Union. Stonewall Jackson's sudden advent in the valley created 
the greatest consternation lest the safety of the capital be jeopardized, and the 
War Department called for more troops. Gov. Tod immediately issued a 
proclamation, and the people, never shrinking, responded heartily. At Cleve- 
land a large meeting was held, and 250 men enlisted, including 27 out of 32 
students attending the law school. Fire bells rang out the alarm at Zanesville, 
a meeting was convened at 10 in the morning, and by 3 in the afternoon, 300 
men had enlisted. Court was adjourned sine die, and the Judge announced 
that he and the lawyers were about to enter into military ranks. Only three 
unmarried men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three were left in the 
town of Putnam. Five thousand volunteers reported at Camp Chase within 
two days after the proclamation. 

Again in June, the President called for troops, followed by yet another call. 
Under these calls, Ohio was to raise 74,000 men. The draft system was 
advised to hasten and facilitate filling regiments. It has always been a repul- 
sive measure. To save sections from this proceeding, enormous sums were 
offered to induce men to volunteer, and thus fill the quota. 

Counties, townships, towns and individuals, all made bids and urged the 
Tapid enlistment of troops. The result was, that the regiments were filled rap- 
idly, but not in sufficient numbers to prevent the draft. Twenty thousand four 
hundred and twenty-seven men were yet lacking, and the draft was ordered^ 
September 15. At the close of the year, Ohio was ahead of her calls. Late 
in the fall, the prospect was disheartening. The peninsula campaign had failed. 
The Army of Northern Virginia had been hurled back nearly to Washington. 
The rebels had invaded Maryland ; Cincinnati and Louisville were threatened, 
and the President had declared his intention to abolish slavery, as a war meas- 
ure. During the first part of 1862, artillery, stores and supplies were carried 
away mysteriously, from the Ohio border ; then little squads ventured over the 
river to plunder more openly, or to burn a bridge or two. The rebel bands 
came swooping down upon isolated supply trains, sending insolent roundabout 
messages regarding their next day's intentions. Then came invasions of our 
lines near Nashville, capture of squads of guards within sight of camp, the seizure 
of Gallatin. After Mitchell had entered Northern Alabama, all manner of depre- 
dations were committed before his very eyes. These were attributed to John 
Morgan's Kentucky cavalry. He and his men, by the middle of 1862, were 
as active and dangerous as Lee or Beauregard and their troops. Morgan was a 
native of Alabama, but had lived in Kentucky since boyhood. His father was 
large slave-owner, who lived in the center of the "Blue Grass Country." His 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 169 

life had been one of wild dissipation, adventure and recklessness, although in 
his own family he had the name of being most considerate. The men who fol- 
lowed him were ajccustomed to a dare-devil life. They formed and independent 
band, and dashed madly into the conflict, wherever and whenever inclination 
prompted. Ohio had just raised troops to send East, to assist in the overthrow 
of Stonewell Jackson. She had overcome her discouragements over failures, 
for the prospects were brightening. Beauregard had evacuated Corinth ; Mem- 
phis had fallen ; Buell was moving toward Chattanooga ; Mitchell's troops held 
Northern Tennessee and Northern Alabama ; Kentucky was virtually in the 
keeping of the home guards and State military board. And now, here was 
Morgan, creating confusion in Kentucky by his furious raids ! On the 11th of 
July, the little post of Tompkinsville fell. He issued a call for the Kentuckians 
to rise in a body. He marched toward Lexington, and the southern border of 
Ohio was again in danger. Cincinnati was greatly excited. Aid was sent to 
Lexington and home guards were ready for duty. Morgan was not prominent 
for a day or so, but he was not idle. By the 9th of July, he held possession of 
Tompkinsville and Glasgow ; by the 11th, of Lebanon. On the 13th, he 
entered Harraldsburg ; Monday morning he was within fifteen miles of Frank- 
fort. He had marched nearly 400 miles in eight days. Going on, toward 
Lexington, he captured the telegraph operator at Midway, and his messages 
also I He was now aware of the plans of the Union armies at Lexington, 
Louisville, Cincinnati and Frankfort. In the name of the operator, he sent 
word that Morgan was driving in the pickets at Frankfort ! Now. that he 
had thrown his foes off guard, he rested his men a couple of days. He 
decided to let Lexington alone, and swept down on Cynthiana, routing a few 
hundred loyal Kentucky cavalrymen, capturing the gun and 420 prisoners, and 
nearly 300 horses. Then he was off to Paris ; he marched through Winchester, 
Richmond, Crab Orchard and Somerset, and again crossed the Cumberland River, 
He started with 900 men and returned with 1,200, having captured and paroled 
nearly as many, besides destroying all the Government arms and stores in seven- 
teen towns. The excitement continued in Cincinnati. Two regiments were 
hastily formed, for emergencies,* known as Cincinnati Reserves. Morgan's raid 
did not reach the city, but it demonstrated to the rebel forces what might be 
accomplished in the " Blue Grass " region. July and August were passed in 
gloom. Bragg and Buell were both watchful, and Chattanooga had not been 
taken. Lexington was again menaced, a battle fought, and was finally deserted 
because it could not be held. 

Louisville was now in danger. The banks sent their specie away. Railroad 
companies added new guards. 

September 1, Gen. Kirby Smith entered Lexington, and dispatched Heath 
with about six thousand men against Cincinnati and Covington. John Morgan 
joined him. The rebels rushed upon the borders of Ohio. The failure at Rich- 
mond only added deeper apprehension. Soon Kirby Smith and his regiments 



170 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

occupied a position where only a few unmanned siege guns and the Ohio 
prevented his entrance through Covington into the Queen City. The city was 
fully armed, and Lew. Wallace's arrival to take command inspired all with 
fresh courage. And before the people were hardly aware that danger was so 
near, the city was proclaimed under strict martial law. " Citizens for labor, 
soldiers for battle. 

There was no panic, because the leaders were confident. Back of Newport 
and Covington breastworks, riflepits and redoubts had been hastily thrown up, 
and pickets were thrown out. From Cincinnati to Covington extended a pon- 
ton bridge. Volunteers marched into the city and those already in service 
were sent to the rescue. Strict military law was now modified, and the city 
being secured, some inconsiderate ones expressed themselves as being outraged 
with " much ado about nothing." But Gen. Wallace did not cease his vigilance. 
And Smith's force began to move up. One or two skirmishes ensued. The 
city was again excited. September 11 was one of intense suspense. But 
Smith did not attack in force. He was ordered to join Bragg. On the Mon- 
day following, the citizens of Cincinnati returned to their avocations. In the 
spring of 1863, the State was a trifle discouraged. Her burdens had been 
heavy, and she was weary. Vicksburg was yet in the hands of the enemy. 
Rosecrans had not moved since his victory at Stone River. There had been 
fearful slaughter about Fredericksburg. 

But during July, 1863, Ohio was aroused again by Bragg's command to 
Morgan, to raid Kentucky and capture Louisville. On the 3d of July, he was 
in a position to invade Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. He continued his depre- 
dations, bewildering the militia with his movements. His avowed intention 
was to burn Indianapolis and " take Cincinnati alive." Morgan's purposes 
were never clear. It was his audacious and sudden dashes, here and there, 
which gave him success. Before Cincinnati was aware, he was at Harrison — 
13th of July. He expected to meet the forces of Burnside and Judah, and to 
cut his way through. His plans here, as everywhere, were indefinable, and he 
succeeded in deceiving everybody. While printers in Cincinnati were setting 
up " reports " as to his whereabouts, he was actually marching through the sub- 
urbs, near troops enough to devour them, and yet not encountered by a single 
picket ! They fed their horses within sight of Camp Dennison. At 4 
o'clock that day, they were within twenty-eight miles of Cincinnati — having 
marched more than ninety miles in thirty-five hours. 

The greatest chagrin was expressed, that Morgan had so easily eluded the 
great military forces. A sudden dash was made to follow him. There was a 
universal bolting of doors, burying of valuables, hiding of horses, etc., all along 
the route of the mad cavalryman and his 2,000 mounted men. They plundered 
beyond all comparison. They made a principle of it. On the 14th of July, 
he was feeding his horses near Dennison ; he reached the ford at Buflington 
Island on the evening of the 18th ; he had encountered several little skirmishes, 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 171 

but he had marched through at his own will, mostly ; all the troops of Kentucky 
had been outwitted. The Indiana forces had been laughed to scorn. The 
50,000 Ohio militia had been as straws in his way. The intrepid band would 
soon be upon friendly soil, leaving a blackened trail behind. But Judah was 
up and marching after him, Hobson followed and Col. Runkle was north of 
him. The local militia in his advance began to impede the way. Near Pome- 
roy, a stand was made. Morgan found militia posted everywhere, but he suc- 
ceeded in running the gantlet, so far as to reach Chester. He should have 
hastened to cross the ford. Fortunately, he paused to breathe his horses and 
secure a guide. The hour and a half thus lost was the first mistake Morgan is 
known to have made in his military career. They reached Portland, and only 
a little earthwork, guarded by about 300 men, stood between him and safety. 
His men were exhausted, and he feared to lead them to a night attack upon a 
position not understood perfectly ; he would not abandon his wagon train, nor 
his wounded ; he would save or lose all. As Morgan was preparing next 
morning, having found the earthworks deserted through the night, Judah came 
up. He repulsed the attack at first, capturing Judah's Adjutant General, and 
ordering him to hold the force on his front in check. He was not able to join 
his own company, until it was in full retreat. Here Lieut. O'Neil, of the Fifth 
Indiana, made an impulsive charge, the lines were reformed, and up the Chester 
road were Hobson's gallant cavalrymen, who had been galloping over three 
States to capture this very Morgan ! And now the tin-clad gunboats steamed 
up and opened fire. The route was complete, but Morgan escaped with 1,200 
men! Seven hundred men were taken prisoners, among them Morgan's brother, 
Cols. Ward, Duke and Huffman. The prisoners were brought to Cincinnati, 
while the troops went after the fugitive. He was surrounded by dangers ; his 
men were exhausted, hunted down ; skirmishes and thrilling escapes marked a 
series of methods to escape — his wonderful sagacity absolutely brilliant to the 
very last — which was his capture, on the 26th, with 346 prisoners and 
400 horses and arms. It may be added, that after several months of con- 
finement, Morgan and six prisoners escaped, on the 27th of November. Again 
was he free to raid in the " Blue Grass " country.. 

John Brough succeeded Gov. Tod January 11, 1864. His first prominent 
work was with the Sanitary Commission. In February, of the same year, the 
President called for more troops. The quota of Ohio was 51,465 men. The 
call of March added 20,995. And in July was a third demand for 50,792. In 
December, the State was ordered to raise 26,027. The critical period of the 
war was evidently approaching. Gov. Brough instituted a reformation in the 
" promotion system " of the Ohio troops. He was, in many cases, severe in his 
measures. He ignored " local great men " and refused distinction as a bribe. 
The consequence was that he had many friends and some enemies. The acute- 
ness of his policy was so strong, and his policy so just, that, after all his severe 
administration, he was second to no statesman in the nation during the struggle. 



172 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Ohio during the war was most active in her relief and aid societies. The most 
noted and extensive organization was the Cincinnati Branch of the United 
States Sanitary Commission. The most efficient organization was the Soldiers' 
Aid Society of Northern Ohio. 

When the happy tidings swept over the land that peace was proclaimed, an 
echo of thanksgiving followed the proclamation. The brave sons of Ohio 
returned to their own soil — those who escaped the carnage. But 'mid the 
rejoicing there was deepest sadness, for a fragment only remained of that brave 
army which had set out sturdily inspired with patriotism. 

A BRIEF MENTION OF PROMINENT OHIO GENERALS. 

George Briton McClellan, the first General appointed in Ohio, was born 
December 3, 1826, in Philadelphia. His father was a physician of high stand- 
ing and Scottish descent. Young George was in school in Philadelphia, and 
entered West Point at the age of sixteen. At the age of twenty, he was a bre- 
vet Second Lieutenant, tracing lines of investment before Vera Cruz, under the 
supervision of Capt. R. E. Lee, First Lieut. P. G. T. Beauregard, Second Lieut. 
G. W. Smith. At the close of the Mexican war, old Col. Totten reported in 
favor of them all to Winfield Scott. He had charge of an exploring expedition 
to the mountains of Oregon and Washington, beginning with the Cascade Range. 
This was one of a series of Pacific Railway explorations. Returning to Wash- 
ington, he was detailed to visit the West Indies and secretly select a coaling sta- 
tion for the United States Navy. He was dispatched by Jefferson Davis, 
Secretary of War, to Europe, with instructions to take full reports of the organ- 
ization of military forces connected with the Crimean war. This work elicited 
entire satisfaction. He returned in January, 1857, resigned as regular army 
officer, and was soon installed as engineer of Illinois Central Railroad. In 1860, 
he was President of the Ohio k Mississippi. He removed to Cincinnati, where 
he was at the opening of the war. 

William Starke Rosecrans was born September 6, 1819, in Delaware County, 
Ohio. His people were from Amsterdam. He was educated at West Point. 
When the war opened, he espoused the cause of the Union with enthusiastic 
zeal, and was appointed by McClellan on his staff as Engineer. June 9, he 
was Chief Engineer of the State under special law. Soon thereafter, he was 
Colonel of the Twenty-third Ohio, and assigned to the command of Camp 
Chase, Columbus, On May 16, his commission was out as Brigadier General 
in the United States Army. This reached him and he was speedily sum- 
moned to active service, under Gen. McClellan. After the battle of Rich Moun- 
tain, he was promoted to the head of the department. 

In April, 1862, he was succeeded by Fremont, and ordered to Wash- 
ington to engage in immediate service for the Secretary of War. About the 
15th of May, he was ordered to Gen. Halleck, before Corinth. He was 
relieved from his command December 9, 1864. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 173 

Ulysses S. Grant, whose history we cannot attempt to give in these pages, 
was born on the banks of the Ohio, at Point Pleasant, Clermont Co., Ohio, 
April 27, 1822. He entered West Point in 1839. 

" That the son of a tanner, poor and unpretending, without influential friends 
until his performance had won them, ill-used to the world and its ways, should 
rise — not suddenly, in the first blind worship of helpless ignorance which made 
any one who understood regimental tactics illustrious in advance for what he 
was going to do, not at all for what he had done — but slowly, grade by grade^ 
through all the vicissitudes of constant service and mingled blunders and suc- 
cess, till, at the end of four years' war he stood at the head of our armies, 
crowned by popular acclaim our greatest soldier, is a satisfactory answer to 
criticism and a sufficient vindication of greatness. Success succeeds." 

" We may reason on the man's career ; we may prove that at few stages has 
he shown personal evidence of marked ability ; we may demonstrate his mis- 
takes ; we may swell the praises of his subordinates. But after all, the career 
stands wonderful, unique, worthy of study so long as the nation honors her 
benefactors, or the State cherishes the good fame of the sons who contributed 
most to her honor." 

Lieut. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was another Ohio contribution to 
the great Union war. He was born at Lancaster February 8, 1820. He 
entered West Point in June, 1836. His " march to the sea " has fully brought 
out the details of his life, since they were rendered interesting to all, and we. 
refrain from repeating the well-known story. 

Philip H. Sheridan was born on the 6th of March, 1831, in Somerset, 
Perry Co., Ohio. He entered West Point in 1848. During the war, his 
career was brilliant. His presence meant victory. Troops fighting under hia 
command were inspired. Gen. Rosecrans said of him, " He fights, he fights." 
A stafi" officer once said, "He is an emphatic human syllable." 

Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson was born in Sandusky County, town of 
Clyde, November 14, 1828. 

Maj. Gen. Q. A. Gillmore was born February 28, 1825, at Black River, 
Lorain Co., Ohio. 

Maj. Gen, Irvin McDowell was born at Franklinton, Ohio, October 15, 
1818. 

Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell was born near Marietta on the 23d of March, 
1818. His grandfather on the maternal side was one of the first settlers of 
Cincinnati. 

Maj. Gen. 0. M. Mitchell was a ijative of Kentucky, but a resident of 
Ohio from the age of four years. 

Maj. Gen. Robert C. Schenck was born October 4, 1809, in Franklin, 
Warren Co., Ohio. 

Maj. Gen. James A. Garfield, was born in Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 
mvember 19, 1831. 



174 ISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox was born in Canada in 1828, and removed to 
Ohio in 1846. 

Maj. Gen. James B. Steedman was born in Pennsylvania July 30, 1818, 
and removed to Toledo in 1861. 

Maj. Gen. David S. Stanley was born in Wayne County, Ohio, June 1, 
1828. 

Maj. Gen. George Crook was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, Septem- 
ber 8, 1828. 

Maj. Gen. Mortimer D. Leggett was born in New York April 19, 1831, 
and emigrated to Ohio, in 1847. 

Brevet Maj. Gen. John C. Tidball was born in Virginia, but removed while 
a mere lad to Ohio with his parents. 

Brevet Maj. Gen. John W. Fuller was born in England in 1827. He 
removed to Toledo in 1858. 

Brevet Maj. Gen. Manning F. Force was born in Washington, D. C, on 
the 17th of December, 1824. He became a citizen of Cincinnati. 

Brevet Maj. Gen. Henry B. Banning was born in Knox County, Ohio, 
November 10, 1834. 

We add the names of Brevet Maj. Gens. Erastus B. Tyler, Thomas H. 
Ewing, Charles R. Woods, August V. Kautz, Rutherford B. Hayes, Charles 
C. Walcutt, Kenner Garrard, Hugh Ewing, Samuel Beatty, James S. Robinson, 
Joseph W. Keifer, Eli Long, William B. Woods, John W. Sprague, Benjamin 
P. Runkle, August Willich, Charles Griffin, Henry J. Hunt, B. W. Brice. 

Brig. Gens. Robert L. McCook, William H. Lytle, William Leroy 
Smith, C. P. Buckingham, Ferdinand Van Derveer, George P. Este, Joel A. 
Dewey, Benjamin F. Potts, Jacob Ammen, Daniel McCook, J. W, Forsyth, 
Ralph P. Buckland, William H. Powell, John G. Mitchell, Eliakim P. Scam- 
mon, Charles G Harker, J. W. Reilly, Joshua W. Sill, N. C. McLean, Will- 
iam T. H. Brooks, George W. Morgan, John Beatty, William W. Burns, John 
S. Mason, S. S. Carroll, Henry B. Carrington, M. S. Wade, John P. Slough, 
T. K. Smith. 

Brevet Brig. Gens. C. B. Ludlow, Andrew Hickenlooper, B. D. 
Fearing, Henry F. Devol, Israel Garrard, Daniel McCoy, W. P. Richardson, 
G. F. Wiles, Thomas M. Vincent, J. S. Jones, Stephen B. Yeoman, F. W. 
Moore, Thomas F. Wilder, Isaac Sherwood, C. H. Grosvenor, Moses E. 
Walker, R. N. Adams, E. B. Eggleston, I. M. Kirby. 

We find numerous other names of Brevet Brigadier Generals, mostly of late 
appointments, and not exercising commands in accordance with their brevet 
rank, which we omit quoting through lack of space. They are the names of 
men of rare abilities, and in many cases of brilliant achievements. 

In looking over the "War Record of Ohio," we find the State a great 
leader in men of valor and heroic deeds. It was the prolific field of military 
geniuses. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 175 

Ohio was draped with the garb of mourning at the close of the war. Her 
human sacrifice in behalf of the nation had been bitter. There were tears and 
heart-aches all over the land. Her ranks were swept by a murderous fire, from 
which they never flinched, and many officers fell. 

Col. John H. Patrick will be remembered as opening the battle of Lookout 
Mountain. He fell mortally wounded, during the Atlanta campaign, May 
15, 1862, while actively engaged. He was struck by a canister shot, and 
expired half a hour thereafter. 

Col. John T. Toland, in July, 1863, was placed in command of a mounted 
brigade, including his regiment, and was instructed to destroy the Virginia & 
Tennessee Railroad. He reached Wytheville, Va., on the afternoon of the 
18th of July. The rebels were safely intrenched in the house, and poured a 
galling fire into the national troops. Col. Toland was on horseback, at the 
head of his command. A sharpshooter sent a bullet with fatal certainty, and 
he fell on the neck of his horse, but was instantly caught by his Orderly 
Sergeant, who heard the fervent words : " My horse and my sword to my 
mother." 

Lieut. Col. Barton S. Kyle accompanied his regiment to the battle of Pitts- 
burg Landing. The regiment was forced back, though resisting bravely. 
Lieut. Col. Kyle was at his post of duty, encouraging his men, when he received 
a bullet in his right breast. He survived five hours. 

Col. William G. Jones was engaged m the battle of Chickamauga, June, 
1863. His regiment, the Thirty-sixth Ohio, was included in Turchin's Brigade 
of the Fourteenth Corps. He wrote in his pocket memoranda : " Oflf to the 
left ; merciful Father, have mercy on me and my regiment, and protect us from 
injury and death " — at 12 o'clock. At 5 that afternoon, he was fatally wounded 
and expired at 7 that same evening, on the battle-field His remains were 
taken by the rebels, but in December, 1863, they were exhumed and interred 
in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. 

Col. Fred. C. Jones held command of the Tenth Brigade, in October, 1862, 
marching from Wild Cat, Ky., to Nashville, through a perpetual skirmish, 
During the battle of Stone River, Col. Jones' regiment, the Twenty-fourth, was 
on the front and left of the line. During the afternoon, when the rebel assault 
upon the left became furious. Col. Jones ordered his men to lie down and hold 
fire, which was obeyed. They rose to pour a deadly volley into the rebel ranks, 
and rush forward in a fierce charge. The capture of an entire rebel regiment was 
thus effected, but Col. Jones was shot in the right side. He was carried to the 
rear. " I know it ; I am dying now ; pay no attention to me, but look after 
my wounded men." He survived about ten hours. His remains are buried in 
Spring Grove, Cincinnati. 

Col. Lorin Andrews went with his command to Western Virginia, where 
he succumbed to exposure and severe duty. He was removed to his home, 
G^ambier, Ohio, where he died surrounded by friends September 18, 1861. 



176 HISTORY OP THE STATE OF OHIO 

Col. Minor Milliken was sent to repel the attacks of the rebels at the rear. 
He led a superb cavalry charge against the enemy, vastly superior in numbers, 
and was cut off with a small portion of his regiment. He disdained to sur 
render, and ordered his men to cut their way out. A hand-to-hand conflict 
ensued. Col. Milliken, being an expert swordsman, was able to protect himself 
with his saber. While parrying the strokes of his assailant, another shot him. 
The regiment, again charging, recovered his body, stripped of sword, purse and 
watch. 

Col. George P. Webster, with his regiment, the Ninety-eighth, left Steu- 
benville for Covington, Ky., August 23, 1862, marching from that point to Lex- 
ington and Louisville. He was placed at the command of the Thirty-fourth 
Brigade, Jackson's division, Cooke's corps. He fell in the battle of Perryville, 
and died on the field of battle. 

Col. Leander Stem was appointed Colonel of the One Hundred and First 
Ohio Infantry August 30, 1862. His premonitions that he should fall during 
his first regular engagement proved too true. As the army was advancing on 
Murfreesboro, the engagement of Knob Gap occurred, when Col. Stem's regi- 
ment charged and took a rebel battery, with several prisoners. The army 
closed around Murfreesboro, and on the evening of the 30th, the One Hun- 
dred and First was engaged in demonstrations against the enemy. Next 
morning, the battle of Stone River began in earnest. When Col. Stem's regi- 
ment began to waver, he called out: "Stand by the flag now, for the good 
old State of Ohio ! " and instantly fell, fatally wounded. 

Lieut. Col. Jonas D. Elliott held his position in May, 1863. During the 
summer of 1864, he commanded the left wing of the regiment at Dodsonville, 
Ala.; in September, he was sent after Wheeler, and was ordered into camp at 
Decatur. On the 23d, he was dispatched to Athens, to participate in the attack 
of Gen. Forrest, of the rebels. Col. Elliott was sent out, with 300 men, and 
being surrounded by Gen. Forrest, with vastly superior numbers, a forced resist- 
ance enabled them to sustain their own ground, until a fresh brigade of rebels 
arrived, under Gen. Warren. This officer instructed one of his men to shoot 
Lieut. Col. Elliott, and a moment later he fell. He lingered nineteen days. 

Col. Joseph L. Kirby Smith took command of the Forty-third Ohio Regi- 
ment. He fell at the battle of Corinth, under Rosecrans. 

Lieut. Col. James W. Shane fell, June 27, 1864, in an assault upon the 
enemy's works at Kenesaw. He survived but forty minutes. 

Col. Augustus H. Coleman displayed the abilities of a successful commander. 
He was in the first charge on the bridge across Antietan Creek. He was 
fatally wounded. His last words were inquiries regarding his men. 

Col. J. W. Lowe commanded the Twelfth Ohio, and was ordered to assise 
the Tenth in the battle of Carnifex Ferry. Cheering his men, in the thickest 
of the fight, a rifle ball pierced his forehead, and he fell dead — the first field 
officer from Ohio killed in battle in the war for the Union. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 177 

Lieut. Col. Moses F. Wooster was engaged with his regiment, the One Hun- 
dred and First Ohio, at Perryville. He was mortally wounded on the 31st 
of December, 1862, in the grand effort to stem the tide of defeat at Stone 
Biver. 

The list of staff officers we refrain from giving, through lack of space. 

At the opening of the war, William Dennison was Governor of Ohio. David 
Tod succeeded him. John Brough was the third War Governor. 

Secretary Edwin M. Stanton was one of the most popular war Ministers. 
He was born in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1815 ; he was engaged in the United 
States Circuit Court, in 1860, in a leading law suit, at Cincinnati, known as the 
Manny and McCormick reaper trial ; on the 20th of January, 1862, he was 
appointed Secretary of War by Mr. Lincoln. 

Ex-Secretary Salmon P. Chase's public services in Ohio have already been 
mentioned in these pages. In 1861, he was appointed Secretary of the Treas- 
ury, in Mr. Lincoln's cabinet. 

United States Senator B. F. Wade made his reputation in Ohio. This 
Senator of the State stood at the head of the Committee on the Conduct of the 
War throughout its duration. 

United States Senator John Sherman was a leading member of the Finance 
Committee, during the war. For some time he was its Chairman. 

Jay Cooke was the financial agent of the Government, furnishing money for 
the payment of the troops. He was born in Portland, Huron Co., Ohio. 

In our brief review of the war record of Ohio, we have omitted a vast 
amount of detail information that would prove interesting to our readers. We 
believe we have been accurate in whatever we have given, taking as our authority, 
that accepted " encyclopedia " of Ohio war facts — Whitelaw Reid, who has pub- 
lished a valuable volume on the subject. 

SOME DISCUSSED SUBJECTS. 

It may be well in glancing over the achievements of Ohio, her momentous 
labors and grand successes, to refer to the Ordinance of 1787, more minutely 
than we have done, in relation to many events, since its inherent principles are 
not only perpetuated in the laws of the entire Northwest, but have since been 
woven into the general Constitution of the United States. It made permanent 
the standard and character of immigration, social culture and political and edu- 
cational institutions. It was thoroughly antislavery and denounced involuntary 
servitude, which was sanctioned in every other State at that time, with the 
exception of Massachusetts. It protected religion and property. As late as 
1862, Gen. William Henry Harrison, Governor of Indiana, called a convention 
for the purpose of considering the slavery question, and the feasibility of intro- 
ducing the system in the new States and Territories being formed. There 
was at this time a spirited contest, and Illinois, Indiana and possibly Ohio, 
barely escaped a decision that a full support should be given its introduction 



178 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO 

into these States. Its adoption was based upon certain specifications and 
limits of time, which upon a deeper consideration was deemed perplexing and 
impractical. 

An animated discussion arose not long since, regarding the correct author- 
ship of this important ordinance, and its chief worker in gaining its sanction 
by Congress. 

Mr, Webster ascribed its authorship to Mathew Dane, of Massachusetts, 
which statement was immediately refuted by Mr. Benton, of Mississippi, who 
laid claim to it as the birthright of Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia. 

It has been almost impossible to obtain accurate reports of the actions of the 
old Continental Congress, from the fact that its meetings were held in secret, 
and any reports either narrated or shown in schedules or lists, were deemed a 
striking lack of trust on the part of the person who furnished the information. 
It was sufficient that its acts and conclusions be proclaimed without any prelude 
cir reasoning process. Hence it has been difficult to obtain early Congressional 
documents. But it has been conclusively proven that the great motive power 
in gaining the approbation of the Ordinance of 1787, was neither Dane nor 
Jefferson, but Dr. Cutler. 

He arrived at New York, July 5 of that year, after a journey from Ipswich, 
Mass., in his sulky. He obtained lodgings at the "Plow and Harrow," and 
saw that his good horse was properly cared for and fed at the same place. 
Congress was then in session, and he had come on a mission for the Ohio Com- 
pany, to negotiate their grant and its privileges in the ncAV Territory of Ohio. 
He remained in New York three weeks, constantly engaged in the work vital to 
the interests of the future great State. But he secured the installment of the 
principles deemed the corner-stone of a future powerful State constitution. Mr. 
Poole, Librarian of the Chicago Public Library, searched assiduously for con- 
clusive proof of Dr. Cutler's right to this honor, and in the North American 
Review, Vol. 122, this is emphatically set forth with substantiating proof under 
his signature. 

Other facts have been discussed and proven at a very recent date, relative 
to the State of Ohio, which heretofore have been omitted, and nearly lost from 
the historic thread which unites the present with the past. 

The first settlement of the lands of the Northwest is necessarily surrounded 
with interest. But those were exciting, troublesome times, and a few links 
were passed over lightly. However, the years are not so far removed in the 
past but the line may be traced. 

Mr. Francis W. Miller, of Cincinnati, has supplied some missing chapters. 
The earliest documentary trace extant, regarding the southern settlement at 
Cincinnati, is an agreement of partnership between Denman, Filson and Pat- 
terson, in the fractional section of land to which the city of Cincinnati was 
originally limited. It bears the date August 25, 1788. This was entered on 
the records of Hamilton County, Ohio, October 6, 1803. 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 179 

A letter from Jonathan Dayton to the Hon. Judge Symmes, dated Septem- 
ber 26, 1789, says: "You have been selling your lands, I am told, for two 
shillings specie, the acre. The price at this moment is, and seems to be, and 
undoubtedly is, a good one ; but as much cannot be said of it when you find 
hereafter that in consequence of the rise of certificates, another acre, in another 
payment, may cost you in specie two shillings and sixpence." 

A letter from John C. Symmes to Capt. Dayton, dated April 30, 1790, 
says: "The land in the reserved township is held at much too high a price. 
Not a foot of land beyond the five-acre lots will sell. Five shillings, specie, 
or two dollars in certificates, is the utmost they will bring, and they will rarely 
sell at that." 

This state of affairs was in a large degree brought about by the breaking-up 
of North Bend and a removal of the town to Fort Washington, or Cincinnati, 
later. A search through the old letters and other preserved documents prove 
that North Bend was at one time the beginning of the great city on the Ohio, 
rather than Cincinnati. Judge Symmes wrote. May 18, 1789 : " I have not as 
yet been able to make a decisive choice of a plat for the city, though I have 
found two pieces of ground, both eligible, but not upon the present plan of a 
regular square. It is a question of no little moment and difficulty to deter- 
mine which of these spots is preferable, in point of local situation. I know 
that at first thought men will decide in favor of that on the Ohio, from the 
supposition that the Ohio will command more trade and business than the 
Miami. * * * But if it were built on the Miami, the settlers 
throughout the purchase would find it very convenient." 

Another of the earliest selections of town sites was adjacent to the most 
southerly point of what is now Delhi Township. To this the name of South 
Bend was given. Judge Symmes reports November 4, 1790, of this place, 
over forty framed and hewed-log two-story houses, since the preceding spring. 
Ensign Luce is said to have taken his troops to North Bend, but decided to 
remove to Cincinnati, on account of the object of his affections having settled 
there — the wife of a settler. But this story is refuted by contradictory evi- 
dence from Judge Symmes' letters, which illustrate the fact that the post of 
North Bend was abandoned by Ensign Luce and his men in consequence of a 
panic, caused by Indian attacks. The removal of the troops caused a general 
decline of the town. Again, history and letters from the same eminent Judge, 
assert that Fort Washington was completed and garrisoned by Maj. Doughty 
before the close of that same year, and was begun by him during the summer, 
that Ensign Luce must have still been at his post at the bend at that time. It 
has been, therefore, recently accepted that the traditional "black eyes" and 
the "Indian panic," had nothing to do with the founding of Cincinnati, and 
that the advantages of the position gained the victory. 

Cincinnati has advanced, not only in prosperity and culture, but in national 
significance. Our readers must have observed, in perusing these pages, that 



180 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

from this city and the State which it represents, have emanated some of the 
superior intellects which have used their wise faculties and talents, tempered by 
a wise judgment, in behalf of the American Union. 

The originality of the Senecas and Wyandots have been debated at some 
length, while others have called the tribes the same, having two branches. We 
have searched the earlier records and have found an authenticated account of 
these two tribes. 

The Indian tribes of Ohio were originally bold, fierce and stalwart. The 
country watered by the Sandusky and its tributaries was frequented by the 
Wyandot tribe, who came from the north side of the St. Lawrence River. The 
Senecas were blood relatives of this tribe. Both tribes were numbered by the 
thousands. A war originated between them, in this manner: A Wyandot 
chief desired to wed the object of his affections, who laughed him to scorn, 
because he had taken no scalps, and was no warrior " to speak of" To change 
her opinion, he led out a party, and falling upon a number of Senecas, slaugh- 
tered them mercilessly, that he might hasten to the side of his dusky belle, with 
his trophies. This act inaugurated hostilities, which extended through a century. 
The Wyandots began to fear extermination, and, gathering their entire effects^ 
the natives escaped to Green Bay, and settled in several villages. But the Sen- 
ecas made up a war party and followed them, killing many Wyandots and burn- 
ing some of their villages. They then returned to Canada. Soon thereafter, 
they secured fire-arms from the French. Again they followed the Wyandots, 
firing their guns into their huts, and frightening thepa severely. They did not 
succeed as well as they expected. But the third party nearly exterminated the 
villages, because the young warriors were nearly all gone to war with the Foxes. 
The few at home escaping, promised to return with the Senecas, but desired 
two days for preparation. The Wyandots sent word to the two villages left 
undisturbed, and held a consultation. They decided to go as near the Senecas 
as possible, unobserved, and discover their real motive. They found them feast- 
ing on two roasted Wyandots, shouting over their victory. They danced nearly 
all night, and then fell asleep. A little before daylight, the Wyandots fell on 
them, leaving not one to carry back the news. 

The Wyandots then procured guns, and began to grow formidable. They 
set out to return to their own country, and proceeded on their way as far as 
Detroit, where they met a party of Senecas, on the lake. A fierce conflict 
ensued, and the Wyandots beheld the Senecas fall, to the last man, suffering 
fearful carnage themselves. They soon settled in this part of the world, their 
principal village being on the Sandusky. Northwestern Ohio was particularly 
dangerous with new Indian tribes, and the Wyandots were cruelly aggressive. 
The death of their chief, and their total defeat by Harrison, destroyed their 
power forever. 

On the 29th of September, 1817, a treaty was held, at the foot of the rapids 
of the Miami of Lake Erie, between Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, 



HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 181 

Commissioners of the United States, and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the 
Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, Potawattomie, Ottawa and Chippewa 
nations. All their lands in Ohio were ceded to the United States forever. 

There was really not a Seneca in the Seneca nation. They were chiefly 
Cayugas, Mohawks, Onondagas, Tuscarawas, Wyandots and Oneidas. But the 
Mingoes were originally Cayugas, and their chief was the celebrated Logan. 
After the murder of his family by the whites, the Mingoes were scattered over 
the territory northwest of the Ohio. 

The notorious Simon Girty was adopted by the Senecas. Girty's name was 
a terror and fiendish horror for many years. He not only led the Indians in 
their atrocities, but he added barbarism to their native wickedness. 

CONCLUSION. 

When peace was proclaimed, after the surrender of Gen. Robert E.^2ee to 
Gen. U. S. Grant, the volunteer troops disbanded, and a return to home indus- 
tries instituted, Ohio, like many other States, gave direct attention to the inter- 
ests of returned soldiers. The thrift of the State was augmented by a spasmodic, 
and thereafter recognized as a fictitious, demand for products, commercial and 
industrial pursuits redoubled their forces. But the great wave of stagnation 
swept over this fair land — the re-action of a war excitement. Laborers were 
many, but wages were inadequate. Deeper and deeper settled this lethargy — 
called by many " hard times" — until the wheels of commercial life revolved 
slowly, and from the workshops and the factories went up the echoes of priva- 
tion and distress. There was no famine, no fever, no epidemic, it was simply 
exhaustion. In the larger cities there was much suffering. Idle people loitered 
about, barely seeking employment, the task seeming worse than hopeless. 

During the years 1870, 1871 and 1872, the stringent measures brought 
about by the depressed state of business retarded any material advancement in 
general matters. The years 1873-74 were marked by a preceptible improve- 
ment, and a few factories were established, while larger numbers were employed 
in those already founded. The year 1875 was under the direction of a Demo- 
cratic Legislature. It was marked in many respects by a " reverse motion " in 
many laws and regulations. 

The Legislature which convened in 1876, January 3, was Republican in the 
main. It repealed the " Geghan Law " passed by the preceding body. At 
the time of its adoption, there was the most intense feeling throughout the State, 
the charge being made that it was in the interests of the Catholics. Among 
the general enactments were laws re-organizing the government of the State insti- 
tutions, which the previous Legislature had ordered according to their own belief 
to follow new doctrines. The ofiice of Comptroller of the Treasury was abolished. 
The powers of municipal corporations to levy taxes was limited, and their 
authority to incur debts was limited. Furthermore, this body prohibited any 
municipal appropriations, unless the actual money was in the Treasury to meet 



182 HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO. 

the same in full. A law was passed for the protection of children under fourteen 
years of age, exhibited in public shows. 

The temperance cause received more vigorous and solid support than was 
ever rendered by the State previously. A common-sense, highly moral and 
exalted platform was formed and supported by many leading men. 

This year witnessed the serious "strikes" among the miners in Stark and 
Wayne Counties. The consequences were painful — distress, riots and distruc- 
tion of property. 

The State Mine Inspector reported 300 coal mines in the State, with only 
twenty-five in operation. Not oyer 3,000,000 tons of coal were raised during 
the year, owing to the dullness of the times. 

The State charities reported the aggregate number under public care to be 
29,508. The taxation for the maintenance of these classes was one and one 
six-hundredth of a mill on each dollar of taxable property. 

The reports given of the year 1877 indicated a revival of business interests 
and prosperity. The State produced of wheat, 27,306,566 bushels ; rye, 
914,106 bushels; buckwheat, 225,822 bushels; oats, 29,325,611; barley, 
1,629,817 bushels ; corn, 101,884,305 bushels ; timothy, tons of hay, 2,160,334 ; 
clover, tons of hay, 286,265; flax, pounds of fiber, 7,343,294; potatoes, 
10,504,278 bushels; sweet potatoes, 126,354| bushels; tobacco, 24,214,950 
pounds ; sorghum, sugar, 7,507| pounds ; syrup, 1,180,255 gallons ; maple 
sugar, 1,625,215 pounds; maple syrup, 324,036 gallons; honey, 1,534,902 
pounds. 

The growth of manufacturing industries, the remarkable annual increase 
in stock and in agricultural products since 1877, leave no room to doubt the 
rapid advancement of Ohio in general wealth. 



PART III. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY, 



^"2" :r. o. :b:ro^jvi<t. 



CHAPTER I. 



int. oiATii iHEiK Social Relations with the First Settlers. 

nf ,u f • •,. n ^"^ ^'^ ^^e dust 

Of these fair solitudes once stir with life 

And burn with passion? Let the mighty mounds 

That overlook the rivers, or that rise 

In the dim forests crowded witli old oaks 

Answer. A race that Ions; has passed aw'ay 

Built them; a disciplined and populous race 

Heaped with lon^toil the earth, while yet the Greek 

Was hewing the Pentelicus to forms 

Of symmetry, and rearing on its rock 

The glittering Parthenon.— 5r^ani5. 

TT is now generally believed that a very numerous race of people occupied 

North T^' ?''*'r.-^^ ^^'' '°^'^^^^* ^°^g ^^t^"«^- ^« the^coming o?the 
North American Indians, but there is no authentic history regarding them 
further than can be gleaned from the multiplicity of massive works stretcT 
mg from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. These works all bear the 
same general chai-acteristics, and are either mounds, effigies, or defensive 
indosures some of which are of a very marked and extraordinary character 
This long forgotten race, called Mound-Builders, in lieu of a more accurate 
designation, evidently possessed a distinctive civilization, and from JheTe 
cuhar hieroglyphic characters sometimes found upon heir sW Ymp^e" 
Thoul there' is'm^"^^' P-bable^they may have Ld a written Tangufge," 
bevond iCw 1 ! ^"^'"^^^.^l on which to found such a conclusion.^ But 
vaTnforafurthl?''1 ^P^^^f^^ inonuments, the arch^ologist seeks in 
vam foi a further solution of the grand problem of the comin|, subsequent 



188 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

life and disappearance of this pre-historic race. On opening a mound he 
finds only moldering skeletons, scattered remnants of earthenware, rude 
weapons of warfare, axes of stone, flint drills, spear-heads, pestles, badges, 
and many other specimens of stone ornaments cut and polished from mate- 
rial rarely indigenous to the place where found, showing their owners to 
have been a migratory people or a conquering nation. 

A thousand interesting queries arise respecting them, but the most 
searching investigations only give us vague and unsatisfactory specula- 
tions as an answer. If we knock at their tombs, no spirit reposing within 
responds to the summons, but a sepulchral echo comes ringing down the 
ages, reminding us how fruitless the search into that inscrutable past, over 
which the curtain of oblivion seems to have been irrevocably drawn. 
Whence came these people; who and what were they, and whither did they 
go? Some writers have discovered evidences, oonvincing, apparently, to 
themselves, that this pre-historic race came from the other side of the 
globe, and that their advent was made at different times and fi-om different 
points of a general hive in the supposed cradle of humanity — Central Asia. 
Others think them to have been the forgotten ancestors of the degen- 
erate and now decaying American Indians, from whom, they having no preser- 
vative written language, the memory of their ancestors has gradually slipped. 
Still others fancy them to have been the original indigenous, sponta- 
neous product of the soil. Regardless, however, of the origin, progress 
and destiny of this curious people, the fact of their having been here is cer- 
tain; therefore the best that can be done by the archaeologist is to examine 
their works and draw from them the conclusions that seem the most proba- 
ble. 

The mounds vary in height from about five to thirty feet, with several 
notable exceptions, when they reach an altitude of eighty to ninety feet. 
The inclosures contain villages, altars, temples, idols, cemeteries, monu- 
ments, camps, fortifications and pleasure gi'ouuds. They are chiefly of 
some symmetrical figure, as circle, ellipse, rectangular parallelogram, or 
regular polygon, and inclose from one or two acres to as high as fifty acres. 
The circumvallations generally contain the mounds, although there are 
many of the latter to be found standing isolated on the banks of a stream 
or in the midst of a broad plateau, being evidently thus placed as outposts 
of offense or defense, for the fact that they were a very warlike, and even 
conquering race, is fully attested by the numerous fortifications to be met 
with wherever any trace of them is found. 

The works of the Mound-Builders in the United States are divided into 
three groups: The first group extends from the upper sources of the Alle- 
gheny River to the headwaters of the IVIissoui'i; the second occupies the 
Ohio and Mississippi Valleys, and the third stretches across the country, 
with very little interrviption, from South Carolina to the western limits of 
Texas. These groups are subdivided into three varieties of elevations — 
mounds, inclosures and elfigies — which are designated as mounds of sepul- 
ture, sacrifice, worship, observation, commemoration and defense. Mounds 
of sepulture are more numerous than the others, and conical in shape. 
They usually contain the bones of one or more skeletons, accompanied by 
ornaments and implements of stone, mica, slate, shell or obsidian; besides 
pottery, whole and fi-agmentary, bone and copper beads, and the bones of 
animals. Mounds of sacrifice are recognized by their stratification, being 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. . 189 

convex and constructed of clay and sand on the normal level of the soil, on 
top of which can be found a layer of ashes, charcoal and calcined bones, 
which in turn has a layer of clay and sand, followed by more ashes, char- 
coal, etc. , till the gradual upbuilding resulted in the manner we now see. 
These mounds also often contain beads, stone implements, pottery and rude 
sculptui'e, and occasionally a skeleton, showing that they may have been 
used as burial places. Mounds of worship, which are comparatively few, 
have generally a large base and low elevation, and are in some instances 
terraced with inclined ways to the top. Their size and character have 
led to the inference that these flat-topped mounds originally were crowned 
with temples of wood, for had they been stone, traces of that raaterial 
would be found. Mounds of observation, or beacon or signal mounds, are 
generally found upon elevated positions, and apparently could have sub- 
served no other purpose than as "look-out" stations, or beacon points, and 
as confirmatory of the latter purpose, ashes and charcoal have been found 
imbedded in their summits. These mounds occur on the line of what are 
considered the outposts of these pre-historic conquerors. Mounds in com- 
memoration of some important event or character are here and there to be 
found, and they are thus classed because, from their composition, position 
and character, they are neither sepulchral, sacrificial, temple, defensive nor 
observation mounds. They are generally constructed of earth, but in some 
instances in Ohio, where they are stone erections, they are considered to be 
monumental. Mounds of defense, however, with the exception, possibly, of 
one or two effigies in Ohio, are the most remarkable. These mormds in 
some instances give evidence that then* builders were acquainted with all 
the peculiarities in the construction of the best defensive earth and stone 
works. They are always upon high ground and precipitous bluffs, and in 
positions that would now be selected by the accomplished strategist. The 
gateways to these forts are narrow and defended by the usual wall in 
front of them, whilst the double angle at the corners and projecting walls 
along the sides for enfilading attack show a knowledge of warfare that is 
phenomenal in so rude a people as their implements would indicate. Moats 
are often noticed around these fortifications, and cisterns or wells are to be 
found within the inclosures. 

When the first settlers arrived at the sites of Marietta and Circloville, 
Ohio, a number of these earthworks were discovered, some of which yet 
exist; and at Newark when the circumvallation, known as the "fort," was 
first seen by those who settled there in the early years of the century, a 
large tree, whose age was possibly not less than six hundi-ed years, stood 
upon one of the embankments over twenty feet above the general level, thus 
giving great antiquity to the erection. Ohio contains many curious forms 
of these works, two of the most singular being in Licking County and 
known respectively as the ' 'Eagle' ' and ' 'Alligator' ' effigies. The first is a 
bird with outstretched wings raised about three or foirr feet above the 
ground in the same manner as a bas-relief of the sculptors; the other is an 
animal closely i-esembling an alligator. They are supposed to have been 
idols, or in some way connected with the religion of the people who built 
them. 

In Ross County a defensive inclosure occupies the summit of a lofty, 
detached hill, twelve miles west of Chillicothe. This hill is not far from 
400 feet in perpendicular height, and some of its sides are actually inaccessi- 



190 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

ble, all of them being abrupt. The defenses consisted originally of a stone 
wall carried around Ihe hill a little below the brow, the remains of this 
wall existing now only in a line of detached stones, but showing plainly 
their evident purpose and position. The area inclosed embraced about 140 
acres, and the wall itself was two and one-quarter miles in length. Trees 
of the largest size now grow upon the ruins of this fortification. About six 
miles east of Lebanon, Warren County, on the Little Miami River, is an- 
other extensive fortification, called ' ' Fort Ancient. ' ' It stands on a plain, 
nearly horizontal, about 236 feet above the level of the river, between two 
branches with very steep banks. The extreme length of these works in a 
direct line is nearly a mile, although following their angles, retreating and 
salient, they probably reach a distance of six miles. Another of these in- 
closures is located in the southeastern part of Highland County, on an emi- 
nence 500 feet above the level of Brush Creek, which washes its base. The 
walls of the fortifications are over half a mile long, and the works are locally 
called ' ' Fort Hill. ' ' The remains of an inclosure may yet be seen near 
Carrollton, a few miles south of Dayton, Montgomery County. All of these 
inclosures were evidently constructed for defensive purposes, and give sig- 
nal proofs of the military knowledge of their builders. 

Burial mounds dre very numerous in this State, and there are few coun- 
ties that have not a greater or less number of these tumuli. The most re- 
markable of this class was a mound opened by John S. B. Matson, in Har- 
din County, in which over 300 human skeletons were found. Some antiqua- 
rians, however, entertain the belief that they were not all the remains of 
Mound-Builders, but many of them Indian remains, as it is well known that 
the latter often interred their dead in those monuments of their predeces- 
sors. When the first band of pioneers to the Western Reserve arrived at 
the mouth of Conneaut Creek, July 4, 1796, they discovered several mounds, 
and could easily trace the outline of a large cemetery then overgrown with 
forest. Explorations were subsequently made, and some gigantic skeletons 
exhumed from mounds which stood on the site of Conneaut, Ashtabula 
County. The frames and jaw-bones wei-e those of giants, and could not 
have belonged to the race of Indians then inhabiting any portion of this 
country. Several years ago a burial mound was opened in Logan County, 
from which three skeletons were taken. The frame of one was in an excel- 
lent state of preservation, and measured nearly seven feet from the top of 
the skull to the lower part of the heel. In 1850 a mound lying on the north 
bank of Big Darby, about one mile northwest of Plain City, in Union 
County, was opened and several massive skeletons taken therefrom. The 
lower jaw-bones, like those found at Conneaut, could be easily fitted over 
the jaw of a very large man, outside the flesh. These bones — and they are 
usually large wherever found — indicate that the Mound-Builders were a 
gigantic race of beings, fully according in s^ze with the colossal remains 
they have left behind them. 

The largest mound in Ohio, called the ' 'Great Mound, ' ' is located on the 
east bank of the Miami River, a short distance southeast of Miamisburg, 
Montgomery County. The surface elevation at this point is more than 150 
feet above the level of the stream. The mound measures 800 feet around the 
base, and about sixty-five feet in height, though archaeologists claim that it 
was originally more than eighty feet high. Explorations and the wear and 
tear of the elements have worn oflF the summit about fifteen feet. At the 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 191 

time the pioneers first came to the Miami Valley this mound was covered 
with trees, a large maple crowning the top, from which, it is said, the few 
cabins then constituting Dayton were plainly visible. In 1869 a shaft was 
sunk from the top of the mound to a distance of two feet below the base, and 
about eight feet fi'om the surface a human skeleton was found in a sitting 
posture, facing due east. A deposit of vegetable matter, bones of small ani- 
mals, also wood and stone surrounded the skeleton, while a cover of clay, 
ashes and chax'coal seems to have been the^ mode of burial. 

Few traces of the Mound-Builders are now left in Hancock County, al- 
though it has been stated by several intelligent pioneers that many 
small mounds were found by the first settlers, who regarded them as "Indian 
graveyards." All of the tumuli in this portion of the State were each 
about five feet high and thirty feet in diameter, and on being opened ex- 
hibited the same evidences of construction as those previously mentioned. 
Three of these mounds were located northeast of Cannonsburg, in Union 
Township; two on Section 11, and one on Section 13, Orange Township; 
one on the old John Povenmire farm in Section 21, Liberty Township, and 
one about a mile south of Mount Blanchard, on the farm of Isaac Elder. 
Those in Orange and Union Townships were opened by William M. McKin- 
ley and Fayette Ballard, who found human remains in each mound, also 
flint arrow heads and other implements of stone, some of which Mr. McKinley 
has now in his possession. Most, if not all of these tumuli have been 
nearly obliterated by cultivation, as no effort was ever made toward pre- 
serving them fi'om the iconoclastic wantonness of the agricultiirist. No 
doubt many more small mounds once existed in other townships of Hancock 
County, which the plow has long since obliterated. Numerous evidences of 
this strange people cannot be looked for here, but that they once inhabited 
the valley of the Blanchard is beyond all reasonable doubt. 

"The red man came — 
The roaming hunter tribes, warlike and fierce. 
And the Mound-Builders vanished from the earth." 

The question of the origin of the North American Indian has long inter- 
ested archaeologists, and is one of the most difficult they have been called 
upon to answer. The commonly accepted opinion is that they are a deriva- 
tive race, and sprang fi'om one or more of the ancient peoples of Asia. 
Some writers have put forward the theory that the Indians, from their tribal 
organization, faint similarity of language and religion, and the high cheek- 
bone in the well developed specimen of the race, are the descendants of the 
two lost tribes of Israel. Others contend that they descended from the Hin- 
doos, and that the Brahmin idea, which uses the sun to symbolize the 
Creator, has its counterpart in the sun-worship of some Indian tribes. They 
have lived for centuries without much apparent progress — purely a hunter 
race — while the Caucasian, under the transforming power of Christianity — 
the parent of art, science and civil government — has made the most rapid 
advancement. Under the influences of the church, however, the Indian has 
often shown a commendable capability for accepting the teachings of civili- 
zation; but the earnest efforts of her devoted missionaries have often been 
nullified or totally destroyed by the unwise policy pursued by the governing 
power, or the dishonesty and selfishness of the officials in charge. Stung 
to madness at our injustice and usurpation of his hunting grounds, he has 
remained a savage, and his career in the upward march of man is forever 



192 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY, 

stunted. The Indian race is in the position of a half-grown giant cut down 
before reaching manhood. There never has been a savage people who 
could compare with them in their best estate. Splendid in physique, with 
intense shrewdness and common sense, and possessed of a bravery unex- 
celled, there never was a race of uncivilized people who had within them so 
much to make them great, as the red man. Whatever he has been or is, he was 
never charged with being a coward or a fool, and as compared to the barbarians 
of other portions of the globe, he js as " Hyperion to a satyr. ' ' 

The advent of the whites iipon the shores of the Western continent engen- 
dered in the bosoms of the aborigines a spark of jealousy, which, by the im- 
politic course of the former, was soon fanned into a blaze, and a contest was 
thereby inaugurated that sooner or later must end in the extermination of 
the latter. The struggle has been long and bitter; many a campaign has 
been planned by warriors worthy and able to command armies for the de- 
struction of the pale-faced invaders. When Philip struck the blow which 
he hoped would forever crush the growing power of the white man, both 
recognized the supreme importance of the contest, and the courage and re- 
sources of the New England colonists were taxed to the utmost to avoid 
a defeat, which meant final destruction. The fierce resistance of later days, 
as the Indians were driven farther and farther toward the setting sun, are 
historic facts with which the student is already familiar. The conspiracy 
of Pontiac, the famous Ottawa chieftain, in 1763, failed in its object of ex- 
termination, and the bravery and sagacity of the celebrated Indian leaders, 
Brandt, Red Jacket, Cornplanter, Cornstalk, Logan, Black Hoof, Tarhe, 
Little Turtle and Blue Jacket, could not prevail against the heroes of the 
Revolution, and the triumph of Wayne in 1794 closed a long series of 
bloody Indian wars, A few years passed by when Tecumseh flashed out 
like a brilliant meteor in the firmament of great Indian leaders, and or- 
ganized the Western tribes for a last desperate effort to hold their own 
against the advancing tide of civilization. But he too went down in defeat 
and death before the prowess of Harrison's legions. W^hen the Creeks, in 
1813, through the intrigue of Tecumseh, challenged the people of the South 
to mortal combat, it re({uired the genius of a Jackson, and soldiers worthy 
of such a chief, to avert a serious calamity. But since the decisive battle 
of Tohopeka, March 27, 1814, there has been but one Indian war of any 
considerable magnitude, viz. : the Seminole war in Florida. The Black 
Hawk outbreak in Illinois, in 1832, required but a few weeks' service of raw 
militia to quell, but the Seminoles of Florida, led by the indomitable 
Osceola, a half-breed of great talents, carried on a bitter struggle from 
1835 to 1839, when their power was completely crushed, and they were 
soon after removed beyond the Mississippi, Since then campaigns have 
dwindled into mere raids, and battles into skirmishes. The massacre of 
Custer's command in Montana must be regarded as an accident of no per- 
manent importance, and a dozen such melancholy events would not in the 
least alarm the country. Indian fighting, though not free from peril, now 
serves a useful purpose for the army graduates of West Point, who might 
otherwise go to their graves without ever having smelled hostile gunpowder. 
Two hundi'ed years ago the white man lived in America only by the red 
man's consent, and within that period the combined strength of the red 
man might have driven the white into the sea. Along the Atlantic coast are 
still to be seen the remains of the rude fortifications which the early settlers 



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^k. K^^^y 



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^^^^-tM^^i^^^-^^/Pl^^>^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 195 

built to protect themselves from the host of enemies around ; but to find the 
need of such j^rotection " now one must go beyond the Mississippi, to a few 
widely scattered points in Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon. The enemy 
that once camped in sight of the Atlantic has retreated toward the slope of 
the Pacific, and from that long retreat there can be no returning. East of 
the stream which he called the Father of Waters, nothing is left of the 
Indian except the beautiful names he gave and the graves of his dead, save 
here and there the remnants of once powerful tribes, living on reservations 
by the sufferance of their conqueror^. The Indian has resisted and will 
continue to resist every effort to civilize him by coercion, every attempt to 
force at the point of the bayonet the white man's ideas into his brain. He 
does not want and will not have our manners or our code of morals forced 
upon him. The greatest redeeming feature in the Indian character and 
career is that he has always preferred the worst sort of freedom to the best 
sort of slavery. Whether his choice was a wise one or not the reader can 
determine; but it is impossible not to feel some admiration for the indomit- 
able spirit that has never bowed to the yoke, never called any man ' 'master. ' ' 
The Indian is a savage, but he never was, never will be, a "slave. We have 
treated him like a dog and are surprised that he bites. In a speech in New 
York City, not long before his death, Gen. Samuel Houston, indisputable 
authority on such matters, declared with solemn emphasis that "there never 
was an Indian war in which the white man was not the aggressor. " Ag- 
gression leading to war is not our heaviest sin against the Indian. He has 
been deceived, cheated and robbed to such an extent that he looks upon most 
of the white race as villains to whom he should show no quarter. A very 
decided feeling of justice to the abused red man is gaining ground of late 
years, and numerous able writers have been engaged in defending him, among 
whom are Joaquin Miller, the poet, and Hon. A. B. Meacham. But we can 
well afford, after getting all his land and nearly exterminating him, to ex- 
tend to him a little cheap sympathy. 

The Indians of this continent were never so numerous as has generally 
been supposed, although they were spread over a vast extent of country. 
Continual wars prevented any great increase, and their mode of life was not 
calculated to promote longevity or numbers. The great body of them origi- 
nally were along the Atlantic seaboard, and most of the Indian tribes had 
traditions that their forefathers lived in splendid hunting grounds far to the 
westward. The best authorities affirm that, on the discovery of this country, 
the number of the scattered aborigines of the territory now forming the 
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan could not have ex- 
ceeded 18.000. 

The earliest date of any authentic knowledge of the Indian in this section 
is 1650, when the Eries held possession of the northern portion of what is 
now Ohio. They lived along the southern borders of the lake which bears 
their name, but when their domains were invaded by the Iroquois, about 
1655, most of them fell before their relentless foes, whilst the remainder 
became incorporated with other tribes, were di'iven farther southward, or 
adopted into those of their conquerors. During the first half of the seven- 
teenth century the Shawnees were living along the valley of the Ohio, but 
they, too, were dispersed by the Five Nations, or Iroquois, and dispossessed 
of their lands, though they subsequently returned to their early hunting 
grounds. For many years before and after 1700 this entire territory was 



196 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

occupied by the remnants of defeated tribes, who were permitted to remain 
by sufferance of their conquerors, the latter exacting a tribute', collected at 
will from the wandering and unsettled tribes. In 1750, however, some- 
thing like permanent occupation had again taken place, and we find in what 
is now Ohio the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawnees, Miamis, Miinsees, 
Ottawas, Senecas, Cayugas, Mohawks, Oneidas and Onondagas, the last five 
being known in history as the Mingoes of Ohio. 

The Wyandots then inhabited the valleys of the Sandusky Eiver and its 
tributaries, and also dwelt around Sandusky Bay, and along a few other 
streams flowing into Lake Erie. The Delawares and Munsees occupied the 
Muskingum Valley. The Shawnees lived along the Scioto fi'om the Ohio to 
the Scioto Marsh, and also had a few towns on the Miami and Mad Rivers. 
The Miamis occupied the country drained by the headwaters of the Mau- 
mee, Wabash and Great Miami Rivers, from the Loramie portage across to 
Fort Wayne and down the Maumee Valley. The Ottawas were scattered 
along the Lower Blanchard, Auglaize and Maumee Rivers, and around the 
western end of the lake ; while the Mingoes, composed of Senecas, Cayugas, 
Mohawks, Oneidas and Onondagas, were settled in the eastern and north- 
eastern portions of the State, but, like the other tribes, were gradually 
pushed westward. 

By the Greenville treaty, ratified August 3, 1795, the United States ac- 
quired from the Indians about two-thirds of the present territory of Ohio. 
The boundary line began at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River; thence up 
that stream to the portage leading to the Tuscarawas River; thence along 
the portage and down the Tuscarawas to the forks (the town of Bolivar) ; 
thence in a southwesterly direction to Loramie' s store, on the Great Miami 
River (in Shelby County); thence to Fort Recovery (in Mercer County); 
thence southwest to the Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Kentucky River. 
All of the lands east and south of this line were ceded by the Indians to the 
Government. The previous treaties of Fort Mcintosh, in 1785, Fort Fin- 
ney, in 1786, and Fort Harmar, in 1789, had a similar object in view, but 
failed in accomplishing a peace of sufficient permanence for the whites to 
obtain possession of the coveted territory. The Indians also ceded to the 
Government, by the treaty of Greenville, several tracts within the territory 
still retained by them, for the establishment of trading posts or settlements. 
Those in Ohio were located at gr near Loramie' s store, and on the St. 
Mary's, Auglaize, Maumee and Sandusky Rivers, and Sandusky Bay. The 
tribes likewise guaranteed to the people of the United States free passage 
by land and water between said posts. By a treaty made at Fort Industry 
(Toledo), July 4, 1805, all of the Western Reserve west of the Cuyahoga 
River was secured. In November, 1807, the lands north of the Maumee 
were purchased by treaty at Detroit, Mich. , fi-om the Ottawas, Wyandots, 
Pottawatomies and Chippewas; and in November, 1808, the same tribes, 
with the Shawnees, by a treaty at Brownstown, Mich. , granted a tract two 
miles wide for a road through the Black Swamp, from the Maumee Rapids 
to the east line of the Western Reserve. On the 29th of September, 1817, a 
treaty was made at the foot of the Maumee Rapids, with the W^yandots, Ot- 
tawas, Shawnees, Delawares, Senecas, Pottawatomies and Chippewas, and 
all of the lands in this State then remaining in possession of the Indians 
were ceded to the United States. 

Certain reservations were set aside by this treaty for the uses of the sev- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 197 

eral Indian tribes, to which large additions were made by a treaty con- 
cluded at St. Mary' s, Ohio, with the Wyandots, Senecas, Shawnees and Ot- 
tawas, September 17, 1818. The Wyandot Eeservations embraced a tract of 
twelve miles square around Upper Sandusky, one mile square on Broken 
Sword Creek, 55,080 acres lying on the north and east of the Upper San- 
dusky Reserve, and 16,000 acres surrounding the Big Spring at the east 
end of the marsh (in what is now the southwest corner of Seneca County, 
and extending across the line into Big Lick Township, Hancock County), 
the last mentioned tract being ' ' for the use of the Wyandots residing at 
Solomon' s Town and on Blanchard' s Fork. " The Delawares had a reserve 
of three miles square immediately south of the Wyandots, extending into 
Marion County. The Ottawas had three tracts set aside for their residence, 
viz. : five miles square on the Blanchard River around the village of Ottawa 
(Putnam County), three miles square on the Little Auglaize around 
Oquanoxa's Town, and thirty -foiu- square miles on the south side of the 
Maumee, including the village of the Indian chief McCarty. The Shawnees 
had reserved ten miles square around their village of Wapakoneta (Auglaize 
County), twenty square miles adjoining it on the east, twenty-five square 
miles on Hog Creek, also adjoining the first mentioned tract, and forty-eight 
square miles surrounding the Indian village of Lewistown (Logan County). 
Another tract containing 8,960 acres, lying west of the Lewistown Reserva- 
tion, was set aside for mixed bands of Shawnees and Senecas. The "Sene- 
cas of Sandusky" were given 40,000 acres on Sandusky River, lying in what 
is now Seneca and Sandusky Counties. Besides the foregoing reservations, 
numerous smaller tracts were granted at different points to individual chiefs, 
half-breeds and adopted whites then living with the Indians. In 1818 the 
Miamis, whose reservation included lands on St. Mary's River, near the west 
line of the State, ceded the same to the United States. In 1829 the Dela- 
ware Reserve was purchased, and, in 1831, the reservations located in 
Logan, Auglaize, Seneca, Hancock and Sandusky Counties, were like- 
wise obtained, and those of the Ottawas in 1838. In March, 1842, the 
Wyandots ceded their lands to the Government, and in July of the following 
year the last Indian left Ohio for the far West. Thus, after a struggle of 
more than three-quarters of a century, the red man was at last forced^to suc- 
cumb to the strength and prowess of a superior race, and his bloodthirsty 
efforts were futile to stem the onward march of American civilization. 

The territory embraced in Hancock County lay between the Indian 
towns in what is now Wyandot and Seneca Counties and those located on 
the Blanchard, Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. It was a portion of the 
hunting grounds of the Wyandots and Ottawas, who within the period of 
American history roamed at will through its unbroken forests. The Wyan- 
dots had a small village on the site of Findlay, and cultivated corn along 
the river within the present limits of the city. Howe, in his ' 'Historical 
Collections, " speaking of the settlement of Wilson Vance at Fort Findlay, 
in 1821, says: "There were then some ten or fifteen Wyandot families in 
the place, who had made improvements. They were a temperate, fine-look- 
ing people, and friendly to the first settlers. ' ' Howe was, probably, mis- 
taken, as under the treaty of 1817 the Indians gave up all claims to' these 
lands and removed to certain reservations set aside for their benefit, one of 
which was "reserved for the use of the Wyandots residing at Solomon's 
Town and on Blanchard' s Fork." This plainly indicates that there were 



198 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

settlements of Wyandots on the Blauchard, and we believe Findlay was the 
site of one of these villages. 

The writer called upon Mrs. Elizabeth Eberly, a daughter of Benjamin J. 
Cox, who now resides near Portage, Wood County, and in reply to his questions 
she gave the following information: "When my father settled at Fort Find- 
lay, in 1815, there were eight or ten families of friendly Wyandots living 
around and in the block-houses of the fort. They tilled two fields, one 
above and the other below Fort Findlay, on the south bank of the Blanch- 
ard. Kuqua was the chief, and one of his sons, Tree-Top-in-The- Water, 
died in a cabin west of the fort before the Indians removed to Big Spring 
Reservation. New Bearskin, another of Kuqua' s sons, lived in one of the 
block-houses, and the old chief also occupied one of the same buildings. 
Six or seven miles down the river the Wyandots had another village, which 
my father sometimes visited. Solomon, who once lived in Logan County, 
dwelt at the latter village, and often came to our house. We never had 
any trouble with the Indians who lived upon the Blanchard, and when they 
removed to Big Spring, Kuqua offered my father a tract of land near the 
spring if he would go and live with them, but he did not care to go, and 
refused the kind offer. ' ' The foregoing may be regarded as indubitable proof 
that the Wyandots had two villages on the Blanchard, in what is now Han- 
cock County, and also that the sites of these towns were at Findlay and 
' ' Indian Green, ' ' in Liberty Township. 

As further evidence of the existence of an Indian village on the site of 
Findlay, an excerpt is here given from the work of Squire Carlin, who is 
recognized as a reliable authority on local pioneer history: "When I settled 
at Findlay, in the fall of 1826," says Mr. Carlin, "several small cabins stood 
west of the old fort, and others southwest of the residence of Wilson Vance, 
in the rear of the Sherman House site. There were no Indians living here 
at that time, but I understood these cabins were built by the Indians, and 
that they also had raised corn on the river bottoms above the fort. It has 
always been my impression that an Indian village once existed at this point, 
though I believe the occupants moved away soon after the treaty of 1818 
and before the erection of Hancock County in 1820." 

In the history of Liberty Township, the Indian village that once stood 
on the north bank of the Blanchard, in Section 7, is spoken of. It is gen- 
erally believed that the Wyandots had a settlement here up to the treaty 
of 1818, when all these lands having been ceded to the Government, this 
band removed to their reservation at the Big Spring. Further down the 
river, in Putnam County, the Ottawas had, up to the time of their removal 
to the West, two villages, one on the site of Ottawa, and another two miles 
above that point. These towns were known as Upper and Lower 'Tawa, 
the latter being on the site of Ottawa, and the former between that and 
Gilboa. The Wyandot village in Liberty Township was surrounded by a 
clearing of some twelve acres, whereon the Indians had a graveyard, and a 
plum orchard. It has been claimed that an earth fortification once ran along 
the brow of the hill overlooking the river. Careful examination of what is 
said to be the remains of this defensive work leads the writer to believe the cut 
back of the elevation was made by the washings of the surface di-ainage into 
the river. There is nothing here to sustain the theory of an artificial earth- 
work, and no reasonable grounds iipon which to base such a conclusion. 
The site of this village was deserted prior to the coming of any white set- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 199 

tiers to its vicinity, and was subsequently owned by Robert McKinnis. A 
man named Ellison settled upon this tract and began opening the graves 
for the purpose of obtaining the ornaments or, valuables usually interred 
with the Indian dead. The Indians, learning of the desecration, visited 
Ellison, and so thoroughly scared him that he soon afterward left the county. 
Some of the pioneers tell us it was the general belief that Ellison stole about 
a half bushel of jewelry from these graves, but this is, no doubt, an exagger- 
ation. There is scarcely a township in the county where Indian remains have 
not been discovered, as they buried their dead in any spot which fancy dic- 
tated. Ornaments of gold, silver or copper were usually found in each grave. 
Some of the pioneers have claimed that Mount Blanchard is also the site of 
an Indian village, and, from the large number of relics found there by early 
settlers, it is highly probable that a band of Wyandots once dwelt at that 
point. 

The character of the Indians who frequented this ''county cannot be more 
appropriately illustrated than by giving a few extracts from the " Personal 
Reminiscences" of Job ChamlDerlin, Esq., of Findlay, written in 1874: 
' ' The county, ' ' says Mr. Chamberliu (speaking of the early years of set- 
tlement beginning with 1822), "was full of Indians, chiefly Wyandots. 
Those that we became the best acquainted with were Solomon, Bigpan, 
Bearskin, Kuqua, Johnnycake, Half John, Isaac Hill and Armstrong. Sol- 
omon had been a chief in the war of 1812, and he had the temerity to boast, 
to some of his white fi'iends here, of his barbarous feats and inhuman treat- 
ment of his captives. He said at one time he cut his prisoners' tongues off. 
He compelled them to put their tongues out, and as he could not hold them 
with his bare hand, he would take a piece of flannel in his hand and catch 
hold of the tongue with that, then he could hold it and pull it out as far as 
possible to cut it ofl'. He would make a gurgling noise down his throat to 
mimic the victims of his cruelty in their efforts to talk. He also boasted of 
having killed twenty women at one time. He and another Indian went to a 
house where twenty women were collected together for safety, when he broke 
open the door and went in, whilst his companion stood at the door to prevent 
their escape. He said there was one woman who fought him with a chair, 
and came very near overpowering him, while the others crawled under the 
beds. But he finally killed the one who gave him battle, and then had 
nothing to do but di-ag out the others and tomahawk them. 

' ' Kuqua was their doctor, and practiced divination. To cure the patient 
he would pow-wow aroimd the sick bed, and thump around the room until 
the demons, which were supposed to be the cause of the disease, would be 
driven away, and the patient restored to health. * * * ijij^p 

Indians possessed the same fanatical belief in witchcraft that was so dis- 
graceful to the Pilgrim Fathers, and like them would inflict capital punish- 
ment on the victims of their suspicion. Just after we came here, there was 
a squaw living in the eastern part of the county, whom the Indians decided 
had lived to such an extreme old age as to have outlived all usefulness, and 
must therefore be a witch. So they appointed two of their braves to execute 
the death sentence previously passed upon her for the crime of witchcraft. 
They took her into the woods, and each taking hold of an arm raised it up 
and thrust his knife into her side, which soon terminated her life. They 
very indifferently bui-ied her, and the hogs were afterward seen feasting 
upon the remains. ********* 



200 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

' ' The Indians were generally peaceable, but sometimes there would be a * 
difficulty between them and the white settlers, usually as to the ownership 
of stock. Their hogs ran wild in the woods, and occasionally a reckless 
white man would kill some of them, and then the innocent would be blamed. 
My father had a yearling heifer stray away to town, and when he went after 
it the Indians had caught and fastened it with a cord, and refused to sur- 
render the animal. My father, somewhat incensed, commenced untying the 
cord, when Bigpan came up and took hold of his hand, saying, ' No! no! no!' 
but father persisted, and untied it, and let the calf fi-ee. The Indian said, 
'Now you steal my cow, and maybe you steal hog. ' 

"There were a few drunken Indians came into my father's cabin one 
day. My sister was sitting in a chair in front of the fire, when one of them 
came up behind her and flourished his big knife over her head, making 
murderous demonstrations ; but the squaws quickly came f orwai'd and took 
the knife away fi'om him. They also took the weapons from the other In- 
dians and carried them to a safe distance, and the band soon departed with- 
out further trouble. But the Indians were a fruitful source of wealth to 
traders and dealers in furs and deer skins. ***** 

"I have seen some of the Indians with their ears cut from the ear-lap 
about half-way around, close to the rim, but not cut loose at either end. The 
flesh would heal and hang in a cord, on which they would place their rings. 
They would wear moccasins on their feet, made of well-dressed deer skin, hand- 
somely ornamented with colored beads cut from porcupine quills, and beau- 
tifully arranged around the ankle and over the top of the moccasin. Some 
would wear a silver tube, three or four inches long and about one inch in 
diameter, on top of the head, which was held in place by drawing the hair 
firmly through it. The warriors occasionally Would paint their cheeks red, 
put a red stripe over each eye-brow, one down the bridge of the nose and one 
on the chin. The whites thought these marks significant of war, and that 
the Indians thus marked were the allies of some warring tribe of the West. 
Some of the whites were fearful they would be victims, but they were never 
molested, except in a few personal encounters, one of which took place on 
the premises of John P. Hamilton, Esq. Asa Lake had called to stay over 
night, and the Indian, Armstrong, who had been drinking too much whisky, 
also came there for the same purpose. They went to the stable to feed their 
horses, and when Mr. Hamilton went up in the mow to throw down hay, 
Lake thought he would have some sport with the Indian, and taunted him 
about decorating his face, until the redskin got mad, drew his knife, and 
thrust it at Lake's breast with all his might, but missed his aim, the knife 
passing under Lake' s arm and cutting a long slit in his coat. Lake sprang 
for a club, knocked the Indian down, and perhaps would have killed him 
had not Mr. Hamilton interfered and pacified Lake, by reminding him that 
he had provoked the trouble and should not blame the drunken Indian. 
Mr. Hamilton took the Indian into the house and kept him all night, which 
kind act made Armstrong his fi'iend ever afterward. * * * 

' 'But the Indians, like the wild animals, were 'under cow' to the white 
man, as the following instance will fully illustrate: Mr. Hamilton set a 
trap to catch wolves, and one morning on going to where his trap had been 
set, found that it had disappeared. He concluded it had been stolen, and 
accused Half John with taking it, but the Indian declared positively that 
he was innocent. Mr. Hamilton, however, was so sure he was the thief 



HISTORV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 201 

that he told the Indian he would shoot him unless he returned the trap. 
Half John, thoroughly frightened, hunted all day for the missing trap, and 
in the evening came to Hamilton and requested the latter to go with him, 
that he had found the trap. Hamilton went, and was considerably chagrined 
to find his trap on the leg of a big hog. ' ' 

Prior to the departure of the Wyandots for the far West, in July, 1843, 
the pioneers of Hancock County were greatly annoyed by the numerous 
bands of Indian hunters, who roamed the forest in search of game. Many 
of these Indians regarded the produce of the whites as a part of their legiti 
mate spoils, and would bring venison and other game to the isolated cabins 
to exchange for other commodities, and always managed to get what they 
were most in need of. The struggling settler very often had to share his 
scanty meal with any Indian who called at his cabin, and they were always 
ready to eat. The Indians were, as a rule, goui'mands, and we can easily 
imagine the feelings of the needy family upon whom one or more of these 
lazy fellows would call for food. It is true they sometimes repaid such 
hospitality, nevertheless their frequent coming was often a heavy drain upon 
the meager resources of the pioneers, who were not sorry when they finally 
left the country. It was a part of the inevitable that the red man should 
depart and the white man take his place, and no thoughtful, civilized 
person would prefer a land covered with forests and ranged by semi-savages, 
to a great State embellished with all the improvements that art can devise 
or industry execute. 



CHAPTER II. 

The Pioneers of Hancock County— Their Sacrifices and Heroic Per- 
severance— Blanchard. THE French Exile— Erection and Occupa- 
tion OF Fort Findlay— Thorp, the Sutler — First Permanent 
White Settlers — Birth of the First White Child in Hancock 
County— Pioneers of the County Prior to 1830— Immigration to 
Northwestern Ohio and Its Accompanying Hardships— Beginning 
Work in the Unbroken Forest— The Pioneer Cabin and Its Fur- 
niture— Table Ware, Food and Medicine of the Pioneers — Habits, 
Labor and Dress— Early- Manners and Customs — Social Gather- 
ings—First Marriage in the County— The Grater and Hominy 
Block — Pioneer Mills of Hancock County— Difficulties of Going 
to Mill— Prices of Store Goods, Produce and Furs During Early 
Days — Mode of Living— The Pioneer Church and School- Rapid 
Growth and Material Progress of the County After Its Organ- 
ization—The Hancock County Pioneer and Historical Associa- 
tion. 

"What heroism, what perils, then ! 
How true of heart and strong of hand, 
How earnest, resolute, those pioneer men!" 

IN every country there is but one generation of i^ioneers. The history of 
that generation possesses a value and an interest which belong to no sub- 
sequent period. Leaving behind them the comforts and influences of a civil- 
ized community, the pioneers came to a new country, densely forested, 
and applied their stui'dy and earnest energies to the destruction of the 



202 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

towering timber, and the rearing upon its ruins of a new civilization, 
similar to that fi'om which they migrated. The struggles and dangers they 
must undergo, the habits and customs which their new environment engen- 
dered, the gradual ajjproach of their institutions from the inadequacy at 
their inception to the present stage of efficiency, and the self-denying mode 
of life they were obliged to adopt, present a phase of life that has now de- 
parted from this State forever. 

Less than one hundred years ago there was not a single white settlement 
throughout the length and breadth of Ohio, and seventy- five years ago not 
a single white family living in Hancock County. Could those who have 
seen this county only as it now is, borrow the eyes of the sturdy pioneers 
who helped to make the transformation, in place of the now smiling fields 
and comfortable homes, naught but a vast wilderness, filled with savage 
beasts, would greet their sight. The present generation can form no just 
conception of the trials, endless labors, sacrifices and privations to which the 
first settlers heroically submitted. They were not seeking fortunes nor 
fame; they were intent only on making a home for their childi'en, and from 
that laudable impelling motive has arisen the splendid structure of Western 
civilization we see all around us. 

"These Western pioneers an impulse felt, 
Wliich their less hardy sons scarce understand." 

Their industry, enterprise and perseverance wrought from out nature's wilds 
the great prosperity which in the sunlight of to-day, fi'om every hillside and 
glen, looks up to smile u.pon us. The pioneers of Hancock County, with 
few exceptions, have passed to their final account, and it remains for their 
descendants to keep bright the recollections of such names and events as have 
come down to them, for the memory of their deeds deserves to be " written 
in characters of living light upon the firmament, there to endure as radiant 
as if every letter was traced in shining stars. " 

Prior to the coming of the real pioneers, a few wandering whites had 
found their way into the territory drained by the Blanchard River. On the 
authority of Col. John Johnston, long the government agent of the Shawnee 
Indians, Howe, in his "Historical Collections," speaking of Blanchard, 
after whom the stream was named, says: "He was a native of France and 
a man of intelligence, but no part of his history could be obtained from him. 
He doubtless fled his country for some offense against its laws, intermarried 
with a Shawnee woman, and after living here thirty years died in 1802, at 
or near the site of Fort Findlay. When the Shawnees immigrated to the 
West seven of his children were living, one of whom was a chief. ' ' There 
is no doubt that this portion of the State was traversed by French traders 
many years before and after the planting of the first permanent American 
settlement northwest of the Ohio. Many of these men married squaws and 
lived with the Indians as one of themselves. It is therefore probable that 
Blanchard, who, it is said, was a tailor, may have dwelt at intervals and 
worked at his trade in the several Indian villages located on the stream 
which bears his name; and as there was a village on the site of Mount 
Blanchard, another on the site of Findlay, and a third farther down the 
river in Liberty Township, one of these was doubtless the place to which 
Col. Johnston had reference. 

The following account of Blanchard, prepared and read before the 




%yio,fi 



Cl/.cL<A^V(M 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 205 

' ' Hancock County Pioneer and Historical Association, ' ' by W. H. White- 
ley, of Findlay, in 1877, is worthy of a place in this chapter: 

' 'There is, perhaps, no character that presents itself in the whole his- 
tory of the Northwest, about whom there clings so much of interest and 
mystery as that of Jean Jacques Blanchard. The personal history of this 
strange man is vague and indefinite, but in the occasional glimpses which we 
get of it through the long lapse of years, we see a life of adventurous wan- 
derings and vicissitudes — a life that seems to have forgotten the dreams of 
its childhood, and thrown aside and abandoned as worthless the purer in- 
stincts of nature, and in their stead embraced a wild and semi-savage exist- 
ence. A man of education, culture and refinement, he left the home of his 
birth, and all that the human heart holds near and dear, and plunging into 
the wilderness he dwelt with a strange people, who spoke a strange language, 
and who worshiped a strange God. From the best information that can be 
obtained it appears that Blanchard was born in France, about the year 
1720. The immediate place of his birth, or who or what his parents were, 
is, and probaby will be forever, unknown. That he had received a liberal 
education there can be no reasonable doubt; he was well versed in mathe- 
matics, and from an account of him given by an ofiicer of the American 
army, who met him in 1799 near the present site of the town of Mc Arthur, 
Ohio, the supposition is that he at one time possessed an intimate acquaint- 
ance with the Latin and Greek languages. He spoke his native language 
fluently and with that peculiar accent known as the ' Paris dialect. ' The 
theory long held in reference to Blanchard is that he was a Frenchman, 
who, either to escape the penalty of some crime, or for the love of adventure, 
had taken up his residence among* the Indians. In the meager account of 
himself which Blanchard gave to Capt. Forth, the officer before referred to, 
he says that he emigrated fi*om France to Louisiana in the year 1760. 
Here he remained until a few months after the cession of that teiTitory to 
Spain, inihe year 1762. What his employments were during the two years 
he remained in Louisiana has never been ascertained. For the next seven 
years nothing whatever is known of him. The presumption in the mind of 
the historian, Elliot, was that Blanchard had joined a band of Spanish 
freebooters, and with them engaged in plundering small vessels in the AVest 
India waters.* 

"In the autumn of 1769, or the spring of 1770, Blanchard made his 
appearance among a band of Shawnee Indians, who resided about twenty- 
two miles south of the place where Dayton now stands. How or from 
whence he came no one knew, nor did he ever explain it. It is supposed 
that, becoming tired of being a pirate, he had returned to Louisiana and 
joined a party of traders, and after visiting several Indian tribes became 
weary of his mercenary companions and plunged into the wilderness alone, 
and coming to the village of the Shawnees he determined to take up his 
abode with them. He was kindly received by the tribe, and it was not long 
until he was regarded as one of their number. When he came into the 
Shawnee tribe he had with him an elaborate case of curiously wrought 
tools. These he used in making ornaments for the Indians fi'om the small 
coins and shells which they furnished him for that purpose. So skilled was 
he in manufacturing ornaments, with which the savages were wont to adorn 
themselves, that his fame spread abroad among other tribes, and they came 

*Elliot's Algonquins. 



206 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

from far and near to bring him material, out of which he formed wonderful 
devices that delighted the hearts of the Indian braves. The natural conclu- 
sion to be drawn from this circumstance is that he was at some period of 
his life a skilled artisan. Another accoiant of Blanchard, given in one of 
the earlier histories of Ohio, states that he was a tailor, 'or one who sewed 
garments, ' and fi'om this fact the Shawnees gave to the river, now called after 
the old Frenchman, the name of Sha-po-qua-te-sepe, or Tailor's River. 

"In 1774 Blanchard married a Shawnee woman, by whom he had seven 
children — five sons and two daughters. At the time the tribe went West 
the second son was a sub-chief.* . In 1857 there were several Indians in 
the tribe who claimed to be descendants of Blanchard. The stream now 
known as Blanchard' s Fork of the Auglaize River, was named in his honor. 
Previous to 1812 the stream was simply known as Blanchard' s River, but 
on the completion of certain government surveys the name of the river was 
changed to Blanchard' s Fork of the Auglaize. About the year 1786 a part 
of the tribe with which Blanchard lived moved to a point near the head of 
the river. Here it was that they were visited by traders, and so skilled was 
the band in obtaining furs that the village soon became the resort of the 
agents of the Canadian Fur Company. It was they who gave the name to 
the river. There is no evidence that Blanchard ever resided permanently 
in Hancock County, and the only visits he ever made within its present 
boundaries were to the villages along the river. There was nothing striking 
in the personal appearance of the man. He was a little below the medium 
height, and his features were regular and expressive of some strength of 
character. He was quiet in his demeanor, and at times morose. He sel- 
dom talked of his early life, in fact he never spoke of it unless pressed to 
do so, or when he heard Indians or whites boasting of things they had 
heard or seen. Blanchard died about the year 1802. The place of his 
death is unknown, though it is said to be at or near the site of Findlay. ' ' 

Fort Findlay was built in the summer of 1812, on the south bank of the 
Blanchard, immediately west of Main Street, Findlay, by a detachment of 
Gen. Hull's army under the command of Col. James Findlay, of Cincin- 
nati. A small force was kept on duty at this fort until the spring of 1815, 
when the presence of soldiers being no longer necessary in this portion of 
the State, it was evacuated. 

Soon after the completion of Fort Findlay a man named Thorp came 
here from Dayton, Ohio, and with the assistance of the garrison erected a 
story and a half hewed-log house immediately east of the fort. He acted as 
baker and sutler for the garrison, and upon the close of the war removed to 
the Maumee. "In the spring of 1814," says Squire Carlin, "I accom- 
panied my father from IJrbana to the Maumee. We stayed over night 
at Fort Findlay, and I well remember that a man named Thorp kept a small 
bakery and sutler shop in a hewed-log house which stood a little east of the 
fort. During the evening I visited Thorp' s store, where he was living alone 
and selling goods to the soldiers. In the spring of 1815 we again passed 
Fort Findlay, but found both the fort and Thorp's house deserted. Thorp 
had removed to the Maumee, where I afterward knew him. He settled on 
an island in the bay about six miles northeast of Toledo, and I think he 
died there. Thorp was a man of considerable culture, but very eccentric, 
and seemed to avoid the associations of his fellowmen as much as possible. " 

•Narrative of Col. John Johnston. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 207 

Benjamin J. Cox was the first permanent white settler of Hancock 
County. In 1815 he left Logan County, Ohio, and traveling northward on 
the military road cut out by Gen. Hull three years before, located with 
his family in the hewed-log house erected by Thorp on the site of Findlay. 
One year afterward a daughter, Lydia, was born in this cabin, which stood 
on the south bank of the Blanchard, where the two-story brick erected by 
Wilson Vance now stands, and to her belongs whatever honor is attached to 
being the first white child born in the territory embraced in Hancock 
County. The Cox family were for about six years the only white inhabi- 
tants of this portion of the State. They cultivated a small patch of 
ground near their cabin, and also kept a sort of fj-ontier tavern for the ac- 
commodation of traders, drovers and land prospectors who sometimes 
visited this region. But early in the spring of 1821 Kobert Shirley, Will- 
iam Moreland and a Mr. Beaver, of Boss County, Ohio, who the previous 
fall had visited the conntry along the Blanchard, sent out their sons, in all 
a party of six men, with three teams, to make a settlement in the vicinity of 
Fort Findlay. On arriving they began the work of underbrushing, and 
soon had planted small crops of corn and potatoes above Fort Findlay. 
Three of the partj then went back to Boss County, leaving the others to 
gather the crops and fatten and butcher some hogs they had brought out 
with them. When this was accomplished they left all in care of Mr. Cox 
and returned to their homes. Of these families, only one, that of Mr. 
Moreland, settled permanently ; the latter, with his sons William and Jacob, 
locating on the Blanchard near the old fort, Jacob erecting his cabin in the 
spring of 1821 on the farm now owned by Aaron Baker, and his father on 
the site of North Findlay, in the fall of the same year. 

Wilson Vance was the next settler, coming in November, 1821, and tak- 
ing possession of the house previously occupied by Mr. Cox. The latter re- 
moved to an old Indian cabin which stood a little southeast of his former 
residence. John Simpson and son, John, located on ' 'Chamberlin' s Hill" 
the same autumn. Other settlers soon came, and prior to 1830 the follow- 
ing pioneers, most of whom had families, located in what is now Findlay 
Township: Job Chamberlin, John P. and Bleuford Hamilton, Matthew 
Keighly, Thomas and Joseph Slight and John Gardner, Sr., in 1822; 
Joshua Hedges, in 1824; David Gitchel, in 1825; Squire Carlin and Joseph 
White, in 1826; Joseph DeWitt, Thomas Simpson, George W. Simpson, 
Reuben Hale, John Boyd, John C. Wickham, Minor T. Wickham, Isaac 
Johnson, Joseph Johnson, John Jones, Thomas Chester, John Taylor and 
Edwin S. Jones all came in 1827 ; Parlee Carlin, William Taylor, Joshua 
Powell, James Peltier, James B. Moore, David Foster and Jacob Foster in 
1828; and William L. Henderson, Robert L. Stroth^er, Thomas F. Johnston, 
Henry and Peter Shaw, John Bashore and John George Flenner, in 1829. ' 

There were, perhaps, a few others who came in during this period, but if 
so their names are "lost 'mid the rubbish of forgotten things. " Some of 
those given as pioneers of Findlay Township afterward removed into other 
parts of the county. 

Delaware was the second township to receive the impress of civilization, 
Asa Lake and son, Asa M., locating near the site of Mount Blanchard late 
in the fall of 1821, or early the following year, as the family were living 
there in February, 1822, when Job Chamberlin, Sr. , settled on the hill south 
of Findlay. Michael Bui'ke was the second settler of Delaware, coming in 



208 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

1823, followed in 1824 by Daniel Hamlin, whose son, Don Alonzo, was the 
first sheriff of Hancock County. In 1825 the families of William J. Greer, 
St., Keuben W. Hamlin, Godfi'ey Wolford and Robert Elder joined the 
Blanchard settlement. Two of Mr. Elder's sons — Ephraim and John — 
were married before coming to the county, and other members of the Greer 
and Elder families had reached manhood and womanhood. The families of 
John Wolford, John Rose, Nathan Williams, Warren and Van R. Hancock and 
Harvey Smith came in 1828, and those of Michael Casner, Chauncy Fuller, 
William Davis and Ayers Stradley in 1829. 'None others are believed to 
have settled in that subdivision prior to 1830. 

In the spring of 1822 Robert McKinnis and sons, Charles, Philip, James 
and John, all well remembered pioneers, settled on the Blanchard about six 
miles northwest of Findlay, in what is now Liberty Township. His son-in- 
law, Jacob Poe, came the following December, and John Gardner and 
Joseph White in 1823. Thomas and Ebenezer Wilson, John Gardner, Jr. , 
and Robert McCullough settled in Liberty in 1826; William Wade, Joshua 
Jones and John Travis in 1827; John Fishel and sons, John, Michael and 
Daniel, Jeremiah Pressor and Addison Hampton in 1828, and Alfred Hamp- 
ton and Johnson Bonham in 1829. 

Blanchard Township comes next in the order of settlement, John Hunter 
and Benjamin Chandler building their cabins south of the river, on Section 
15, in the spring of 1823. George Shaw, Lewis Dukes, Sr. , and William 
Powell came into the township in 1827, followed in 1828 by Richard and 
John Dukes, Thomas Groves and Jeremiah Colclo and son, William; and in 
1829 by George Epley and Joseph Bowen. 

Amanda and Big Lick each received its first settler in 1823, Thomas 
Thompson locating on Section 3 of the former sub-division, and Hemy Mc- 
Whorter on Section 34 of the latter township, some time that year. Abra- 
ham Huff came into Amanda in 1825; John Huff, John Shoemaker, Will- 
iam Hackney, James Beard, John J. Hendi-icks and Thomas Huff in 1826; 
Henry George and several sons, John Beard and six sons, and Jesse and 
John Hewitt in 1827; and in 1828 and 1829, Aquilla Gilbert, Thomas Cole, 
David Hagerman, Joseph Whiteman, Andrew Robb, William Ebright, 
Hemy Keel, Samuel Gordon, David Egbert, Justin Smith and James Gib- 
son, all settled in the township. Samuel Sargent was the second settler of 
Big Lick, locating on Limestone Ridge in 1827, though John Long and 
son, Robert, came in from Amanda the same year, having settled in the 
latter subdivision in 1826. Levi Poulson came into the township in 1828; 
John Huff moved in from Amanda in 1828, and John Shoemaker in 1829. 
Thus some of the first settlers of Amanda Township were also pioneers of 
Big Lick. 

The lands lying on Eagle Creek, in Madison Township, were among the 
earliest settled in the county. Here Simeon Ransbottom built his cabin in 
1825, Abel Tanner in the spring of 1826, and Abner Hill and John Tullis 
in 1826-27. In 1828 Thomas Ransbottom and John Diller settled on the 
same stream, and the following year Aaron Kinion, Nathaniel Hill and James 
West joined the settlement. 

East of Findlay, in Marion Township, we find settlements made by 
Joseph A. Sargent and Asher Wickham in 1827, Othniel Wells in 1828, 
and Joshua Powell and Willis Wai'd in 1829. 

Mordecai Hammond, who settled on the Blanchard, in the southeast 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 209 

corner of Jackson Township, in the fall of 1827, was the only settler of the 
territory now constituting that subdivision prior to 1830. Several others 
located on the Blanchard, north of Mr. Hammond, before 1830, but the 
lands on which they built their cabins, although formerly in Jackson, have 
been attached to Amanda Township. 

The territory embraced in Allen Township received four families prior 
to 1830, viz. : Nathan Frakes in 1827, Isaac Miller in 1828, and Elias L. 
Bryan and John Trout in 1829. 

Eagle is the only remaining township in which a settlement was~ made 
before 1830, John Woodruff and sons, Adam, Elijah and William Y. , locating 
on Eagle Creek in the summer of 1829. 

All of the foregoing pioneers, as well as those who came into the county 
for several years afterward, receive generous mention in the chapters spe- 
cially devoted to the respective townships in which they settled, and it is 
therefore unnecessary to repeat what is here related. Most of the early 
settlers came with all their worldly possessions packed in a two or four- 
horse wagon, in which only the very aged or very young were allowed 
to ride ; the others trudged uncomplainingly behind or went in advance to 
clear the path. Some came with ox teams, some on horse-back, while 
others performed the journey afoot. Streams had to be forded frequently, 
roads had often to be cut through the forest as the newer settled country 
was reached, and occasionally a team would give out or the wagon mire in 
one of the many intervening marshes or "swales" which then abounded in 
Northwestern Ohio. Many days, and oftentimes a month or more, were 
consumed in completing the tedious journey, and it was with deep sighs of 
relief or exclamations of joy that the weary settlers at last reached their 
destination, though their labors had then only begun. 

The first settlers of Hancock County came not to enjoy a life of lotus- 
eating and ease. They could, doubtless, admire the pristine beauty of the 
scenes that unveiled before them, the vernal green of the forest, and the 
loveliness of all the works of nature ; they could look forward with happy 
anticipation to the lives they were to lead in the midst of all this beauty, 
and to the rich reward that would be theirs from the cultivation of the mel- 
low, fertile soil; but they had first to work. The dangers they were exposed 
to were serious ones. The Indians could not be fully trusted, and the 
many stories of their depredations in the earlier Eastern settlements made 
the pioneers of Ohio apprehensive of trouble. The larger wild beasts were 
a cause of much dread, and the smaller ones a source of great annoyance. 
Added to this was the liability to sickness which always exists in a new 
country. In the midst of the loveliness of the surroundings, there was a 
sense of loneliness that could not be dispelled, and this was a far greater 
trial to the men and women who first dwelt in the Western country than is 
generally imagined. The deep-seated, constantly reciirring feeling of isola- 
tion made many stout hearts turn back to the older settlements and the 
abodes of comfort, the companionship and sociability they had abandoned 
in their early homes to take up a new life in the wilderness. 

The pioneers, making the tedious journey from the East and South by 
the rude trails, arrived at their places of destination with but very little 
with which to begin the battle of life. They had brave hearts and strong 
arms, however, and they were possessed of invincible determination. Fre- 
quently they came on without their families to make a beginning, and this 



210 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

having been accomplished, would return to their old homes for their wives 
and children. The first thing done, after a temporary shelter from the rain 
had been provided, was to prepare a little spot of ground for some crop, 
usually corn. This was done by girdling the trees, clearing away the 
underbrush, if there chanced to be any, and sweeping the surface with fire. 
Five, ten, or even fifteen acres of land might thus be prepared and planted 
the first season. In the autumn the crop would be carefully gathered and 
garnered with the least possible waste, for it was the food supply of the 
pioneer and his family, and life itself depended, in part, upon its safe pres- 
ervation. AVhile the first crop was growing the pioneer had busied himself 
with the building of his cabin, which must answer as a shelter from the 
storms of the coming winter and a protection from the ravages of wild ani- 
mals. 

If a pioneer was completely isolated from his fellow-men, his position 
was certainly a hard one; for without assistance he could constrl^ct only a 
poor habitation. In such cases the cabin was generally made of light logs or 
poles, and was laid up roughly, only to answer the temj)orary purpose of 
shelter, until other settlers had come into the vicinity, by whose help a 
more solid structure could be built. Usually a number of men came into 
the country together, and located within such distance of each other as en- 
abled them to perform many friendly and neighborly offices. Assistance 
was always readily given each pioneer by all the scattered residents of the 
forest within a radius of several miles. The commonly followed plan of 
erecting a log- cabin was through a union of labor. The site of the cabin 
home was generally selected with reference to a good water supply, often 
by a never-failing spring of pure water, or, if such could not be found, it 
was not uncommon to first dig a well. When the cabin was to be built the 
few neighbors gathered at the site, and first cut down, within as close 
proximity as possible, a number of trees as nearly of a size as could be 
found, but ranging from a foot to twenty inches in diameter. Logs were 
chopped from these and rolled to a common center. This work, and that 
of preparing the foundation, would consume the greater part of the day, in 
most cases, and the entire labor would most commonly occupy two or three 
days — sometimes four. The logs were raised to their places with hand- 
spikes and "skid poles," and men standing at the corners with axes notched 
them as fast as they were laid in position. Soon the cabin would be built 
several logs high, and the work would become more difficult. The gables 
were formed by beveling the logs, and making them shorter and shorter, as 
each additional one was laid in place. These logs in the gables were held 
in place by poles, which extended across the cabin from end to end, and 
which served also as rafters upon which to lay the rived ' 'clapboard' ' roof. 
The so-called "clapboards" were five or six feet in length, and were split 
from oak or ash logs, and made as smooth and flat as possible. They were 
laid side by side, and other pieces of split stuff laid over the cracks so as to 
effectually keep out the rain. Upon these logs were laid to hold them in 
place, and the logs were held by blocks of wood placed between them. 

• The chimney was an important part of the structure, and taxed the 
builders, with their poor tools, to their utmost. In rare cases it was made 
of stone, but most commonly of logs and sticks laid up in a manner similar 
to those which formed the cabin. It was, in nearly all cases, built outside 
of the cabin, and at its base a huge opening was cut through the wall to 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 211 

answer as a fire-place. The sticks in the chimney were kept in place and 
protected from fire by mortar, formed by kneading and working clay and 
straw. Flat stones were procured for back and jambs of the fire-place. 

An opening was chopped or sawed in the logs on one side of the cabin 
for a doorway. Pieces of hewed timber, three or four inches thick, were 
fastened on each side by wooden pins to the end of the logs, and the door 
(if there was any) was fastened to one of these by wooden hinges. The 
door itself was a clumsy piece of wood-work. It was made of boards rived 
from an oak log, and held together by heavy cross-pieces. There was a 
wooden latch upon the inside, raised by a string which passed through a gim- 
let-hole, and hung upon the outside. From this mode of construction arose the 
old and well-known hospitable saying: "You will find the latch-string al- 
ways out." It was pulled in only at night, and the door was thus fastened. 
Very many of the cabins of the pioneers had no doors of the kind here 
described, and the entrance was protected only by a blanket or skin of some 
wild beast suspended above it. 

The window was a small opening, often devoid of anything resembling 
a sash, and very seldom having glass. Greased paper was sometimes used 
in lieu of the latter, but more commonly some old garment constituted a 
cui'tain, which was the only protection fi-om sun, rain or snow. 

The floor of the cabin was made of pu.ncheons — pieces of timber split 
fi'om trees about eighteen inches in diameter, and hewed smooth with the 
bi*oad-ax. They were half the length of the floor. Many of the cabins 
first erected in this part of the country had nothing but the earthen floor. 
Sometimes the cabins had cellars, which were simply small excavations in 
the ground for the storage of a few articles of food, or perhaps cooking 
utensils. Access to the cellar was readily gained by lifting a loose punch- 
eon. There was sometimes a loft used for various purposes, amouj]^ others 
as the "guest chamber" of the house. It was reached by a ladder, the 
sides of which were split pieces of a sapling, put together, like everything 
else in the house, without nails. 

The furniture of the log-cabin was as simple and primitive as the struc- 
ture itself. A forked stick set in the floor and supporting two poles, the 
other ends of which were allowed to rest upon the logs at the end and side 
of the cabin, formed a bedstead. A common form of table was a split slab 
supported by four rustic legs set in auger holes. Three-legged stools were 
made in a similar simple manner. Pegs driven in auger holes into the logs 
of the wall supported shelves, and others displayed the limited wardrobe of 
the family not in use. A few other pegs, or perhaps a pair of deer horns, 
formed a rack where hung the rifle and powder horn, which no cabin was 
withou.t. These, and perhaps a few other simple articles brought fi'om the 
' 'old home' ' formed the furniture and f m-nishings of the pioneer cabin. 

The utensils for cooking and the dishes for table use were few. The 
best were of pewter, which the careful housewife of the olden time kept 
shining as brightly as the most pretentious plate of our later-day fine 
houses. It was by no means uncommon that wooden vessels, either coop- 
ered or turned, were used upon the table. Knives and forks were few, 
crockery very scarce, and tinware not abundant. Food was simply cooked 
and served, but it was of the best and most wholesome kind. The hunter 
kept the larder supplied with venison, bear meat, squirrels, fish, wild tur- 
keys, and the many varieties of smaller game. Plain corn bread baked in 



212 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

a kettle, in the ashes, or upon a board in front of the great open fireplace, 
answered the purpose of all kinds of pastry. The corn was, among the 
earlier pioneers, pounded or grated, there being no mills for grinding it for 
some time, and then only small ones at a considerable distance away. The 
wild fi-uits in their season were made use of, and afforded a pleasant variety. 
Sometimes especial effort was made to prepare a delicacy, as, for instance, 
when a woman experimented in mince pies by pounding wheat for the flour 
to make the crust, and used crab-apples for fi-uit. In the lofts of the cab- 
ins was usually to be found a collection of articles that made up the pio- 
neer's materia medica — the herb medicines and sj^ices, catnip, sage, tansy, 
fennel, boneset, pennyroyal and wormwood, each gathered in its season; 
and there were also stores of nuts, and strings of dried pumpkin, with bags 
of bei'ries and fruit. 

The habits of the pioneers were of a simplicity and piirity in conform- 
ance to their surroundings and belongings. The men were engaged in the 
herculean labor, day after day, of enlarging the little patch of sunshine 
about their homes, cutting away the forest, burning oft' the brush and de- 
bris, preparing the soil, planting, tending, harvesting, caring for the few 
animals which they brought with them or soon procured, and in hunting. 
While they were engaged in the heavy labor of the field and forest, follow- 
ing the deer or seeking other game, their helpmeets were busied with their 
household duties, providing for the day and for the winter coming on, cook- 
ing, making clothes, spinning and weaving. They were fitted by nature 
and experience to be the consorts of the brave men who first came into the 
Western wilderness. They were heroic in their endurance of hardship and 
privation and loneliness. Their industry was well directed and unceasing. 
Woman's work then, like man's, was performed under disadvantages which 
have been removed in later years. She had not only the common household 
duties to perform, but many others. She not only made the clothing, but 
the fabric for it. That old, old occupation of spinning and of weaving, 
with which woman's name has been associated in all history, and of which 
the modern world knows nothing, except through the stories of those who 
are grandmothers now — that old occupation of spinning and of weaving, 
which seems suiTounded with a glamour of romance as we look back to it 
through tradition and poetry, and which always conjures up thoughts of the 
graces and virtues of the dames and damsels of a generation that is gone — 
that old, old occupation of spinning and of weaving, was the chief industry 
of the pioneer woman. Every cabin sounded with the softly whirring 
wheel and the rythmic thud of the loom. The woman of pioneer times was 
like the woman described by Solomon: "She seeketh wool and flax, and 
worketh willingly with her hands; she layeth her hands to the spindle, and 
her hands hold the distaff. ' ' 

Almost every article of clothing, all of the cloth in use in the old log- 
cabins, was the product of the patient woman-weaver's toil. She spun the 
flax and wove the cloth for shirts, pantaloons, fi'ocks, sheets and blankets. 
The linen and wool, the ' 'linsey-woolsey' ' woven by the housewife, formed 
all of the material for the clothing of both men and women, except such 
articles as were made of skins. The men commonly wore the hunting- 
shirt, a kind of loose frock reaching half way down the figure, open before, 
and so wide as to lap over a foot or more upon the chest. This generally 
had a cape, which was often fringed with a raveled piece of cloth of a dif- 




y(^^1^^^-^^cUZ^-^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 215 

ferent color from that which composed the garment. The bosom of the 
hunting-shirt answered as a pouch, in which could be carried the various 
articles that the hunter or woodsman would need. It was always worn 
belted and made out of coarse linen or linsey, or of dressed deer skin, 
according to the fancy of the wearer. Breeches were made of heavj" cloth 
or of deer-skin, and were often worn with leggings of the same material, 
or of some kind of leather, while the feet were most usually encased in 
moccasins, which were easily and quickly made, though they needed fre- 
quent mending. The deer- skin breeches or di'awers were very comfortable 
when dry, but when they became wet were very cold to the limbs, and the 
next time they were put on were almost as stiff as if made of wood. Hats 
or caps were made of the various native furs. The women were clothed in 
linsey petticoats, coarse shoes and stockings, and wore buckskin gloves or 
mittens when any protection was required for the hands. All of the wear- 
ing apparel, like that of the men, was made with a view to being serviceable 
and comfortable, and all was of home manufacture. Other articles and 
finer ones were sometimes worn, but they had been brought fi'om former 
homes, and were usually relics handed down from parents to children. 
Jewelry was not common, but occasionally some ornament was displayed. 
In the cabins of the more cultivated pioneers were usually a few books, and 
the long winter evenings were spent in poring over these well-thumbed vol- 
umes by the light of the great log- fire, in knitting, mending, curing furs, 
or some similar occupation. 

Hospitality was simple, unaffected, hearty, unbounded. Whisky was in 
common use, and was furnished on all occasions of sociality. Nearly every 
settler had his jug stored away. It was the universal drink at merry-mak- 
ings, bees, house-warmings, weddings, and was always set before the 
traveler who chanced to spend the night or take a meal in the log-cabin. It 
was the good old-fashioned whisky,, "clear as amber, sweet as musk, smooth 
as oil," that the few octogenarians and nonagenarians of to-day recall to 
memory with an unctuous gusto and a suggestive smack of the lips. The 
whisky came fi'om the older settlement, and was boated up the streams 
or hauled in wagons across the country. A few years later stills began to 
make their appearance in adjoining counties, and an article of peach brandy 
and rye whisky manufactured; the latter was not held in such high esteem 
as the peach brandy, though used in greater quantities. 

As the settlement increased, the sense of loneliness and isolation was dis- 
pelled, the asperities of life were softened and its amenities multiplied; 
social gatherings became more numerous and more enjoyable. The log- 
rollings, harvestings and husking bees for the men, and the apple-butter 
making and the quilting parties for the women, furnished frequent occa- 
sions for social intercourse. The early settlers took much pleasure and 
pride in rifle shooting, and as they were accustomed to the use of the gun, 
frequently as a means of obtaining a subsistence, and relied upon it as a 
weapon of defense, they exhibited considerable skill. 

A wedding was the event of most importance in the sparsely settled new 
country. The young people had every inducement to marry, and generally 
did so as soon as able to provide for themselves. When a marriage was to 
be celebrated all the neighborhood turned out. It was customary to have 
the ceremony performed before dinner, and in order to be in time the groom 
and his attendants usually started from his father' s house in the morning, for 



216 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

that of the bride. All went on horseback, riding in single file along the 
narrow trail. Arriving at the cabin of the bride' s parents the ceremony 
would be performed, and after that, dinner served. This would be a sub- 
stantial backwoods feast of beef, pork, fowls, and bear or deer meat, with 
such vegetables as could be procured. The greatest hilarity prevailed dur- 
ing the meal. After it was over the dancing began, and was usually kept 
up till the next morning, though the newly made husband and wife were 
as a general thing put to bed in the most approved fashion, and with con- 
siderable formality, in the middle of the evening' s hilarity. The tall young 
men, when they went upon the floor to dance, had to take their places with 
care between the logs that supported the loft floor, or they were in danger of 
bumping their heads. The figures of the dances were three and four hand 
reels, or square sets and jigs. The commencement was always a square 
four, which was followed by "jigging it off,'' ov what is sometimes called a 
"cut-out jig." The "settlement" of a young couple was thought to be 
thoroughly and generously made when the neighbors assembled and raised 
a cabin for them. 

The first marriage in Hancock County was contracted September 2, 1824, 
Samuel Kepler and Rachel McKinnis being the happy couple. Mr. Kepler 
settled on the Maumee in 1822, and ere his death in the fall of 1872, gave 
the following account of his marriage to Miss McKinnis, while on a visit to 
her father's home, in what is now Liberty Township: "I sent for my 
license by mail, to Robert Forsyth, clerk of the court of Wood County. 
Not knowing me he refused to grant it, so that my future father-in-law had 
to go to Porrysburg to procure it. We were married in Mr. McKinnis' 
house by Wilson Vance, Esq., being the 'first couple married in Hancock 
County. Aftk- making a canoe, which took five or six days, my wife 
packed her little outfit of household goods into it, and we literally 'paddled 
our own canoe ' to where I now live. ' ' 

During all the early years of the settlement, varied with occasional 
pleasures and excitements, the great work of increasing the tillable ground 
went slowly on. The implements and tools were few and of the most prim- 
itive kinds, but the soil that had long held in reserve the accumulated rich- 
ness of centuries produced splendid harvests, and the husbandman was 
well rewarded for his labor. The soil was warmer then than now, and the 
season earlier. The wheat was occasionally pastured in the spring to keep 
it from growing up so fast as to become lodged. The harvest came eaijly, 
and the yield was often from twenty to thirty bushels per acre. Corn grew 
fast, and roasting ears were to be had by the 1st of August in most seasons. 

When the corn grew too hard for roasting ears, and was yet too soft to 
grind in the mill, it was reduced to meal by a grater. Next to the grater 
came the hominy block, an article in common use among the pioneers. It 
consisted simply of a block of wood — a section of a tree, perhaps — with a 
hole burned or dug into it a foot deep, in which 'corn was pulverized with a 
pestle. Sometimes this block was inside the cabin, where it served as a 
seat for the bashful young backwoodsman while "sparking" his girl; some- 
times a convenient stump in fi'ont of the cabin door was prepared for and 
made one of the best of hominy blocks. These blocks did not last long, 
for mills came quite early and superseded them, yet these mills were so far 
apart that in stormy weather or for want of transportation the pioneer was 
often compelled to resort to his hominy block pr go without bread. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 217 

Grist-mills soon made their appearance in every settlement, but they 
were usually very primitive affairs — mere "corn-crackers" — yet they were a 
big improvement on the hominy-block. They ground the corn, and the pio- 
neer had to do his own bolting. The meal was sifted through a wire sieve 
by hand, and the finest used for bread. Some of these mills were run by 
horse-power, and, therefore, commonly called "horse-mills." In 1832 
Heniy Shaw built one of those horse-mills in Findlay, which was a great 
convenience to the early settlers. Water-mills were erected upon the 
Blanchard and other streams at quite an early day. In 1824 a small log 
grist-mill was built by Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory on the north bank 
of the river, opposite Fort Findlay, where Carlin's mill now stands. God- 
frey Wolford built a grist-mill on the Blanchard, in Section 11, Delaware 
Township, in 1829-30. Some two or three years afterward Felix Miller put 
up 'a mill in Section 23, in the same township, the Blanchard also furnish- 
ing the motive power. John D. Bishop erected the fourth water-mill, in 
1833, on Eagle Creek, in Section 24, Eagle Township; and in 1834, another 
was built by John Byall, on the south bank of the Blanchard in Section 10, 
Liberty Township, which has been in operation ever since. Michael Misa- 
more built the next mill, in 1835, on the Blanchard, in Section 13, Amanda 
Township. William Marvin erected a water-mill on the Blanchard in Sec- 
tion 22, Marion Township, in 1835-3(3, and subsequently a steam mill far- 
ther up the river in the same township. A small grist-mill was put up on 
Portage Creek, in Section 17, Allen Township, about the same time by 
John Burman. In 1838 Martin Funk built a grist-mill on Eagle Creek, in 
Section 11, Madison Township; and two years aft,erward a steam-mill was 
erected in Section 2, Cass Township, by James Anderson. In 1844 the 
Eagle Mills in East Findlay were built i3y Martin Huber, John Engleman 
and John Julien. They were then and have since continued to be the larg- 
est flouring-mills in the county, and having always had steam-power, they 
have undergone none of the dil3icu.lties that water-mills had to contend with. 
Edson Goit, of Findlay, put up a mill on Ottawa Creek, in Section 11, 
Union Township, in 1845, which was subsequently purchased by James 
Teatsorth, and widely known as the "Teatsorth Mill." Those mentioned 
may be called the pioneer mills of Hancock County, and were more or less 
patronized by the majority of the first settlers. 

In winter the mills were sometimes frozen up, and the water was often 
so low in the summer season that they could not run. These mills were 
frequently thronged with pioneers, each with his sack of corn or wheat, 
some of whom were often compelled to camp out near the mill and wait sev- 
eral days for their turn. When the grist was ground they started for their 
cabin home happy. It was not unusual to go from ten to thirty miles to mill 
through the pathless, unbroken forest, and to be benighted on the journey and 
followed by wolves. Many of the first settlers went to Belief ontaine. North 
Liberty, Bucyrus, Tiffin, Fremont, and even as far as Urbana, Sandusky City 
and the Maumee to do their milling and exchange the produce of their farms 
for salt and other scarce necessaries, the round trip usually taking a week, 
and often a much longer time. A road cut through the forest to the mill 
and a wagon for hauling the grist, were great advantages. The latter es- 
pecially was often a seven days' wonder to the childi'en of a settlement, and 
the happy owner of one sometimes did the milling of a whole neighbor- 
hood. About once a month this useful neighbor, who was in exceptionally 



218 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

good circumstances because able to own a wagon, would go around through 
the settlement, gather up the grists and take them to mill, often spend- 
ing several days in the operation, and never thinking of charging for his 
time and trouble. 

Only the commonest goods were brought into the country, and they sold 
at very high prices, as the fi-eightage of merchandise from the East was 
high. Most of the people were in moderate circumstances, and were con- 
tent to live in a very cheap way. A majority had to depend mainly on the 
produce of their little clearings, which consisted, to a large extent, of pota- 
toes and corn. Mush, corn bread and potatoes were the principal food, and 
though wild meat and pork were plentiful, they often had to be eaten without 
saltjwhich, during the early years of settlement, was a very scarce commodity. 
From 182(3 to 1880 tea retailed in Findlay at $3 a pound; coffee, 31 cents; 
chocolate, 25 cents; loaf sugar, 25 cents; plug-twist tobacco, 20 cents; 
homespun linen, 37^ cents per yard; calico, 37| cents, and six yards was the 
usual dress pattern; a colored cotton handkerchief, 75 cents; shoes, $2.50; 
boots, $5, and moccasins 25 cents per pair. Wheat sold at 40 cents per 
bushel; corn, 20 cents; oats, 12| cents; potatoes, 10 cents; flour, 1 1. 50 per 
100, and salt $4 per 100 pounds. Wild turkeys sold at 10 cents each, and 
dressed pork $2. 25 per 100, while a ham of venison, weighing from fifteen 
to twenty pounds, could be purchased for 10 cents. To judge from the 
daily consumption of whisky, it was pre-eminently the " stafP of life." It 
retailed at 25 cents a gallon, and was drank by most of the whites and all 
of the Indians who patronized the pioneer stores of Findlay. In 1828 live 
hogs brought 12 per 100, and cattle $1.75. A good horse could be pur- 
Qhased for $40, and a yoke of oxen sold at the same figure. The Indians 
usually paid their bills in peltry, and many of the whites did likewise. A bear 
skin brought from $2 to $5 ; otter, $3. 50 ; deer, 40 to 75 cents ; gray fox, 25 cents ; 
red fox, $1; muski-at, 37| cents; raccoon, 33^ cents; wild cat, 25 cents, and 
mink 25 cents. Wolf skins were not purchased by the dealers, but a bounty 
was paid by the commissioners for each wolf scalp produced at the auditor's 
ofiice. Squire Carlin, William Taylor and Vance & Baldwin were the 
principal dealers in furs, though Mr. Carlin carried on the most extensive 
business in that line. He traveled all over the country buying from hunters 
and other dealers, purchasing in one winter 4,600 deer skins and 7,000 rac- 
coon skins. 

Long joui'neys upon foot were often made by the pioneers to obtain the 
necessaries of life, or some article, then a luxury, for the sick. Hardships 
were cheerfully borne, privations stoutly endured; the best was made of what 
they had by the pioneers and their families, and they toiled patiently on, 
industrious and frugal, simple in their tastes and pleasures, happy in an in- 
dependence however hardly gained, and looking forward hopefully to a future 
of plenty which should reward them for the toils of these earliest years, and 
a rest from the struggle amidst the benefits gained by it. Without an iron 
will and indomitable resolution they could never have accomplished what 
they did. Their heroism deserves the highest tribute of praise that can be 
awarded. 

All the cooking and warming in town as well as the country was done 
by the aid of a tire kindled on the brick hearth or in the brick ovens. Pine 
knots or tallow candles furnished the light for the long winter nights, and 
sanded floors supplied the place of rugs and carpets. The water used for 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 219 

household purposes was drawn from wells by the creaking sweep. No form 
of pump was used in this county, so far as we can learn, for many years 
after the first settlements were made. There were no friction matches in 
those early days, by the aid of which a fire can be easily kindled, and if 
the fire went out upon the hearth overnight, and the tinder was damp, so 
that the spark would not catch, the alternative remained of wading through 
the snow a mile or so to borrow a brand from a neighbor. Only one room 
in any house was warm, unless some member of the family was ill; in all 
the rest the temperature was at zero during many nights in winter. The 
men and women undressed and went to their beds in a temperatui'e colder 
than our barns and woodsheds, and they never complained. 

Churches and schoolhouses were sparsely scattered, and of the most 
primitive character. One pastor served a number of congregations, and sal- 
aries were so low that the preachers had to take part in working their farms 
to procure support for their families. The people went to religious service 
on foot or horseback; and the children often walked two or three miles 
through the woods to school. There were no fires in the churches for a 
number of years. The seats in both church and school were of unsmoothed 
slabs, the ends and centers of which were laid upon blocks, and the pulpits 
were little better. Worship was held once or twice a month, consisting usu- 
ally of two services, one in the forenoon and one immediately after noon, the 
people remaining during the interval and spending the time in social inter- 
course. It is much to be feared that if religious worship were attended with 
the same discomforts now as it was fifty to sixty years ago, the excuses for 
keeping away fi'om the house of God would be many times multiplied. Taken 
altogether, while they had to endure many privations and hardships, it is doubt- 
ful whether the pioneers of any part of America were more fortunate in their 
selection than those of Hancock County. All of the settlers agree in saying 
that they had no trouble in accommodating themselves to the situation, and 
were, as a rule, both men and women, healthy, contented and happy. 

The pioneers were necessarily exposed to many dangers and privations, 
yet, as a rule, they had no fears of starvation, for the forest was alive with 
game, the streams abounded in fish, and the virgin soil yielded bountifully. 
Upon the organization of the county in 1828, a new motive was given to im- 
migration, and during the succeeding ten years the country rapidly filled up 
with settlers. Progress was slowly, surely made; the log houses became 
more numerous in the clearings; the forest shrank away before the woods- 
man's ax; frame houses began to appear. The pioneers, now assured of 
prosperity, laid better plans for the future, resorted to new industries, en- 
lai'ged their possessions, and improved the means of cultivation. Stock was 
brought in from the South and East. Every settler had his horses, oxen, 
cattle, sheep and hogs. More commodious structures took the place of the 
old ones ; the large double log-cabin of hewed logs, and the still handsomer 
frame dwelling, took the place of the smaller hut ; log and frame barns were 
built for the protection of stock and the housing of the crops. Then society 
began to form itself; the schoolhouse and the church appeared in every set- 
tlement, and the advancement was noticeable in a score of ways. Still there 
remained a vast work to perform, for as yet only a beginning had been made 
in the Western woods. The brunt of the struggle, however, was past, and 
the way made in the wilderness for the army that was to come. 

In 1874 the Hancock County Pioneer and Historical Association was 



220 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

organized. The principal objects of the association were to gather and pre- 
serve the history of the county, and at the same time give the surviving 
early settlers an opportunity of renewing their acquaintance with each other, 
and to engage in siich social intercourse as would recall and transmit to the 
care of the society the leading incidents, pleasures, hardships and sufferings 
of pioneer days. The hrst meeting for the purpose of organizing said asso- 
ciation was held at the Court House June 20, 1874. A goodly number of 
the early settlers was present, and the meeting was organized by the elec- 
tion of Squire Carlin, a pioneer of 1826, as chairman, and Lewis Glessner, 
of the Courier, secretary. On taking the chair Mr. Carlin briefly stated the 
objects and need of such an association as contemplated, after which a com- 
mittee consisting of M. S. Hamlin, Allen Wiseley, James Robinson, George 
Todd and George Treece were appointed to prepare a constitution and by- 
laws for the government of the society. When these preliminaries were 
disposed of, short speeches were made and incidents of pioneer life related 
by Squire Carlin, Richard Dukes, Allen Wiseley, Dr. William Wilson, Abra- 
ham Grable, George Treece, M. S. Hamlin, Benjamin Todd, Jonathan 
Parker, William Swindler, James L. Henry, James Robinson and D. B. 
Beardsley. 

The next meeting was held at the Court House July 4, 1874, with Squire 
Carlin in the chair, and D. B. Beardsley, secretary. The committee 
appointed at the previous meeting reported the constitution and by-laws, 
which were read and adopted, and the following permanent of&cers elected: 
Squire Carlin, president; Peter George, James Robinson, Richard Dukes, 
Allen Wiseley, Jonathan Parker and James Hartman, vice-presidents; D. 
B. Beardsley, recording and corresponding secretary; Levi Taylor, treas- 
urer; M. S. Hamlin, George Todd, Aaron Baker, Joseph Johnson, Henry 
Lamb, William Taylor, George Treece, Sanfi-ed F. Dulin, Charles E. Jor- 
dan and Adam Cramer, executive committee. The association was now 
fairly started, and the following September held its first social gathering on 
the fair grounds, which was largely attended by the pioneers and their 
descendants. Under the constitution, as first adopted, any person who came 
to Hancock County on or before July 4, 1840, was admitted to membership 
by paying the sum of 50 cents, and a resolution was subsequently carried 
admitting ladies free. Sixty-nine members joined the association during 
the first year of its existence, and considerable enthusiasm was manifested 
in its success. This feeling, however, gradually died out, and many of the 
pioneers neglected to attend the meetings of the society or take any interest 
'therein. The constitution was changed so as to admit any person who came 
to the county prior to July, 1845, but this had no apparent effect, and after 
three or four years' existence the association became extinct, and has never 
been revived. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 221 



CHAPTER HI. 

The Claims of Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Yokk 

TO THE NOKTinVEST TERRITORY— PURCHASE OF THE LANDS FrOM THE 

Indian Tribes— Indian Reservations and Their Final Purchase by 
THE United States— Civil Government Established by the Ordi- 
nance OF 1787— Successive J:rections of Wayne, Greene, Champaign 
AND Logan Counties— Survey of Northwestern Ohio and Its Divis- 
ion into Counties— Organization and First Election in Wood 
County— WAynesfield Township— Erection and First Elections in 
Findlay Township— Selection of Findlay as the Seat of Justice 
—Organization of Hancock County— County Elections of 1828 and 
Lists of Electors— Officers Chosen in April and October, 1828— 
Derivation of Name— Brief Sketch of John Hancock— Original 
AND Present Areas and Boundaries of the County— Dates of 
Township Erections— Population of County, Townships and Towns 
—Present Condition of the County Compared With What it was 
One Hundred Years Ago. 

THE first authentic record we find of the white man' s claim to this por- 
tion of the red man' s domain is the Virginia title to the great Northwest 
Territory, acquired through its several charters granted by James I in 1606, 
1609 and 1611, without any recognition of the original owners and occu- 
pants of the soil. That colony first attempted to exercise authority over its 
extensive dominions lying northwest of the Ohio River, when, in 1769, the 
House of Burgesses passed the following act: 

Whereas, The people situated on the Mississippi, in the said county of Botetourt, 
will be very remote from the court house and must necessarily become a separate 
county as soon as their numbers are sufficient, which probably will happen in a short 
time, "be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the inhabitants of that 
part of the said county of Botetourt which lies on the said water shall be exempted 
from the payment of any levies to be laid by the said county court for the purpose of 
building a court house and prison for said county. 

Civil government between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers existed only 
in name until 1778, when, after the conquest of the country by Gen. George 
Rogers Clark, the Virginia Legislatui'e organized the county of Hlinois, 
embracing within its limits all of the lands lying northwest of the Ohio 
River to which Virginia had any claim. Col. John Todd received appoint- 
ment from the governor of Virginia as civil commandant and lieutenant of 
the county. He served until his death at the battle of Blue Licks in 1782, 
and Timothy de Montbrun was his successor. In 1783 the General Assem- 
bly of Virginia passed an act authorizing her delegates in Congress to con- 
vey to the United States all the rights of Virginia to the territory northwest 
of the Ohio River. Pursuant to this act, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Hardy, 
Arthur Lee and James Monroe, the Virginia delegates, ceded to the General 
Government, on the 1st of March, 1784, all right, title and claim of soil 
and jurisdiction to said territory previously held by Virginia. The deed of 
cession was accepted by Congress on the same day, and the United States 
thus secured the title of that State to the soil of Ohio. 



222 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Anotlier claim, however, still remained to be satisfied, which was more 
closely connected with northern Ohio than the preceding one. This claim 
reaches back to the founding of Connecticut, the original charter of which 
was granted by Charles II in 1662. It defined the limits of the grant to be 
"from the south line of Massachusetts on the north to Long Island Sound 
on the south, and fi'om the Narragansett River on the east to the Pacific 
Ocean on the west," which embraced all the country lying between the 41st 
and 42d degrees north latitude. These boundaries included not only what 
is now Connecticut, but also portions of New York and New Jersey, nearly 
half of Pennsylvania, the northern parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and 
a strip off the southern part of Michigan, besides portions of Iowa, Nebraska, 
Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. The north half of Han- 
cock County was embraced in the territory claimed by Connecticut under 
its charter, which is the principal reason for mentioning it in this connection. 

A dispute soon arose between New York and Connecticut as to their 
boundaries, when the King, in 1664, appointed commissioners to settle it. 
They decided that the Maronee River should be the western boundary of 
Connecticut. With this decision against her, Connecticut neglected for nearly 
a centuiy to assert her claim to any territory west of New York. In 1681 
a chai-ter was granted to William Penn of the territory embraced in the 
limits of Pennsylvania. This, of course, embraced a large part of the ter- 
ritory included in the charter of Connecticut, and bitter quarrels now sprung 
up between the two colonies as to their respective rights. In 1753 a com- 
pany was formed in Connecticut to plant a colony on the Susquehanna 
River, on lands they claimed as included in her charter. A purchase was 
made of the sachems of the Six Nations by this company in 1754, at Wyom- 
ing, and in 1774 a township was formed there, called Westmoreland, which 
sent a representative to the Legislature of Connecticut. Pennsylvania and 
Connecticut both sold the same lands, and both agreed to give possession, 
which caused constant quarrels, and resort was often had to arms to expel 
those in possession. In 1770 the Legislature of Connecticut sent to 
England certain questions respecting her title to the lands west of New 
York. The answers were favorable to her claims, and she determined to 
enforce them, but the Revolutionary war coming on suspended the controversy. 

In 1781 the two States appointed commissioners to determine the dis- 
pute, and an act of Congress was passed granting to these commissioners 
full power to act in the final settlement of the conflicting claims. The com- 
missioners met at Trenton, N. J., in 1782, and after a full hearing decided 
that Connecticut had no right to the lands in dispute, but that they belonged 
to Pennsylvania. The State of Connecticut acquiesced in the decision, but 
still claimed all the lands west of Pennsylvania lying between the 41st and 
42d degrees of latitude. To avoid all future trouble, Connecticut, in 1786, 
renounced her claim to said lands excepting those lying within a line di'awn 
north and south 120 miles west of Pennsylvania. This proposition was 
accepted by Congress, and the controversy finally settled, the United States, 
however, retaining full legal jurisdiction over said territory. The strip of 
country thus confirmed to Connecticut has since been known as the Western 
Reserve. Massachusetts and New York also laid claim to a portion of Ohio, 
but they too ceded their rights to the General Government about the same 
time as Virginia and Connecticut. 

Before the Government, howevei*. could take possession of the lands 




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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 225 

lying northwest of the Ohio River, a title from the Indians was necessary, 
and this too was finally obtained, though many bloody campaigns intervened 
ere a peaceable settlement could be effected on the lands purchased by the 
first two treaties. Through the treaty of Fort Sfcanwix, consummated with 
the Six Nations October 22, 1784, the indefinite claim of that confederacy to 
the soil of Ohio was extinguished. This was followed January 21, 1785, 
by the treaty of Fort Mcintosh, by which the Delawares, Wyandots, Otta- 
was and Chippewas relinquished all claim to the territory lying east of the 
Cuyahoga River, Portage Path and Tuscarawas River, and south of a line 
running southwest from Fort Laurens, on the Tuscarawas (the town of Boli- 
var), to Fort Loramie, located on the portage between the Big Miami and the 
headwaters of the Maumee; thence along said portage to the latter river; 
thence down the Maumee to its mouth, and thence along the south shore of 
Lake Erie to the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. By the treaty of Fort 
Finney, consummated January 31, 1786, the claim of the Shawnees to the cov- 
eted territory was extinguished. The treaty of Fort Harmar, January 9, 
1789, had a similar object in view; but it was not until August 3, 1795, that 
anything like a permanent peace was established. By the treaty of Green- 
ville, ratified on that date, the several Indian tribes recognized the line 
established by former treaties, the only change occurring upon reaching 
Fort Loramie (Shelby County), whence it ran to Fort Recovery, in the south- 
west corner of Mercer County, and thence southwest to the Ohio opposite 
the mouth of the Kentucky River. All of the Western Reserve lying west 
of the Cuyahoga River was secured from the Indians by a treaty made at 
Fort Industry (Toledo), July 4, 1805. By the treaties of 1807, 1808 and 
1817, what is now known as Northwestern Ohio was purchased fi'om the 
Indians, and certain reservations, described in Chapter I, set aside for theh- 
uses. In 1818 the Miamis ceded their claims to the United States, and in 
1829 the Delaware Reservation was purchased by the Government; in 1831 
those belonging to the Shawnees, Senecas and remnants of other tribes; 
in 1838 the lands of the Ottawas were obtained, and in 1842 the Wyandots 
sold to the Government the last acre owned by them within the limits of this 
State. Thus every vestige of Indian title to the soil of Ohio was forever 
extinguished, and in July, 1843, the last remnant of the once powerful 
Indian tribes of the Ohio Valley removed to the far West. 

When the United States had obtained possession of the country north 
and west of the Ohio River, Congress took the gi'eat step which resiilted in 
the establishment of a wise and salutary civil government. On the 13th of 
July, 1787, after a prolonged discussion of the principles and issues 
involved, ' 'An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United 
States Northwest of the River Ohio, ' ' which has since been known as ' ' the 
Ordinance of 1787," or the "Ordinance of Freedom,"' was adopted. By this 
great and statesmanlike ordinance, provision was made for successive forms 
of territorial government, adapted to successive steps of advancement in the 
settlement and development of the Western country. ' ' This remarkable 
instrument," says Chief Justice Chase, '"was the last gift of the Congress 
of the old confederation to the country, and it was a fit consummation of 
their glorious. labors." Up to this time the Govej-nment, to avoid infringe- 
ments upon the rights of the Indians, had discouraged and prevented the 
settlement of the lands northwest of the Ohio, but on the passage of the 
ordinance emigration was fostered and encouraged in every way, and when 

13 



226 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the settlers went into tlie wilderness they found the law already there. ' ' It 
was impressed upon the soil itself, while it yet bore up nothing but the 
forest. ' ' 

On the 15th of August, 1796, Wayne County was erected by the procla- 
mation of Gov. St. Clair. It was the third county formed in the Northwest 
Territory, and embraced the following immense scope of country : ' ' Begin- 
ning at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, upon Lake Erie, and with the 
said river to the portage between it and the Tuscarawas branch of the 
Muskingum ; thence down the said branch to the forks at the carrying place 
above Fort Laurens ; thence by a west line to the east boundary of Hamilton 
County (which is a due north line from the lower Shawnee town upon the 
Scioto River); thence by a line west northerly to the southern part of the 
portage between the Miami of the Ohio and St. Mary's River; thence by a 
line also west northerly to the southwestern part of the portage between 
the Wabash and the Miami of Lake Erie (the Maumee), where Fort 
Wayne now stands; thence by a line west northerly to the southern part of 
Lake Michigan; thence along the western shores of the same to the north- 
west part thereof (including the lands upon the streams emptying into said 
lakes); thence by a due north line to the territorial boundary in Lake Supe- 
rior, and with the said boundary through Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie 
to the mouth of Cuyahoga Rivel', the place of beginning. ' ' These bound- 
aries include all of Michigan and portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and 
Wisconsin. The cities of Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, as well as every 
town in northern Indiana, and northern Ohio, west of the Cuyahoga River, 
were within the original limits of Wayne Coimty. Of course Northwestern 
Ohio, though yet an Indian territory, formed a portion of said county. 

Upon the erection of Greene County, March 24, 1803, the State line 
between Ohio and Michigan was designated as its northern boundary, and 
this portion of Northwestern Ohio was under the nominal jurisdiction of 
Greene until 1805, when Champaign was erected. The latter county also 
extended to the northern line of Ohio, and the scattering settlers between 
Springfield and the Maumee were subject to the jurisdiction of Champaign. 
Squire Carlin says he remembers well a case of debt where a man was taken 
from the Maumee to the jail in Urbana, Mr. Carlin' s father being the officer 
who had charge of the prisoner. In 1817 Logan County was cut ofP Cham- 
paign, and, though the line established by the Greenville Treaty was the 
northern boundary of said county, it also had jiu-isdiction over the United 
States Reservation along the Maumee Rapids, which was designated, by the 
act of erection, as a part of Logan County. 

We have already seen that the Government, by the treaties of 1807, 
1808 and 1817, obtained all the lands embraced in Northwestern Ohio. In 
the spring of 1819 surveyors were sent into the new purchase to divide it 
into townships six miles square, and others soon followed to subdivide said 
townships into sections one mile squai'e. The first survey was completed 
in 1819, and ere the close of 1820 all of the townships had been section- 
alized. 

On the 12th of February, 1820, an act was passed by the General As- 
sembly erecting the newly acquired territory into foui'teen counties, viz. : 
Van Wert, Mercer, Putnam, Allen, Hancock, Hardin, Crawford, Marion, 
Seneca, Sandusky, Wood, Henry, Paulding and Williams. By this act, 
which went into effect April 1, 1820, Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 227 

and Williams were attached to Wood County, wliich was organized under 
the same act, with the temporary seat of justice at the town of Maumee, and 
the first election held the first Monday in April, 1820. The territory erected 
as Hancock County embraced Townships 1 and 2 south, and 1 and 2 north 
of the base line in Ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12 east of the first principal meri- 
dian. The base line runs east and west on the 41st degree of latitude, 
which passes through the center of this county, while the first meridian is 
the boundary line between Ohio and Indiana. At the time of the organiza- 
tion of AVood County the family of Benjamin J. Cox were the only white in- 
habitants of Hancock, and it is hardly probable that Mr. Cox traveled to 
Maumee to cast his vote at the first election. 

Upon the organization of Wood County the commissioners erected all of 
the territory under its jurisdiction into one township, named Waynesfield, 
in honor of Gen. Anthony Wayne, whose brilliant deeds are so closely 
associated with the Maumee Valley. No changes occurred until the 4th of 
March, 1822, when the commissioners ordered "that the township of 
Waynesfield, within the jurisdiction of the county of Wood, be co-extensive 
with the boundaries of the counties of Wood and Hancock, and to include 
the same. " Perrysburg was then the seat of justice of Wood County, and 
also the voting place of Waynesfield Township. 

On the 28th of May, 1823, the same board ordered "that so much of the 
town of Waynesfield as is included in the unorganized county of Hancock 
be set ofP and organized, and the same is hereby organized into a township 
by the name of Findlay, and that the election for township ofiicers be held 
on the 1st of July, A. D. 1823, at the house of Wilson Vance, in the said 
township. " The tally sheet on record at Bowling Green shows that thirteen 
votes were cast at the election, and that Robert McKinnis and Wilson 
Vance were elected justices of the new township. Job Chamberlin, Sr., 
William Moreland and Benjamin Chandler were the judges of election, and 
Wilson Vance and Matthew Reighly, clerks. The second election took 
place April 5, 1824, when eighteen votes were cast. Job Chamberlin, Sr. , 
William Moreland and Jacob Poe were the judges, and Matthew Reighly 
and Wilson Vance, clerks of election. Job Chamberlin, Sr. , Wilson 
Vance and Jacob Poe were chosen trustees; Matthew Reighly, clerk; Job 
Chamberlin, Sr., treasurer; Wilson Vance, lister; Philip McKinnis, con- 
stable; John Hunter and John Gardner, fence viewers, and Robert McKin- 
nis and William Moreland, overseers of the poor. All of these men were 
pioneers of Hancock County, and are fully mentioned in the history of the 
respective townships to which their homes subsequently belonged. It is 
unnecessary to follow up in like manner the elections held in Findlay Town- 
ship in 1825, 1826 and 1827, for, though many new names appear among 
the electors of those years, nearly all will be found in the lists of voters who 
took part in the April and October elections of 1828, the names of whom are 
given in this chapter. 

On the 2d of February, 1824, the General Assembly passed the follow- 
ing act i-elative to this county: 

Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that John Owens, of the 
county of Champaign; Alexander Long, of the county of Logan, and Forest Meeker, 
of the county of Delaware, be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to locate 
and fix the seat of justice in and for the county of Hancock. 

In compliance with this act said commissioners, after examining several 



228 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

sites in Hancock County, made their report to the court of common pleas 
of Wood County at its October session of .1824, the following record of 
which appears on the jouraal in the minutes of that term: 

The Commissioners, appointed to establish the seat of iustice in the county of 
Hancock, in the State of Ohio, report that tiiey have selected the town of Findlay, in 
said county of Hancock, as tiie most suitable site for the seat of justice of said county, 
as per their report on lile in the ofBce of the Clerk of this Court. 

By the close of 1827 Hancock contained a sufficient population to en- 
title her to home rule, and on the 21st of January, 1828, the General 
Assembly passed the following act for the separate organization of the 
county: 

1. Be, it enacted, etc.. That the county of Hancock, as heretofore laid off, shall be 
and the same is hereby, organized into a separate and distinct county; and all suits and 
prosecutions which shall be pending, and all crimes which siiall liave been committed 
within said county of Hancock, previous to its organization, shall be prosecuted to final 
judgment and execution within the county of Wood, in tlie same manner they would 
have been had the county of Hancock not been organized; and the Sheriff, Coroner 
and Constables of Wood County shall execute, within the county of Hancock, such 
process as shall be necessary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judg- 
ments; and the Treasurer of the county of Wood shall collect all such taxes as shall 
have been levied and imposed within the county of Hancock previous to the taking 
effect of this act. 

3. That all Justices of the Peace and Constables within the county of Hancock 
shall continue to exercise the duties of their respective offices until their term of service 
expires, in the same manner as if the county of Hancock had remained attached to the 
county of Wood. 

3. That on the first Monday of April next the legal voters within the said county 
of Hancock shall assemble within their respective townships, at the place of holding 
elections, and elect their several county offlfers, who shall hold their offices until the 
next annual election. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the 1st 
dayof March next. 

Findlay Township then embraced the whole county, and in compliance 
with the third section of this act an election was held on the 7th of April, 
1828, the polling place being at the old log schoolhouse in the village of 
Findlay, now the site of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Rail- 
road depot. The poll book on record in the Clerk' s office shows that seventy- 
four electors voted at that election, the following list of whom, together with 
the present names of the townships wherein their homes were then located, 
will fairly illustrate the sparsely settled condition of the county fifty-eight 
years ago: 

Ephraim Elder, Delaware. Thomas Wingate, . 

Asher Wickham, Marion. Wilson Vance, Findlay. 

Samuel Sargent, Big Lick. Joseph Jolinson, Findlay. 

Thomas Slight, Findlay. Thomas Chester, Findlay. 

William Hackney, Amanda. William Wade, Liberty. 

John P. Hamilton, Findlay. John C. Wickham, Findlay. 

. Henry George, Amanda. Josiah Elder, Delaware. 

Thomas Thompson, Amanda. John Huff, Amanda. 

Joseph A. Sargent, Marion. Jesse Hewitt, Amanda. 

Abraham Huff, Amanda. John Long, Ridge Tp., Wyandot Co. 

Peter George, Amanda. Daniel Hamlin, Delaware. 

Amos Beard, Amanda. Sampson Dildine, Ridge Tp., Wyandot Co. 

Mordecai Hammond. Jackson. Asa M. Lake. Delaware. 

Bleuford Hamilton, Findlay. Reuben W. Hamlin, Delaware 

Don Alonzo Hamlin, Delaware. George Swigart, Hardin County, 

John Elder, Delaware. John Jones, Findlay. 

Joseph flight, Findlay. William Moreland, Jr., Findlay. 

George W. Simpson, Findlay. John Taylor, Findlay. 

Minor T. Wickham, Findlay. John Fishel, Jr., Liberty. 

Nathan Frakes, Allen. James Beard, Amanda. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 229 

Godfrey Wolford, Delaware. Asa Lake.'Delaware. 

Edwin S. Jones, Findlay. William J. Greer, Delaware. 

Selden Blodget, Blanchard. Squire Carlin, Findlay. 

Job Chamberlin. Sr., Findlay. Simeon Rnnsbottom, Madison. 

John Gardner, Findlay. Benjamin Chandler, Blanchard. 

Robert McCullough, Liberty. John Tullis, Madison. 

Jacob Poe, Liberty. James McKinnis, Liberty. 

Ebenezer Wilson, Liberty. William Moreland, Findlay. 
Charles D. Smith, Ridge Tp., Wyandot Co. David Gitchel, Findlay. 

Robert McKinnis, Liberty. John Simpson, Findlay. 

John Shoemaker. Amanda. John Travis, Liberty 

John Boyd, Findlay. Joseph De Witt, Findlay. 

Charles McKinnis. Liberty. Philip McKinnis, Liberty. 

John J. Hendricks, Amanda. Matthew Reighly, Findlay. 

Abel Tanner, Madison. Joshua Hedges, Findlay. 

Jacob Moreland. Findlay. Reuben Hale, Findlay. 

George Shaw, Blanchard. Isaac Johnson, Findlay. 

Several of the foregoing pioneers subsequently removed into other town- 
ships; and of the whole number, Squire Carlin, of Findlay, and Joseph 
Johnson, of Portage Township, are the only survivors now residents of this 
county. After the election it was discovered that George Swigart's cabin 
stood just across the line in Hardin County, and his vote was therefore il- 
legal. John Long, Charles D. Smith and Sampson Dildine lived in the 
territory cut off Hancock in the erection of Wyandot, but the remaining 
seventy voters resided within the present limits of the county. Abraham 
Huff, Wilson Vance and Mordecai Hammond were the judges of election, 
and John C. Wickham and Edwin S. Jones, clerks; while the several can- 
didates for the respective offices, together with the number of votes each re- 
ceived, are as follows: 

Commissioners. — Job Chamberlin, 31; Charles McKinnis, 35; Godfrey 
Wolford, 74; John P. Hamilton, 41; and John Long, 39. Godfrey Wol- 
ford, John Long and John P. Hamilton were elected. 

Sheriff. — Keuben Hale, 34; and Don Alonzo Hamlin, 39; the latter be- 
ing therefore the successful candidate. 

Auditor. — Matthew Reighly was the only candidate for this office, and 
received 59 votes. 

Treasurer. — Joshua Hedges was the only candidate for treasurer, and 
received 57 votes. 

Coroner. — Isaac Johnson, 34; Thomas Slight, 37; and John Boyd, 3. 
Mr. Slight having a plurality of three votes was declared elected. 

Assessor. — John Long, 35; and William Hackney, 39; the latter having 
a majority of four. 

These officials served until the succeeding general election, held October 
14, 1828. The county then contained three townships, viz. : Findlay, 
Amanda and Welfare, the name of the last mentioned being subsequently 
changed to Delaware. The voters of Findlay Township at that election 
were as follows: 

John C. Wickham, Wilson Vance, Squire Carlin, Bleuford Hamilton, 
David Foster, Asher Wickham, John Jones, Job Chamberlin, Edwin S. 
Jones, Thomas Chester, John Boyd, John Simpson, James McKinnis, 
Charles McKinnis, Reuben Hale, William Moreland, Jr., Joseph Johnson, 
John Travis, Ebenezer Wilson, Minor T. Wickham, Jacob Poe, Joseph 
A. Sargent, George W. Simpson, John P. Hamilton, James B. Moore, 
Robert McCullough, Joseph DeWitt, Matthew Reighly, William Wade, 



230 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Joshua Jones, William Moreland, William DeWitt, Simeon Ransbottom, 
Joshua Hedges, John Hunter, Robert McKinnis, William Taylor, Thomas 
Slight, John Tullis, James Peltier. 

The electors of Amanda Township as then constituted, were as follows: 

Sampson Dildine, William Hackney, James Beard, John HuflP, John 
Long, Sr., John Long, Jr., John Shoemaker, Samuel Sargent, Jesse Hew- 
itt, Levi Poulson, Robert Long, John Beard, Abraham Huff, Jr., Peter 
Geoi-ge, Abraham Huff, Sr., John J. Hendricks, Thomas Huff, Thomas 
Cole, David Hagerman, Adam Beard, Andrew Robb, Thomas Thompson. 

Nineteen votes were cast in Welfare Township in the following order: 

John Wolford, William J. Greer, Mordecai Hammond, Don Alonzo 
Hamlin, Joseph B. Hamlin, Nathan Williams, Daniel Hamlin, Absalom 
Wolford, Asa M. Lake, Van R. Hancock, Josiah Elder, Aquilla Gilbert, 
Asa Lake, Warren Hancock, Reuben W. Hamlin, Robert Elder, Godfrey 
Wolford, Harvey Smith, James Thomas. 

This makes a grand total of eighty-one votes polled at that election, or 
seven more than were cast the previous spring, though several pioneers did not 
vote. The townships of Amanda and Welfare (now Delaware) then em- 
braced the whole of the southeast quarter of the county south of the base 
line and east of the Bellefontaine road (including the lands cut off in the 
erection of Wyandot County), also the territory now constituting Big Lick; 
while all the balance of the county was yet within the bounds and under the 
jurisdiction of Findlay Township. At that election John Long, John P. 
Hamilton and Charles McKinnis were elected commissioners, their oppo- 
nents being William J. Greer, Mordecai Hammond and Godfrey Wolford. 
Squire Carlin and John C. W^icldaam were the candidates for sheriff, and 
the latter was elected. Matthew Reighly was again a candidate for auditor, 
but was defeated by William Hackney. Edwin S. Jones was elected treas- 
urer over Joshua Hedges. Thomas Slight beat Reuben W. Hamlin for 
coroner; and Edwin S. Jones was defeated by Don Alonzo Hamlin for the 
assessorship. There was no great strife for the offices in those days, as the 
remuneration was so very small that few cared to spend their time in such a 
poor paying business. Yet some one had to discharge the duties of the 
respective positions, and it is highly creditable to the pioneers that good 
men were usually chosen. 

Hancock County was named in honor of John Hancock, one of the 
leading spirits of 1776 who sent forth the immortal Declaration of Indepen- 
dence — an instrument whose clarion notes rang throughout every nation, 
causing the spark of freedom to burn with renewed hope in the hearts of 
oppressed humanity. Bearing the relation to this distinguished patriot that 
the people of Hancock County do, and associated as his memory is with their 
homes, it is not inappropriate here to give a short biographical sketch of 
one who contributed so much to the establishment of our free govern- 
ment. 

John Hancock was born at Braintree, Mass., January 23, 1737. He 
graduated at Harvard College in 1754, and then entered his uncle's count- 
ing-house, in Boston. When in his twenty- seventh year his uncle died, and 
he inherited his business and much of his property. The position of 
an enterprising and successful merchant, in those days, was one of consider- 
able importance, and gave him a pi'ominent place in society. He was "easy 
and engaging in his manners, liberal in the employment of his wealth, turn- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 231 

ing his influence to good account, apt and ready to serve the public. " In 
the commencement of the difficulties with England he was among the fore- 
most of the band of patriots who announced their determination to con- 
secrate both their wealth and lives to the cause of liberty, and in the discus- 
sion of the best method of expelling the British troops from Boston, he ex- 
claimed: "Burn Boston, and make John Hancock a beggar, if the public 
good requires it!" In 1774: he was elected to the first Provincial Congress, 
at Concord, and was chosen its president. Ill health prevented his being 
sent to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia that year, but the follow- 
ing season he was added to the Massachusetts delegation. At this time Gov. 
Gage, the British commandant at Boston, issued a proclamation, offering 
pardon to all rebels, save and except John Hancock and Samuel Adams, the 
ofPences of whom, in the language of the proclamation, were "of too flagitious 
a nature to admit of any other consideration than that of condign punish- 
ment." This denunciation, which was regarded as a mark of distinction 
by the patriots, gave Hancock a capital introduction to the Continental Con- 
gress, which body, on the resignation of Peyton Randolph, chose him its 
president, and in this capacity he affixed his bold signature to the Declara- 
tion of Independence. In 1779 Hancock, impelled by ill health, resigned 
his seat in Congress, and the same year served as a niember of the Massa- 
chusetts Convention, at Cambridge, for the formation of a State constitu- 
tion. Upon the adoption of that instrument he was chosen Governor, and 
was annually thereafter elected to that office, with the exception of the term 
of George Bowdoin, in 1786, during the remainder of his life. He retained 
his popularity to the last, and died in office as Governor of Massachusetts, 
October 8, 1793, in his fifty-seventh year. 

Hancock County originally was about twenty-four miles square, and 
covered an area of 585 square miles of territory. No change occurred in 
its boundary lines until the erection of Wyandot County, February 3, 1845, 
when forty-five square miles were taken off the southeast corner in the 
formation of the new county, leaving Hancock with its present area of 540 
sqnare miles, or 345,600 acres. It is one of the central counties of North- 
western Ohio, and is bounded on the north by Wood County, on the east 
by Seneca and Wyandot, on the south by Wyandot and Hardin, and on the 
west by Allen and Putnam. 

The county is divided into eighteen townships, erected in the following 
order: Findlay, May 28, 1823; Amanda and Delaware, in April, 1828; 
Jackson, December 7, 1829; Liberty and Marion, December 6, 183 0; Big 
Lick, Blanchard and Van Buren, March 7, 1831; Washington, March 5, 
1832; Union, June 4, 1832; Eagle, Decembers, 1832; Cass and Portage, 
March 4, 1833; Pleasant, March 2, 1835; Orange, December 5, 1836; 
Madison, June 1, 1840, and Allen, in June, 1850. 

The first official census of Hancock County was taken in 1830, when it 
contained a population of 813. The growth of the county by decades since 
that time has been as follows: 1840, 9,986; 1850, 16,751; 1860, 22,886; 
1870, 23,847, and 1880, 27,784. 

The following table presents in detail the population of the several town- 
ships and towns by decades since 1840, so far as the same is given in the 
United States census reports: 



232 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



Allen Township (including Van Buren) 

Van Buren Village 

Amanda Township (including Vanlue) 

Vanlue Village 

Big Lick Townsliip 

Blanchard Township (including Benton) 

Benten Ridge Village 

Cass Township 

Delaware Township (including Mount Blanchard) 

Mount Blanchard Village 

Eagle Township 

Findlay Township (including Findhu') 

City of Findlay 

Jackson Township (including Houcktown) 

Houcktown Village 

Liberty Township 

Madison Township (including Williamstown and 

Arlington) 

Williamstown Village 

Arlingi on Village 

Marion Township 

Orange Township 

Pleasant Township (including McComb) 

McComb Village 

Portage Township 

Union Township (including Cannonsburg, Rawson 

and Cory) 

Cannonsl)urg Village 

Rawson Village 

Cory Village •• 

Van Buren Township 

Washington Township (including Arcadia and West 

Fost oria) 

Arcadia Village 

West Fostoria 



1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 



490 



431 
629 



588 
533 



524 

1,024 

560 

631 



592 



707 
314 
252 



1,162 



1,009 



1,470 



1,008 
1,051 



621 
1,035 



1,256 
1,161 



1,231 



950 1,371 

2,032 3,346 

1,256| 2,467 

830 1,272 



874 
667 



904 
704 
522 



675 614 
637 1,150 



432 

830 



536 
1,222 



1,050 

844 



1,064 

987 

1,151 



835 
1,604 



713 



1,179 
1,304 



759 
1,280 



1,330 
4.073 
3,315 
1,209 



1,011 



990 
1,167 



319 



1,546 



780 
1,579 



1,025 

130 

1,474 

364 

1,261 

1,286 

179 

829 

1,455 

285 

1,284 

5,553 

4,633 

1,338 

113 

1,101 

1,333 
138 
136 
987 
1,451 
1,866 
417 
914 

1,876 

75 

237 

199 

907 

1,945 
396 
371 



Comparing the present condition of Hancock County with what it was 
100 years ago, the wonderful transformation that has taken place is truly 
amazing. Civilization had not yet come to disturb the equanimity of the 
red man as he smoked the pipe of peace at the council lire. Where now 
are towns and hamlets filled with busy populations intent upon the accumu- 
lation of wealth, the mastery of knowledge and the pursuits of pleasure, the 
wolf, bear and panther roamed in search of prey, the deer browsed and the 
pheasant drummed his monotonous note. Where now stands the glowing 
furnace from which tongues of flame are bursting, and where the busy 
water-wheel once furnished power for numerous mills, half-naked, dusky 
warriors fashioned their spears with rude implements of stone, and made 
themselves hooks out of the bones of animals for alhiring the finny tribe. 
Where now are fertile fields, upon which the thrifty farmer turns the fur- 
row, which his neighbor takes up and runs on till it reaches from one end 
of this broad State to the other, and where are flocks and herds rejoicing in 
rich meadows, gladdened by abundant streams and springs, or reposing at 
the heated noon-tide beneath ample shade, not a blow had been struck 
against the giants of the forest, the soil rested in virgin purity, the streams 
glided on in majesty, unvexed by wheel and unobstructed by device of 
man. 

Where now the long train rushes on with the speed of the wind over 




A.H.Hyatt. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 235 

plain and glen, across brook and river, awakening the echoes of the 
hills the long day through, and at the midnight hour screaming out its 
shrill whistle in fiery defiance, the wild native, issuing from his rude hut, 
trotted on in his forest path, pointed his bark canoe across the deep stream, 
knowing the progress of time only by the rising and setting sun, troubled 
by no meridians for its index, starting on his way when his nap was ended, 
and stopping for rest when a spot was reached that pleased his fancy; and 
of the wonderful gas resources which, fi-om deep down in the bowels of the 
earth, furnish fuel and light for numerous stores and factories, and give 
genial warmth to the poor man's happy home, and to the rich as they chat 
merrily in the luxurious drawing-room, not the faintest imagination existed. 
This vast lake of fuel rested unknown or unthought of for a generation 
after the white man came, beneath the superincumbent strata where it had 
been fashioned by the Creator's hand. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Original AppEARANcii of Hancock County— Its Forest and Fruit-Bear- 
ing Trees and Vines— The AVild Animals, Birds. Reptiles and Fish 
Found in this Portion of the State, and Their Gradual Extermina- 
tion—The Wild Honey Bee— General Topoghaphy of the County- 
Its Streams and Water Privileges— Marsh and Prairie Lands— The 
Wild (-at Thicket, Swamp and Fallen Timber Tracts -Diversity of 
Soil— The Sand and Limestone Ridges— Agriculture in Hancock 
County— Implements used by the Early Settlers, and the Intro- 
duction OF Better Machinery— Pioneer Stock Compared with that 
of the" Present— Number of Horses and Cattle Assessed in the 
County in 1824 and 1829— Stock and Crop Statistics— The Hancock 
County Agricultural Society— Its Small Beginning, Steady 
Growth and Present Prosperity. 

"X'TT'HEN the pioneers came into the territory now embraced in Hancock 
VV County, it was, excepting the marsh lands, one vast, unbroken for- 
est. The soil was deep and fertile, and bore up an abundant growth of 
vegetation, while the trees stood close and were of gigantic size. Beauty 
and variety marked the plants which grew and bloomed beneath the leafy- 
canopy. 

"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 

Hill, dale and streamlet, with all the families of plants, from the lofty 
forest tree to the creeping ivy, gave to the landscape variety and pictur- 
esque beauty. From time immemorial an unchanged progression of period- 
ical decay had been forming a I'ich vegetable soil in preparation for the era 
when civilized man should take possession and become its cultivator. Oak, 
elm, ash and hickory in their several varieties, red and white beech, maple, 
or sugar tree, walnut, butternut, cottonwood, linden, or basswood, poplar, 
cherry, sycamore, hackberry, soft maple, buckeye, mulberry, sumach, cucumber, 
ironwood, locust, dogwood, willow, boxwood and sassafras were the princi- 
pal kinds of timber found in this county. Nearly all of the more valuable 



236 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

timber has long ago disappeared before the sturdy blows of the woodsman's 
ax. If the forest that once grew upon many tracts of land in this county 
now stood thereon, it would be worth much more than the land. But the 
pioneers little imagined such a day would ever come, yet many of them 
lived to regret the destruction of the giant walnut and poplar trees once so 
plentiful in Hancock Coimty. There was also a varying undergrowth of 
fruit-bearing trees and vines, such as the plum, crab-apple, grape, white, 
red and black haw, alder, whoi-tleberry, blackberry, raspberry, serviceberry, 
huckleberry, gooseberry, cranberry and strawberry, also nuts of several va- 
rieties, and hops, ginseng, snakeroot, bloodroot, chocolate root, and innu- 
merable species of other roots and herbage having valuable medicinal prop- 
erties, all the spontaneous growt.h of Northwestern Ohio. 

Wild animals roamed at will throughout the earlier years of the county' s 
history, and some of the pioneers could tell of dangers and hair- breadth es- 
capes from an enraged or wounded bear, a pack of ravenous wolves or a 
treacherous wild cat, at that time more numerous in this county than cattle, 
sheep or hogs. The deer, panther, wolf, bear, wild cat, fox, marten, otter, 
polecat, beaver, groundhog or woodchuck, opossum, raccoon, hare, rabbit, 
the black, grey, red or pine, flying and ground or striped squirrel, muskrat, 
mink, weasel, porcupine, field-mouse, deer-mouse, common rat and mouse, 
once abounded in this portion of the State. Of these the panther, bear, 
wolf, wild cat, beaver, marten, deer and porcupine are now extinct in Han- 
cock County. To rid the country of the more dangerous wild beasts was the 
self-imposed duty of every pioneer, and the fight was waged with such un- 
relenting vigor that by 1840 few of them remained. The demand for furs 
was also an incentive to the hunter, as well as the premiums paid on the 
scalps of wolves, panthers and bears ; so that great quantities of game were 
slaughtered for the purpose of replenishing the scanty pocketbooks of the 
struggling settlers, who usually found this an easy mode of earning a few 
dollars. 

' ' The wolf, ' ' says Job Chamberlin in his ' ' Personal Reminiscences, " 
*'was the most troublesome of all the wild animals. It was almost impossi- 
ble to raise sheep on account of them, and we had to put our sheep in high 
pens at night to save them from these dangerous pests. We could hear 
the wolves howling nearly every night, and frequently two or three gangs 
at a time, one gang would howl, and the others would answer them. My 
father took great pains to destroy them, and killed forty-nine in all. He 
took the scalps to Perrysburg, which was the county seat of this district at 
that time, and at first got $1.25 bounty for each scalp, but it was soon 
raised to $3.25. He had to take them within thirty days after killing, and 
make oath that he killed them. To save going himself he sometimes would 
bring the wolves to his house alive, and get Joseph Gordon, the mail car- 
rier, to kill them and get the bounty. * * * * 

" Porcupines were plenty, but we did not find them so remarkable an 
animal as they were represented. They were said to be able to throw their 
quills quite a distance, and some people were at first afraid to approach them 
for fear they would 'shoot' their quills into them; but they had no such power. 
They were full of quills from the top of the head to the tip of the tail, and 
if anything touched one on the back in an unfriendly way it would strike 
upward with its tail with great force, and if it hit an enemy it stuck it full 
of quills; if it hit a stick, as was often the case, the quills would fly a con- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 237 

siderable distance, wWcli, perhaps, gave rise to the belief that they could 
throw them. Our cattle frequently came home with their noses full of 
quills, which were bearded at the point, and, like a bee-sting, would keep 
working in. They were found in different parts of hogs, cattle and dogs, 
and would work through them if the quill did not come in contact with a 
bone or some substance that they could not penetrate. " 

Among the birds which are natives .of this county, or visit it annually, 
either to build or touching it in their migration to a more northerly region, 
are the bald and gray eagle, rarely if ever seen; the hen hawk, fish hawk, 
pigeon hawk, raven, crow, shrike or butcher-bird, the cat and screech owl, 
the swan, wild goose, black duck, mallard, wood duck, shelldrake, teal, 
butterbolt, loon, dipper, water hen or coot, plover, jacksnipe, sandsnipe, 
kingfisher, turkey, pheasant, partridge or quail, woodcock, rail, pigeon, 
dove, whip-poor-will, robin, thrush, catbird, cuckoo, lark, oriole, bluejay, 
fieldfare or red breasted grossbeak, martin, the barn swallow, bank swallow, 
oven swallow, bluebird, wren, cow bird, bobolink or reedbird, yellow-bird, 
redbird, blackbird, redwing, starling, black or large woodpecker, red-headed 
woodpecker, gray woodpecker, flicker, cedar bird or toppy, crookbill, green- 
bird, humming bird, and a variety of small birds with whose species the 
wi-iter is not familiar. ' ' When we came to the hill, " says Mr. Chamber- 
lin, "we found the woods full of birds. Those of a carnivorous disposition 
gave us much trouble for many years. The hawks, of which there were 
four or five kinds, were constantly on the alert to pounce upon our chickens; 
the owl came in for his share, and the raven was also on the lookout for 
chickens and eggs. I once saw a raven attack a sheep. It was winter time, 
and a deep snow covered the ground. While I was sitting in the house .1 
happened to look across an adjoining field and saw a raven busily engaged 
at something, and soon discovered that it was trying to kill a sheep. It 
would fly on the sheep's back and work away as hard as it could. The 
sheep would lie down, but it was then no better off, and could not get rid 
of its enemy. I ran there as quick as I could, aud found that a dog had 
bitten aud crippled the sheep so badly that in could not get away from the 
raven, which had torn the wool off its back just over the kidney, and was 
feasting off the savory meat. " Some of the birds enumerated in the fore- 
going list have become very rare or altogether extinct, while others have 
come' into the county. The white-breasted swallow is one of the later in- 
habitants, as is also the hardy, pugnacious Eaglish sparrow, which since 
his coming has driven many of the most beautiful songsters from the towns 
now inhabited by those little fellows in great numbers. 

Among the snakes found in this locality were the black and yellow rat- 
tlesnakes,° the former known as the massassauga. It was very vicious, 
and rarely grew more than two and one-half feet in length. The yellow rat- 
tlesnakes were not so plentiful in this portion of Ohio, existing principally on 
the limestone ridge. The blue racer, which attained a length of six and one- 
half feet; the water snake, a large black reptile, often growing four to five feet 
in length; the small black snake or white ringed viper, the spotted or house 
snake, the garter snake and the green snake were all very plentiful. But 
of those mentioned none were poisonous except the rattlesnake and white 
ringed viper, aad these are, fortunately, nearly or altogether extinct in 
Hancock County. 

The Blanchard and smaller streams swarmed with fish of many varieties. 



238 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and some of the stories we have heard of their abundance and size would 
almost paralyze the less fortunate modern angler. Mr. Chamberlin speak- 
ing on this subject says: "Fish were very plentiful in the streams. White 
and black suckers, 'red horse,' sturgeon, white and black bass, pike, pick- 
erel, catheads, gars and catfish were caught in great numbers. The smaller 
kinds were easily caught with seine, dip-net, hook and line or fish rack, 
while the large fish were generally gigged. My father once undertook to 
secure a sturgeon which he found in the ripple just below the mill-dam, in 
Findlay. He struck his gig into it and attempted to press it to the bottom, 
but the fish instantly darted from under the gig, which precipitated my 
father full length into the river. He hastily got up, and seeing the 'fish 
struggling in shallow water and trying to escape, he ran and overtook it, 
and again gigged and secured it. The fish weighed forty-nine pounds. 
Another of the same kind, caught afterward, weighed seventy pounds. ' ' 

The wild honey bee was the advance courier of civilization, and the well 
filled bee tree was found in every part of the forest simultaneous with the 
pioneer log-cabin. Indeed there were few of the pioneers who had not discov- 
ered and cut down his bee-tree, and the larder was often well stocked with the 
delicious product of these indefatigable workers. 

The first settlers of Hancock found a slightly rolling, well watered 
country. The summit of the Blanchard in this county is 489 feet above 
Lake Erie, or 1,064 feet above ocean level. There is a general sameness in 
the topography of the county, with a marked dip northward, noticeable in 
the course of the streams, most of which flow in that direction. Blanchard 
River, according to Col. John Johnston, who spent the greater portion of his 
life as a government Indian agent, was called by the Wyandots Qitegh-tu-iva, 
or "claws in the water," while the Shawnees named it Sha-po-qua-te-sepe, 
meaning "one who sewed garments" or "Tailor's River." His story was that 
one Blanchard, a French tailor, settled among the Shawnees, married a 
squaw, reared a family of seven children, and lived and died upon this 
stream long prior to the cession of the territory, which it drains, to the 
United States. The early surveyors of Ohio named the stream Blanchard' s 
Fork of the Auglaize, and thus perpetuated the memory of Blanchard. In 
Chapter II is told all that is positively known of this wandering Frenchman, 
and the reader is referred to that chapter for further information on the 
subject. The Blanchard rises near Kenton, the county seat of Hardin 
County, on the north slope of the dividing ridge between the Ohio River 
and Lake Erie. Flowing northward it enters Hancock County, and passing 
onward through the townships of Delaware, Jackson and Amanda to the 
northeast corner of Section 23, Marion Township, turns abruptly westward, 
and with a slight northerly bearing reaches Findlay; thence meandering in 
the same general direction across Findlay, Liberty and Blanchard Town- 
ships into Putnam Coiinty, forms a jvinction with the Auglaize River in the 
western part of that county. The banks of the Blanchard, though in places 
somewhat hilly and broken, generally stretch away into level bottoms, which 
are subject to overflows during the spring fi'eshets. The stream has fiu'- 
nished in the past water-power for seven grist-mills and numerous saw-mills 
in this county, and has been of incalculable benefit to the country through 
which it flows. Its principal tributaries are fi"om the south. Eagle, Ottawa, 
Riley and Lye Creeks, all of which are fully spoken of in the histories of 
the townships watered by them, being the most important. The north part 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 239 

of the county is drained northward by several branches of Portage River 
and Beaver Creek, and taken altogether the water privileges and natural 
drainage facilities of the county are ample and sufficient. Though many 
small springs are found along the streams and runs, Big Spring, m the 
northeast corner of Amanda Township, is the only one of any particular 
note in this county, having fui-nished power many years ago for a small 
carding machine and grist-mill. Good drinking water is, however, readily 
found St various depths in any part of the county, but it is generally im^ 
preo-nated with lime, and sometimes possesses a strong sulphuric taste and 
smell, the latter being the result of the great natural gas deposits m this 
portion of the State, which from time immemorial has been forcing itself 
through the rock fissures to the sui-face. -, ^i , 

Fiom the east part of Marion Township a flat marsh extends southeast- 
ward across Big Lick Township into Seneca County. It covers from 1, 5UU 
to 2 000 acres, and fi'om the fact that it bore up no forest it became known 
as '''the prairie." Cranberry Marsh is a narrow strip of land originally low 
and wet lying principally in the southwest part of Union Township, and 
extendino- across the line into Orange. A small portion of this tract was 
prairie but nearly all the balance was once so thickly covered with the swamp 
willow 'as to render it almost impenetrable. Another small wet prairie con- 
taining about 400 acres, covered a portion of Sections 23 and Z4r, Union 
Townfhip But nearly all of these marsh and prairie lands have been 
brouo-ht under cultivation by judicious drainage, and are among the most 
valuable farming lands in the county. With the exception of the foregoing 
named tracts, the territory embraced in Hancock County originally bore up 
one of the grandest forests of Northwestern Ohio. 

Wild Cat Thicket was one of the noted forest scenes of pioneer days. 
It was fi'om one to two miles in width, and beginning in the west part of 
Portage Township, extended across Portage, Allen and Cass, and terminated 
near the center of Washington Township. From its appearance the first 
settlers concluded the forest had been blown down years before by a hiirri- 
cane coming from the west, as all the tree tops pointed eastward. Over- 
grown with small timber and forest vegetation, it formed a dense thicket 
where wild game found a safe retreat from the vigilant hunter. Hundreds 
of wildcats inhabited this locality, whence they sallied forth to forage upon 
the surrounding farms, and the place finally became known as Wildcat 

Thicket." ,, -, ,,^-, „ n .■ 

Two tracts in Amanda Township— "the swamp and the fallen tim- 
ber"— were once covered by forest, but the timber was thinned out or under- 
mined by the surface peat taking fire and burning the roots of the trees, thus 
bringino- them to the ground. These lands in their wild state were generally 
quite wet, partly caused no doubt by the fallen timber blocking the siirface 
drainage, but since cleared up and drained they are highly prized by the 

^^' The^^reat majority of the lands in this county are composed of a black 
loam, mixed with sand, gravel or clay, according to location, and underlaid 
with limestone. In the more elevated sections there are patches of clay and 
gravel, and sometimes we find a combination of several kinds of soil. Much 
of the soil in the flat or wet lands is known as "muck," and is very suscep- 
tible to drought. -, . , i. J +1, 
A narrow sand ridge, upon which the Benton road is located, runs soutn- 



240 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

west from Findlay through the village of Benton Kidge to the Putnam 
County line. Two sand and gravel ridges enter the northeast corner of the 
county, and passing westward unite as one ridge on Section 5, Washington 
Township; thence runs in a southwest direction across Cass, Allen, Portage 
and Pleasant Townships, where it is known as ' 'Sugar Ridge, ' ' because of 
the large number of sugar trees that once grew upon it. Fostoria, Van 
Buren and McComb are located on this ridge. Another of these narrow 
belts enters the northeast corner of Portage Township from Wood County, 
and runs southwest parallel with and about two miles north of Sugar Ridge. 
In the geological reports of the State these ridges are called the ' 'ancient 
beaches" of Lake Erie. Limestone Ridge is an elevated belt of sand and 
clay, underlaid with limestone, lying south of the prairie in Big Lick 
Township. It was so named on account of the numerous flakes of lime- 
stone found scattered over its surface, j^robably the result of a great natural 
upheaval during the first stages of the earth' s formation. Good limestone 
is quarried in abundance along the streams, and in several other parts of 
the county away from the water courses. It is used principally in the manu- 
facture of lime, foundations of buildings and the construction of macadamized 
streets and roads. Taking them as a whole, Hancock may be justly proud 
of her lands, for they are not only rich, inexhaustible and highly productive, 
but there is scarcely a foot of her large area which is not susceptible of cul- 
tivation. 

Every sort of crop indigenous to this portion of Ohio is successfully cul- 
tivated in Hancock County. Wheat is perhaps the greatest crop raised here, 
Hancock standing near the head of Ohio counties in the production of this 
cereal ; Indian corn and oats are raised in large quantities, while barley, rye, 
buckwheat, flax, hay and clover are also cultivated to a considerable extent; 
Irish potatoes yield large crops, and nearly every other kind of vegetable 
grown in this latitude produces abundantly. In the horticultural statistics 
of the State the apple product of Hancock compares favorably with her 
sister counties of Northwestern Ohio. Peaches are not a success in this 
county, and though the smaller fruits often yield bountifully they are now 
regarded as a very uncertain crop. The fi-uit exhibited at the Fair of 1885 
was indeed very creditable to the county, and is an indication of what its 
orchards are capable of under proper care and with judicious cultivation. 
Horticulture is generally neglected, and looked upon by many farmers as an 
almost useless expenditure of t'me and money. Hence scores of orchards 
throughout the county bear a general appearance of decay. 

The agricultural implements used by the early settlers were very simple 
and rude. The plow was made entirely of wood except the share, clevis 
and draft-rods, which were of iron, and for many years had to be transported 
from Buffalo, New York or Cleveland, as there were no iron works in the 
county where the plow shares could be forged. The wooden plow was a very 
awkward implement, difficult to hold and hard for the team to draw. It 
was. however, very generally used until about 1830, when the cast iron plow, 
patented by Jethro Wood, was first brought into the county, though it did 
not gain popular favor very rapidly. The farmer looked at it and was sure 
it would break the first time it struck a stone or root, and then how should he 
replace it ? The wooden mold-board would not break, and when it wore 
out he could take his ax and hew another out of a piece of a tree. In no 
one agricultural implement has there been more marked improvement than 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 241 

in the plow — now made of beautifully polished cast-steel, except the beam 
and handles, while in Canada and some portions of the United States these 
too are manufactured of iron. The cast- steel plow of the present manu- 
facture, in its several sizes, styles and adaptations to the various soils and forms 
of land, including the sulky or riding plow, is, among agricultural imple- 
ments, the most perfect in use. 

The pioneer harrow was simply the fork of a tree, with the branches on 
one side cut close and on the other left about a foot long to serve the pur- 
pose of teeth. In some instances a number of holes were bored through 
the beams and dry wooden pins di-iven into them. It was not for some 
years after the first settlement that iron or steel harrow teeth were intro- 
duced in Hancock County. 

The axes, hoes, shovels and picks were rude and clumsy, and of inferior 
utility. The sickle and scythe were at first used to harvest the grain and hay, 
but the former gave way early to the cradle, with which better results could 
be attained with less labor. The scythe and cradle have been replaced by 
the mower and reaper to a great extent, though both are still used in this 
county. 

The ordinary wooden flail was used to thresh grain until about 1840, when 
the horse power thresher was largely substituted. The method of cleaning 
the chafP from the grain by the early settlers, was by a blanket handled by 
two persons. The grain and the chafP were placed on the blanket, which 
was then tossed up and down, the wind separating a certain amount of the 
chaff fi-om the grain during the operation. Fanning-mills were introduced 
quite early, but the first of these were very rude and little better than the 
primitive blanket. Improvements have been made from time to time until 
an almost perfect separator is now connected with every threshing machine, 
and the work of ten men for a whole season is done more completely by 
two or three men, as many horses, and a patent separator, in one day. In 
fact it is difficult to fix limitations upon improvements in agricultural 
machinery within the last fifty years. It is, however, safe to say that they 
have enabled the farmer to accomplish more than triple the amount of 
work with the same force in the same time, and do his work better than be- 
fore. It has been stated on competent authority that the saving effected by 
new and improved implements within the last twenty years has been not less 
than one-half on all kinds of farm labor. 

The greatest triumphs of mechanical skill in its application to agricult- 
ure are witnessed in the plow, planter, reaper and separator, as well as in 
many other implements adapted to the tillage, harvesting and subsequent 
handling of the immense crops of the country. The rude and cumbrous 
implements of the pioneers have been superseded by improved and appar- 
ently perfect machinery of all classes, so that the calling of the farmer is 
no longer synonymous with laborious toil, but is, in many ways, pleasant 
recreation. 

The farmers of Hancock County are not behind the balance of the State 
in the employment of improved methods and in the use of the best machin- 
ery. It is true that in many cases they were slow to change, but much 
allowance should be made for surrounding circumstances. The pioneers had 
to contend against innumerable obstacles — with the wildness of natiu-e, the 
immense growth of timber, the depredations of wild beasts and the annoy- 
ance of the swarming insect life, and the great difficulty and expense of 



242 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

procuring seeds and farming implements. These various difficulties were 
quite sufficient to explain the slow progress made in the first years of settle- 
ment. Improvements were not encouraged, while the pioneers generally 
rejected ' 'book farming' ' as unimportant and useless, and knew little of the 
chemistry of agriculture. The farmer who ventured to make experiments, 
to stake out new paths of practice, or to adopt new modes of cultui-e, sub- 
jected himself to the ridicule of the whole neighborhood. For many years 
the same methods of farming were observed ; the son planted as many acres 
of corn or wheat as his father did, and in the same phases of the moon. 
All their practices were merely traditional ; but within the last thirty years 
most remarkable changes have occurred in all the conditions of agriculture 
in this country. 

The natural adaptation of the soil to grass, and the abundant supply of 
good water, early attracted the attention of many progressive farmers to 
the advantages of stock raising. Horses, cattle, sheep and hogs were 
brought into the county by the first settlers, though they were usually of 
an ordinary breed, and very little was done toward the improvement of 
stock for many years after the organization of the county. The advent of 
the Agricultural Society awakened an active and lasting interest in the 
growth and development of fine stock; and we now find in every township 
of the county some splendid specimens of Norman, Clydesdale and Hamble- 
tonian horses; Durham, Devon, Holstein and Jersey cattle; Merino and 
Cotswold sheep, and Poland -China, Berkshire and Chester White hogs. 
In fact nearly every live farmer takes pride in breeding and exhibiting a 
few good animals. 

The swine of the early settlers, compared with those they now possess, 
present a very wide contrast, for whatever the breed may have been called, 
running wild, as was customary, the special breed was soon lost in the 
mixed swine of the country. They were long and slim, long-snouted and 
long-legged, with an arched back, and bristles erect from the back of the 
head to the tail, slab-sided, active and healthy; the "sapling-splitter" or 
' 'razor back, " as he was called, was ever in search of food, and quick to 
take alarm. He was capable of making a heavy hog, but required two or 
three years to matui'e, and until a short time before butchering or market- 
ing was suffered to run at large, subsisting mainly as a forager, and in the 
fall fattening on the ' 'mast' ' of the forest. Yet this was the hog for a new 
country, whose nearest and best market was Detroit, to which point they 
were di'iven on foot. Almost every farmer raised a few hogs for market, 
which were gathered up by drovers and dealers during the fall and winter 
seasons. In no stock of the farm have greater changes been effected than 
in the hog. From the long-legged, long-snouted, slab-sided, roach-backed, 
tall, long, active, wild, fierce and muscular, it has been bred to be almost 
as square as a store box and quiet as a sheep, taking on 250 pounds of flesh 
in ten months. 

In 1824 there were assessed by Wilson Vance, inside of Hancock 
County, 22 horses and 105 head of cattle over three years old. In 1829 
there were returned for taxation 93 horses and 279 head of cattle. These 
were the beginnings of the present flourishing stock interests of tlie county, 
and the following table, compiled from the State reports, will serve to illus- 
trate the growth and progress of this important feature of agriculture dur- 
ing the past thirty-three years : 



-Wv-..^^^- 




.V 




-CA^^ '^^r^-^u^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



245 



Horses 
Cattle . 
Hogs . , 
Sheep. 



1852 



1859 



4,116 9,073 

9,710 32.835 

9,502; 28,995 

14,877 31,562 



1867 1870 



1875 



9,635 9,313 10,523 

18,757 19, 750 ! 23,216 

35,3111 28.299 34,121 

84,735 56,622l 46,111 



1880 



1884 



10,533 9,774 

23.478 22 139 

43,677 38,192 

43,942 52,045 



From the same source is gathered the following table of crop statistics 
since 1859, giving the number of bushels of each crop produced annually 
for six years selected from that period : 



Wheat 

Corn 

Oats. 

Buckwheat 

Rye 

Barley 

Irish Potatoes. 
Apples 



1859 



1866 



1870 



343.836 

443,428 

86,499 

16.299 

7.637 

5,862 



101,938 

803.552 

317.793 

31.378 

6.344 

8,3S4 

29,923 

173,333 



514,183 

701.322 

286,822 

1.336 

5,536 

2,868 

80,763 

183,665 



1875 



538,984 

1,365,589 

208,448 

2,152 

2,725 

3.644 

193.030 

57,658 



1.063,019 

1,857,830 

340,35(3 

1,152 

1,378 

3,250 

92.617 



1884 



640.030 

1,835,487 

438,573 

614 

8,614 

3,442 

133,781 

289,940 



Though the several agricultural products of Hancock County have been 
usually successful, wheat and corn have always been its two greatest staples. 
The average annual wheat product of the county from 1869 to 1884, inclusive, 
was 14.86 bushels per acre, while the average corn yield for the same period 
was 34. 92 bushels per acre. The total annual average wheat product of 
the county from 1878 to 1882, inclusive, was 877,458 bushels, ranking sec- 
ond in the Maumee Valley and sixth in the State. Seneca, Stark, Wayne, 
Darke and Pickaway being the only counties of Ohio during that period 
whose total annual average wheat yield exceeded that of Hancock. The 
covmty's total annual average corn crop for the same five years was 1,701,- 
285 bushels, ranking seventeenth in that cereal and leading the remainin'o- 
seventy-one counties of Ohio in the growth of corn. Truly this is a grand 
testimonial to the fertility of her soil and the intelligence of her farmers. 

The Hancock County Agricultural Society has, no doubt, done more 
toward building up and developing the agricultural interests of the county 
than all other social agencies combined. The annual fairs held at Findlay 
dui-ing the past thirty-four years have created a friendly rivalry among 
agriculturists in the breeding of fine stock, and brought about the introduc'- 
tion of better machineiy and more scientific modes of farming. The first active 
efi:'ort made to organize this society was through a call published in the 
Hancock Courier of August 21, 1851, and signed by Abner Evans, Henry 
Lamb, John Lafferty, Charles Eckels, Abner Leonard, C. O. Mann, Kobert 
L. Strother, Alexander Phillips, William Taylor, A. H. Fairchild, C. Folk, 
D. J. Cory and John Strother, for a meeting to be held at the Court House 
on Saturday, August 30, 1851, for the purpose of forming a county agri- 
cultural society, and "to organize and transact business necessary to the 
furtherance of the plow." Pursuant to this notice a goodly . number of 
citizens met on the day specified, and organized by appointing Aaron Hall, 
president, John Cooper and William Taylor, vice-presidents, and Robert 
Coulter, secretary of the meeting. Henry Brown then read, for the infor- 
mation of those interested, an "act for the encouragement of ao-riculture, " 



246 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY, 

passed March 12, 1844. It was afterward decided to hold the next meet- 
ing at the Court House on the first Saturday of October follo\/ing, when 
permanent officers would be elected. A membership subscription paper 
was drafted and left with William Taylor for the procurement of names. 

On the 4th of October, 1851, the embryo society met according to ap- 
pointment, and organized by calling Robert L. Strother to the chair and 
appointing Henry Brown, secretary. A constitution previously prepared 
was read and adopted, and the following officers elected for the ensuing 
year: John Cooper, president; Robert L. Strother, vice-president; William 
Taylor, secretary; D. J. Cory, treasurer; Aaron Hall, John Dukes, AVill- 
iam Yates, Henry Lamb, John Moore, John Lafferty and Alexander Phil- 
lips, managers. After the disposal of a few other matters the society ad- 
joui'ned until November 13, 1851. During this year the following members 
were obtained, each of whom paid $1, except D. J. Cory, who gave $10 
toward the enterprise: Robert L. Strother, Henry Lamb, Alexander Phil- 
lips, William Taylor, John Cooper, David Dorsey, Jesse George, T. G. 
Pumre, Hiram Cox, John P. McNeaill, A. H. Fairchild, A. P. Byal, Jesse 
Ford, Paul Sours, Jonas Hartman, Edson Goit, William Yates, Aaron 
Hall, Robert Coulter, D. J. Cory, Peter George, Henry Davis, Samuel 
Spitler, Elijah Barnd, James Elsea, Ebenezer Mclntire, James H. Barr, 
L. G. Flenner, AVilliam Mungen, Samuel Howard, Moses McAnelly, John 
Moore, Miles Wilson, Jr., E. P. Coons & Co., Charles Osterlen, Joshua 
Hartman, E. B. Vail, Thomas Buckley, A. H. Bigelow, Abner Leonard, 
Thomas H. Taylor, David Patton. John Dukes, John LafPerty, Henry Folk, 
Alonzo Pangburn, Eli Detwiler, John Johnston, Edwin Parker and Brown 
& Blackford. 

The second election of officers took place at the Court House April 10, 
1852, and resulted as follows: John Cooper, president; Robert L. Strother, 
vice-president; Henry Brown, secretary; D. J. Cory, treasurer; Aaron 
Hall, Moses McAnelly, Jonas Hartman, John Dukes and Alexander Phillips, 
managers. Under this management the society held its first fair October 
15 and 16, 1852, on rented grounds west of Main Street in North Findlay, 
which were temporarily fitted up for the occasion. The secretary in his 
report says ''the attendance was very large," and, doubless, it was a very 
good fair, considering the circumstances under which it was given, but when 
he informs us that the total premiums awarded amounted to $99. 12 we can 
then easily realize what wonderfiil progress the society has made since it 
gave its first fair. The same grounds in North Findlay were annually rent- 
ed, and used up to and including the fair of 1858. The lack of permanent 
grounds and suitable buildings were the main drawbacks under which the 
society labored during those seven years. Nevertheless the fairs were 
usually successful, and at the close of the one of 1858 the society was out 
of debt and had about $100 in the treasury. 

In January, 1859, the subject of securing permanent grounds began to 
be agitated. The officers chosen on the 15th of this month were Israel 
Green, president; A. P. Byal, vice-president; Samuel F. Gray, secretary; 
A. M. Hollabaugh, treasiu-er; A. W. Strother, Ezra Karm, William Vance, 
William Martin, Abner Leonard, Abel F. Parker, Aaron Hall, John Moore, 
Daniel Alspach and Daniel Fox, board of managers. On the 5th of Feb- 
ruary a meeting of the society was convened, and the president, secretary, 
treasurer, and board of managers were appointed a committee to view 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 247 

sites and receive proposals for the purchase or lease of suitable grounds, and 
to^ report at the next meeting, February 9, 1859. On that date the com- 
mittee reported the selection of a tract of eight acres lying on the Mount 
Blanchard road, in East Findlay, which was purchased of James H. Wilson for 
the sum of $800. Measures were soon afterward taken to fence and tit up the 
ground for the succeeding annual fair, which was held thereon October 5,6 and 
7, 1859. Nine annual exhibitions were held on these grounds, and the inter- 
est and attendance had so increased that the society felt justified in seek- 
ing a larger tract. In October, 1867, a committee was appointed to sell 
the old grounds, but nothing definite was then accomplished. In July, 
1868, John Markel, A. W. Frederick and C. L. Turley were appointed a 
committee to dispose of the grounds, which were sold to Samuel Hoxter. 

In May, 1868, a tract of twenty and one-half acres on the Bellefontaine road 
immediately south of Findlay, were purchased of Timothy L. Russell for |3, - 
075. These grounds were fitted up and the first fair held upon them October 
15, 16 and 17, 1868. This fair was reported as the most successful held by 
the society up to that time. Five acres bought of John Powell at a cost of 
$1,000 were added to the grounds on the south in August, 1871, and in Au- 
gust, 1882, seven and two-filths acres adjoining the grounds on the west were 
purchasedof A.P.Byalforthe sum of $1,850. In May, 1884,the society bought 
a strip of half an acre running along the north part of the grounds for 
which they paid Francis Davis $200. The last addition made to the 
grounds was a tract of two acres on the west side and purchased of 
Morrison & Baker, in September, 1885, for the sum of $500. The grounds 
now contain thirty-five and two-fifths acres, which have cost the society 
$6,625. It is claimed by the secretary that about $4,000 have been expended 
in buildings and other improvements, making a total expenditure of over $10,- 
000. About one-third of the grounds is covered by the original forest, and their 
location is perhaps the most beautiful that could have been selected in the 
Blanchard Valley. For many years the annual exhibitions of this society have 
been recognized as among the most successful in Northwestern Ohio, and its offi- 
cers of the past and present deserve great credit for their indefatigable labors in 
building up an institution which every progressive citizen feels is an honor 
to Hancock County. The officers of the society for 1885 were as fol- 
lows: Samuel D. Frey, president; James A. Vickers, vice-president; D. 
B. Beardsley, secretary; J. M. Vanhorn, treasurer; David Downing, Jas- 
per Dukes, Josiah Fahl, Isaac N. Teatsorth, Calvin W. Brooks, Hiram 
HuflPman, J. W. Marshall, John Cusac, James A. Vickers, Joseph Foreman, 
James Cox and Samuel D. Frey, managers. 



248 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER V. 

Public Officials— Members or Congress— State Senators— State Repre- 
sentatives— Prksidential Electors, AND Members of Constitutional 
Conventions — Commissioners— Auditors— Treasurers — Recorders— 
Clerks— Sheriffs— Surveyors— Coroners— Probate Judges — Public 
Buildings— Court Houses, Jails and Infirmary— Political Statis- 
tics. 

MANY unf oi-eseen obstacles were met with in the compilation of a reliable 
and authentic roster of public oflficials. Comparing the lists hereto- 
fore published with the records, it was soon discovered that, though most 
of the names are given, the dates of service are very erroneous, and re- 
liance had to be almost solely placed on the musty, age- dimmed election 
returns stowed away in the clerk' s office. The result derived fi"om a careful 
inspection of these returns fully repaid the time expended, and the lists are 
here given with confidence that they are correct and beyond dispute. The 
roster of members of Congress, State senators and representatives begins with 
the erection of the county in 1820, while the balance of the lists date fi-om 
its organization eight years later. The reader will therefore bear in mind 
that wherever Wood County appears as a part of the senatorial or legisla- 
tive district, prior to 1828, it also includes Hancock, which was under the 
jurisdiction of Wood till March, 1828.* 

Members of Congress. — Joseph Vance, of Champaign County, 1821 to 
1835; Samson Mason, of Clark County, 1835 to 1843; Hem-y St. John, of 
Seneca County, 1843 to 1847; Rodolphus Dickinson, of Sandusky County, 
1847, died in 1849; Amos E. Wood, of Sandusky County, vice Dickinson 
deceased, 1849, died in 1850; John Bell, of Sandusky County, 1850 to 1851; 
Alfred P. Edgerton, of Defiance County, 1851 to 1855; Richard Mott, of 
Lucas County, 1855 to 1859; James M. Ashley, of Lucas County, 1859 to 
1863f Francis C. Le Blond, of Mercer County, 1863 to 1867; William Mun- 
gen, of Hancock County, 1867 to 1871; Charles N. Lamison, of Allen County, 
1871 to 1873; Charles Foster, of Seneca County, 1873 to 1879; Frank H. 
Hurd, of Lucas County, 1879 to 1881: John B. Rice, of Sandusky County, 
1881 to 1883; George E. Seney, of Seneca County, 1883 to 1887. 

State Senators. — George Fithian, district Clark, Champaign Logan, 
and Wood, 1820-21; James Cooley, same district, 1821-23; George Fithian, 
same district, 1823-24; Robert Young, district Miami, Shelby, Logan and 
Wood, 1824-26; Daniel M. Workman, same district, 1826-28; David Camp- 
bell, district Hancock, Wood, Seneca, Sandusky and Huron, 1828-30; 
Samuel M. Lockwood, same district, 1830-32; Philip Lewis, district 
Hancock, Hardin, Logan, Union and Madison, 1832-34; Samuel Newell, 
same district, 1834-36; John E. Hunt, district Hancock, Wood, Hemy and 
Lucas, 1836-37; Curtis Bates, district Hancock, Hardin, Wood, Lucas, 
Henry, Williams, Paulding, Putnam, Allen, Van Wert and Shelby, 1837- 

*For Common Pleas, aad Associate Judges, and Prosecuting Attorneys see Cliapter VI. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 249 

39; Jolin E. Hunt, same district, 1839-40; John Goodin, district Hancock, 
Wood, Seneca, Sandusky and Ottawa, 1840-42; Moses McAnelly, same dis- 
trict, 1842-44; Charies W. O'Neal, district Hancock, Wood, Lucas and 
Ottawa, 1S44-4G; Jesse Wheeler, same district, 1846-48; Joel W. Wilson, 
district Hancock, Seneca and Wyandot, 1848-50; Michael Brackley, same 
district, 1850-51. Under the constitution of 1851, the State was divided 
into fixed senatorial districts, and the counties of Hancock, Wood, Lucas, 
Fulton, Henry and Putnam, became the Thirty-third District. The senators 
since that time have been as follows : William Mimgen, 1852-54; Samuel 
H. Steedman, 1854-56; William S. Lunt, 1856-58; Josiah N. Westcott, 
1858-60; George Laskey, 1860-62; Charies M. Godfrey, 1862-64; James 
C. Hall, 1864-66; James C. Hall and Pariee Cariin, 1866-68 ; Abel M. Corey 
and James C. Hall, 1868. The latter died in 1868, and in December of 
that year Charles A. King was elected to fill vacancy, and with Mr. Corey 
served till 1870; Abel M. Corey, 1870-72; Dresam W. H. Howard and 
Hanks B. Gage, 1872-74; Wilham A. Tressler and Emery D. Potter, 1874- 
76; T. P. Brown and Charles J. Swan, 1876-78; James B. Steedman and 
David Joy, 1878-80; John A. Wilkins, 1880-82; Joseph H. Brigham and 
Jonathan D. Norton, 1882-84; William H. McLyman and Orlando B. 
Ramey, 1884-86; Ezra S. Dodd and Herman C. Groschner, 1886-88. 

State Representatives. — John Shelby, district Logan and Wood, 1820- 
28; Samuel M. Lockwood, district Hancock, Wood, Seneca and Sandusky, 
1828-30; Josiah Hedges, same district, 1830-31; Harvey J. Harmon, same 
district, 1831-32; Samuel Newell, district Hancock, Hardin,' Logan, Union 
and Madison, 1832-34; Nicholas Hathaway, same district, 1834-36; John 
Hollister, district Hancock, Wood, Lucas, Henry and Williams, 1836-37; 
Pariee Cariin, same district, 1837-38; William Taylor, same district, 1838- 
39; Moses McAnelly, same district, 1839-40; Amos E. Wood and Moses 
McAnelly, district Hancock. Wood, Seneca, Sandusky and Ottawa, 1840-41; 
Amos E. Wood and George W. Baird, same district, 1841-42; George W. 
Baird and Henry C. Brish, same district, 1842-43; William B. Craighill 
and Samuel Waggoner, same district, 1843-44; Elijah Huntington, district 
Hancock, AVood, Lucas and Ottawa, 1844-45; Lyman Parcher, same dis- 
trict, 1845-46; John McMahan, same district, 1846-47; Emery D. Potter, 
same district, 1847-48; Machias C. Whiteley, district Hancock and Wyan- 
dot, 1848-50; Henry Bishop, same district, 1850-51. Since the adoption of 
the constitution of 1851, Hancock County has formed a separate legislative 
district, and has been represented by the following citizens : Henry Bishop, 
1852-54; John F. Perkey, 1854-56; Pariee Cariin, 1856-58; John Westcott, 
1858-62; William Gribben, 1862-64; Gribben obtained certificate of re- 
election in 1863, but near the close of first session in 1864, the seat was 
given on contest to his opponent, Pariee Cariin, who served till 1866; Isaac 
Cusac, 1866-70; Aaron B. Shafer, 1870-72; Charies Osterien, 1872-1874; 
William M. McKinley, 1874-76; Alexander Phillips, 1876, died in office, 
same year; Henry Sheets, 1877-80; William H. Wheeler, 1880-84; Absalom 
P. Byal, 1884-88. 

Presidential Electors and Members of Constitutional Conventions. — John 
Dukes, of Blanchard Township, was the elector of this district on the 
Harrison and Tyler ticket in 1840; William Taylor of Findlay, was the Fre- 
mont and Dayton elector in 1856; and Jacob F. Burket, of Findlay, the Gar- 
field and Arthur elector in 1880. These were the only citizens of Han- 



250 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

cock County who ever filled that position in the district to which Hancock 
belonged. John Ewing, of Findlay, served in the Constitutional Convention 
of 1850; and Absalom P. Byal, of Findlay, in that of 1873. 

Commissioners. — Godfrev Wolford, from April, 1828, to October, 1828; 
John Long, April, 1828, to October, 1828; John P. Hamilton, April, 1828, 
to October, 1828; John Long (re-elected), October, 1828, to December, 1829; 
Charles McKinnis, October, 1828, to December, 1880; John P. Hamilton 
(re-elected), October, 1828, to December, 1831; Mordecai Hammond, Decem- 
ber, 1829, to December, 1832; Charles McKinnis (re-elected), December, 1830, 
to December, 1833; EobertL. Strother, December, 1831, to December, 1834; 
John Kose, December, 1832, to December, 1835; John Byal, December, 1833, 
to December, 1836; Jolm L. Carson, December, 1834, resigned in Decem- 
ber, 1835; William Taylor (of Findlay), December, 1835, to December, 1838; 
Darius Smith (to fill vacancy caused by Carson's resignation), December, 
1835, to December, 1837; John Byal (re-elected), December, 183G, to Decem- 
ber, 1839; Aquilla Gilbert, December, 1837, to December, 1840.; Daniel Fair- 
child, December, 1838, to December, 1841 ; George Shaw, December, 1839, to 
December, 1842; Aquilla Gilbert (re-elected), December 1840, to December, 
1843; Andrew Eicketts, December, 1841, to December, 1844; George Shaw, 
(re-elected), December, 1842, to December, 1845; Peter George, December, 
1843, to December, 1846; JohnLafferty, December, 1844, to December, 1847; 
William Taylor (of Findlay), December, 1845, to December, 1848; Peter 
George (re-elected), December, 1846, toDecember, 1849; William W. Hughes, 
December, 1847, toDecember, 1850; Thomas Kelley, December, 1848, toDe- 
cember, 1851; Elias Cole, December, 1849, toDecember, 1852; William W. 
Hughes (re-elected), December, 1850, to December, 1853; Thomas Kelley (re- 
elected), December, 1851, toDecember, 1854; Elias Cole (re-elected), Decem- 
ber, 1852, toDecember, 1855; Jacob Bushong, December, 1853, toDecember, 
1856; William Davis, December, 1854, to December, 1857; John McKinley, 
December, 1855, to December, 1858; Jacob Bushong (re-elected), December 
1856, to December, 1859; John Graham, December, 1857, to December, 1860; 
John McKinley (re-elected), December, 1858, to December, 1861 ; Isaac Cusac, 
December, 1859; resigned late in 1861, or early the following year; John 
Graham (re-elected), December, 1860, to December, 1863; Conrad Line, De- 
cember, 1861, to December, 1864; Jacob Bushong, appointed in February, 
1862, to serve the unexpired term of Isaac Cusac up to December, 1862; John 
Cooper, December, 1862, to December, 1865 ; William Taylor (of Washington 
Township), December, 1863, toDecember, 1866; David W. Engle, December, 
1864, to December, 1867; John Cooper (re-elected), Decembei', 1865, to De- 
cember, 1868; William Taylor (re-elected), December, 1866, to December, 
1869; David W. Engle (re-elected), December, 1867, to December, 1870; 
William M. Marshall, December, 1868, to December, 1871; Samuel Creigh- 
ton, December, 1869, to December, 1872 ; Joseph Saltzman, December, 1870, 
to December, 1873; William M. Marshall (re-elected), December, 1871, to 
December, 1874; John D. Bishop, December, 1872, to December, 1875; 
Joseph Saltzman (re-elected), December, 1873, resigned June 9, 1876; John 
Edgington, December, 1874, to December, 1877; JohnD. Bishop, Decem- 
ber, 1875, toDecember, 1878; Ross W. Moore appointed June 9, 1876, to 
fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Joseph Saltzman, and elected 
as his own successor the following October, first regular term expiring in 
December, 1879; John Edgington (re-elected), December, 1877, toDecember, 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 251 



1880; Louis Liineack, December, 1878, to December, 1881; Boss W. Moore 
(re-elected), December, 1879, to December, 1882; Bateman B. Powell, De- 
cember, 1880, to December, 1883; Andrew S. Be^k, I^^cember 1881 to De- 
cember, 1884; Charles S. Kelley, December, 1882 to December, 1885; J. 
M. Moorliead, December, 1883, to December, 1880; Andrew S Beck (re- 
elected), December, 1881, to December, 1887 ; Charles S. Kelley (re-elected), 
December, 1885, to December, 1888. ,^^„ , ^ , , -.ooo wn- 

Auditors.-^laiihew Reighly, April, 1828, to October, 1828; William 
Hackney, October, 1828, to March, 1831; Thomas F. Johnston, March, 
1831, resigned in June, 1832; Joseph C. Shannon, appoint^ed to fall vacancy 
in June 1832, and served till his death in May, 1836; Edson Goit, 
appointed May 23, 1836, to serve the unexpired term of Joseph C. Shannon, 
deceased, up to March, 1837; Charles W. O'Neal, March 1837, to March, 
1839; William L. Henderson, March, 1839, resigned September 29, 1842; 
James H. Barr, appointed to fill vacancy September 29 1842^ served to 
March, 1845; James S. Ballentine, March, 1845, to March, 184/; Wdliam 
Muncren, March. 1847, to March, 1851; Elijah Barnd, March, 1851, to 
March 1855; Henry Brown, March, 1855, to March, 1857; Aaron Howard, 
March, 1857, to March, 1861; Hemy Sheets, March, 1861, to March, 1865; 
Solomon Shafer, March, 1865, to March, 1869; John L. Hill, March, 1869, 
to November, 1873; George S. Mosher, November, 1873 to November, 
1877; Joseph R. Kagy, November, 1877, to November, 1883; \\ illiam i. 
Piatt', November, 1883, to November, 1886 -.ooo -c.^ • a 

Treasurers.— Joshua Hedges, April, 1828, to October, 1828; Edwm S. 
Jones, October, 1828, to June, 1831; Squire Carlin, June, 1831, to June, 
1839- Edson Goit, June, 1839, to June, 1843; Levi Taylor, June, 1843, to 
June' 1845; Wilson Vance, June, 1845, to June, 1847; Mahlon Morris, 
June 1847, died August 5, 1849; Levi Taylor, appointed to fill vacancy, 
August 8 1849, to June, 1851; Samuel Howard, June, 1851, to June, 
1855; Benjamin Huber, June, 1855, to June, 1857; William Vanluc, June, 
1857 to September, 1861; Benjamin Huber, September, 1861, to Septem- 
ber 'l863; Samuel Spitler, September, 1863, to September, 1867; Henry 
B Wall September, 1867, absconded in September, 1870; Henry Sheets, 
appointed September 7, 1870, to serve Wall's unexpired term up to Sep- 
tember 1871; Benjamin Huber, September, 1871, to September, 18/5; 
Peter Hosier, September, 1875, to September, 1879; Samuel Howard, Sep- 
tember, 1879, to September, 1883; William J. Creighton, September, 1883, 

to September, 1887. -. . -r looc -n i 

Recorders —Wilson Vance, June 3, 1828, resigned m June, 1835; Parlee 
Carlin, appointed June 1, 1835, served till October, 1835; Wilson Vance, 
October 1835, to October, 1838; Jacob Barnd, October, 1838, to October, 
1844- John Adams, October, 1844, to October, 1847; Paul Sours, October, 
1847 to October, 1853; Isaac J. Baldwin, October, 1853, to January, 1860; 
Adam Steinman, January, 1860, to January, 1866; Luther B. Robinson, 
January, 1866, to January, 1872; Paul Kemerer, January, 1872 to Janu- 
ary, 1878; Joseph F. Gutzwiller, January, 1878, to January, 1884; John 
B. Foltz, January, 1884, to January, 1887. 

Clerks —Wilson Vance, March 14, 1828, to March, 1835; William H. 
Baldwin March, 1835, to October, 1842; William L. Henderson, October, 
1842 resigned July 27, 1848; Absalom P. Byal, July 28, 1848, to February, 
1855; William W. Siddall, February, 1855, to February, 1864; James Den- 



252 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

nison, February, 1864, died in office January 20, 1870; Peter Pifer was 
elected in the fall of 1869, and upon the death of Mr. Dennison he was ap- 
pointed to serve the few remaining days of the hitter's second term. His 
own began in February, 1870, and he held the office till February, 1876; 
Scott W. Preble, February, 1876, to Febrviary, 1879; Henry H. Louthan, 
February, 1879, to February, 1885; Presley E. Hay, February, 1885, to Feb- 
rurary, 1888. 

Sheriffs. — Don Alonzo Hamlin, April, 1828, to November, 1828; John C. 
Wickham, November, 1828, to November, 1830; Joseph Johnson, 
November, 1830, to November, 1834; Christian Barnd, November, 1834, 
to November, 1838; Jacob Rosenberg, November, 1838, to November, 
1842; Elisha Brown, November, 1842, to November, 1844; Alonzo D. Wing, 
November, 1844, to November, 1846; Absalom P. Byal, November, 1846, re- 
signed July 27, 1848, and the Coroner, Hiram Williams was acting sheriff 
till the following November; Thomas Buckley, November, 1848, to Novem- 
ber, 1852; James Robinson, November, 1852, to November, 1854; William W. 
Yates, November, 1854, died near the close of December, 1855, and D. D. 
McCahan, Coroner, was acting sheriff until November, 1856; James N. 
Neibling, November, 1856, to January, 1861 ; Cloys B. Wilson, January, 1861, 
to January, 1865; D. D. McCahan, January, 1865, resigned September 23, 
1867, and the Coroner, Abraham Yerger, filled the office till January, 1869; 
Samuel Myers, Jamiary, 1869, to January, 1873; James L. Henry, January, 
1873, to January, 1875; Samuel Myers, January, 1875, to Janiiary, 1877; 
ParleeC. Tritch, January, 1877, to January, 1881; Charles B. Hall, January, 
1881, to January, 1885; Lemuel McManness, January, 1885, to January, 
1887. 

Surveyors.— \Yim(im Taylor, November, 19, 1828, to April, 1832; William 
L. Henderson, April, 1832, to October, 1838; Joel Pendleton, October, 1838, 
to October, 1854; George W. Powell, October, 1854, to October, 1857; Joel 
Pendleton, October, 1857, to January, 1876; Edwin Phifer, January, 1876, 
to January, 1885; W^. K. Stringfellow, January, 1885, to January, 1888. 

Coroners. — Thomas Slight, April, 1828, to November. 1830; Joseph De 
Witt, November, 1830, to November, 1832; Thomas Slight, November, 1832, 
to November, 1834; Richard Watson, November, 1834, to November, 1835; 
Thomas Slight, November, 1835, to November, 1836; Peter Byal, November, 
1836, to November, 1837; Henry Lamb, November, 1837, to November, 1839; 
Noah Wilson, Novembw", 1839, to November, 1840; Joshua Hedges, Novem- 
ber, 1840, to November, 1842; Allen McCahan, November, 1842, to November, 
1844; Norman Chamberlin, November, 1844, died in 1845. and the sheriff, 
Alonzo D. Wing, served the unexpired term to November, 1846; Hiram 
W^illiams, November, 1846, to November, 1850; Harmon Warrell, November, 
1850, to November, 1852; Garret D. Teatsorth, November, 1852. to Novem- 
ber, 1854; D. D. McCahan, November, 1854, to November, 1856; Edwin Par- 
ker, November, 1856, to January, 1861; ParleeC. Tritch, January, 1861, to 
January, 1865; Abraham Yerger, January, 1865, to January, 1869; ParleeC. 
Tritch, January, 1869, to January, 1 1873; Frank J. Karst, January, 1873, to 
January, 1875; Daniel F. Cline, January, 1875, to January, 1877; Tobias G. 
Barnhill, January, 1877, to January, 1881; John C. Tritch, January, 1881, 
to January, 1885; Tobias B. Barnhill, January, 1885. to January, 1887. 

Probate Judges. —James H. Barr, February, 1852, to February, 1855; 
Nathaniel E. Childs, February, 1855; to February, 1858; James H. Barr, 



.«illf%^^. 





'Ai ^. 




HISTORY" OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 255 

February, 1858, to February, 1861; Alfred W. Frederick, February, 1861, to 
February, 1867; Gamaliel C. Barnd, February, 1867, to February, 1873; 
Samuel B. Huffman, February, 1873, to February, 1879; Sylvester J. Sid- 
dall, February, 1879, to- February, 1885; George W. Myers, February, 
1885, to February, 1888. 

Public Buildings. — On the 2d of February, 1824, the General Assem- 
bly passed an act appointing three commissioners to select a seat of j astice 
for Hancock County, and the following October said commissioners re- 
ported to the Court of Common Pleas of Wood County, then in session at 
Perrysburg, that they had selected Findlay as the most suitable location for 
said county seat. Upon the organization of Hancock, in March, 1828, the 
old log school-house, erected the previous year on the site of the Indianapolis, 
Bloomington & Western Railroad depot, was utilized as a Court House, and 
all of the courts were held in that building until the completion of the first 
Court House in 1833. 

A Jail, it seems, was the first public building erected by the county. At 
a meeting of the commissioners held July 26, 1830, plans for a Jail were 
considered, and it was ordered that said Jail be a one- storied building, 
16x24 feet in size. It was built of hewed logs, and divided into two rooms 
by a partition through the center, one of which was the " debtors' prison, '* 
wherein those unfortunates imable to pay their debts had plenty of time to 
ponder over the inconvenience of honest poverty. There they remained 
without any hope of relief until Shylock relented or received his "pound of 
flesh." This was one of those obnoxious laws handed down fi'om colonial 
days, and still existing in some of the States. The contract for the erec- 
tion of this old Jail was let to Squire Carlin for $450, and called for " the 
timbers to be white oak twelve inches square. " Mr, Carlin employed Henry 
Shaw to do the work, who, though not a carpenter, was sufficiently capable 
to put up such a building as specified. It stood about twenty feet south of 
the Court House recently torn down, between the latter and the fence, its west 
end being on a line with the rear of that structure. The citizens of Findlay 
did not look upon this rude log prison with much favor, and in December, 
1830, a petition was presented to the commissioners praying for its removal 
from the public square, which the board refused to comply with. The 
building was never regarded as veiy safe, and any determined man could 
escape therefrom without much effort. It was therefore customary to guard 
the Jail whenever it contained a prisoner whom it was desired to hold safely, 
the guards to receive no pay in case the prisoner escaped. This old log 
structure was used as a Jail until burned down by a prisoner confined there- 
in in the winter of 1851-52. 

December 5, 1831, the commissioners took preliminary steps toward the 
erection of a "temporary Court House. " The auditor was instructed to ad- 
vertise for sealed proposals for erecting a two-storied frame building, 24x36 
feet in size, said proposals to be handed into the auditor's office on or before 
January 14, 1832, the commissioners to meet on Monday, January 16, 1832, for 
the purpose of considering said proposals. On the latter date the contract was 
let to Wilson Vance, Frederick Henderson and Jonathan Parker, for the sum 
of $700, and March 16, 1833, the commissioners accepted the building as 
finished. The contract of Vance, Henderson & Parker did not include 
plastering, and this was let to Parlee Carlin, June 29, 1833, to be completed 
by November 1, following. This building stood on the southwest -corner of 



256 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Main and Crawford Streets, now the site of the First National Bank, and 
was used until the erection of the brick Court House, built by John McCurdy 
on the public square. It was sold, together with the lot upon which it stood, June 
3, 1840, for $034, to Jacob Rosenberg, who fitted it up and opened the American 
House. He ran this hotel till his death in 1844, and his widow continued 
the business until her man-iage to Jacob Carr. The latter changed its name 
to the Carr House, which he carried on till 1862, when he sold the lot and 
removed the building to its present site on Main Street, immediately north 
of the Presbyterian Church, and has since occupied it as a private resi- 
dence. 

In a few years the old frame became inadequate to the wants of the 
county, and the subject of a new Court House began to be agitated. On the 
6th of June, 1837, the board of commissioners "Resolved that the com- 
missioners of this county will borrow $10,000 for the purpose of erecting 
public buildings in Findlay. ' ' The auditor was ordered to give notice in 
the Courier that proposals would be received on the 4th of July, 1837, to 
furnish the county 200,000 good bricks to erect county buildings, and he 
was also instructed to furnish the board with a draft of a Court House. The 
contract was finally given to John McCurdy, an Irishman, who came to 
Findlay about this time. During the process of erection McCurdy fell fi'om 
a scafPolding and had one of his legs badly shattered. The Court House was 
so far completed in the spring of 1840 that the officials took possession of 
their respective ofiices. But it seems from the records that it was more than 
two years afterward before the structui-e was accepted by the commissioners 
as finished. Considerable trouble arose between the board and the con- 
tractor, the former twice threatening to bring suit against McCurdy' s bonds- 
men unless the building was completed according to contract. The case was 
finally settled by arbitration in June, 1843, McCurdy being ordered to pay 
the county $30 and costs. In December, 1847, the commissioners ordered 
this money, with interest, returned to McCurdy, a fair evidence that the 
latter was wronged by the board with whom he had the disagreement. 
When the Coui't House was first occupied the auditor, recorder, clerk, sheriff 
and commissioners' offices were located in the second story, and the treas- 
urer's office on the first floor; but in December, 1842, the sherifp and 
treasurer exchanged offices. The court room always occupied the balance 
of the lower story. Upon the creation of the probate judgeship, that official 
was given an office in the second story, but in the spring of 1885 the pro- 
bate judge removed to a room on Main Cross Street in the Karst Block, and 
the treasurer occupied the vacated office. The old Court House was sold to 
Richard Hemiessey for $125, February 1, 1886, and soon afterward vacated 
and torn down to make room for a more elegant structure, the officials 
removing to the Glessner Block. It was a two-story brick building about 
50x70 feet in size, surmounted by a wooden cupola, and cost about $11,000. 
A $250 bell, purchased by Frederick Henderson, by order of the commis- 
sioners, was hung in the belfiy in the spring of 1846. Four round wooden 
pillars, upholding a slightly projecting gable, gave to the front a Gi-ecian 
temple appearance. The conveniences of the building, however, were far 
behind the age, and it was high time it gave way to a better one. 

As there has been considerable feeling lately manifested on the question 
of the ownership of the public square, and as one of the main arguments 
used by the advocates in favor of city ownership was based on the claim 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 257 

that the city had fenced, graded and otherwise improved said square, it will 
not be inappropriate to briefly demonstrate from the commissioners' records 
that such improvements have always been ordered and paid for by the county. 
In December, 1841, the commissioners ordered a panel board fence, four 
and a half feet high, built around the public square. In the spring of 1845 
the board ordered and paid for the grading of the square fronting Mam 
Street; and in October, 1847, they authorized the town council of Fmdlay 
to improve the street and sidewalk in front of the Court House, for which 
the auditor was ordered to pay the city out of the county treasuiy. In June, 
1856, the commissioners appropriated $400 for the purpose of fencing the 
public square, said money to be expended under the direction of the town 
council for said purpose only. Many similar items appear on record since 
the erection of the old Court House in 1840, up to the construction of the 
last fence and sidewalk, all of which were ordered and paid foe by the 
county. The fact that some of the work was done under the supervision of 
the town officials, has, doubtless, led to the erroneous belief that the town 
paid for the improvements. 

For many years before the burning of the old log Jail, it had become al- 
most iiseless as a prison, and it was only a question of time and money when 
a better one would take its place. On the 3d of December, 1851, the audi- 
tor was instructed to advertise in the Findlay papers for sealed proposals for 
the erection of a new Jail of certain specified dimensions and finish, the con- 
tract to be let January 9, 1852. Thomas McCrary was the successful bidder, 
he to furnish all material, and complete said Jail within eighteen months from 
January 13, 1852, for the sum of $4,743. On the 10th of February, 1852, 
the commissioners purchased of Abraham AV. Schwab, lot 58, on the west 
side of Monument Park, for the sum of $175, upon which the J_ail was 
erected. It was finished according to contract, in the summer of 1853, and 
is a plain two-story brick building of very modest pretensions, yet a great 
improvement on its predecessor and was used as a Jail and sheriff's residence 
till the completion of the present handsome structure on Main Cross Street, 
immediatlely south of the old Jail, which was subsequently sold to Elizabeth 
K. Carlin for $1,200, and is now used as a boarding house. 

Though the question of purchasing a County Farm came before the elec- 
tors of the county in April, 1858, and the project was defeated, it was not till 
April 1, 1867, that the people of Hancock decided, by a majority of 1,508, 
that a home for God's poor should be purchased. Prior to that time the 
townships took care of their own poor, the county afterward reimbursing 
them, or the parties who inciu-red the expense. On the 4th of April, 1867, 
the commissioners advertised for a suitable Farm for county purposes, and 
on the 2d of May, following, 225 acres lying in Sections 10 and 15, Lib- 
erty Township, were pui'chased of George Heck, for $17,000. The Farm 
was at once opened as a County Infirmary, Mr. Heck being appointed its 
first superintendent. On the 5th of February, 1868, plans for an Infirmary 
building, prepared by Jesse Guise, were approved and accepted by the 
board, and the auditor ordered to advertise for sealed proposals for the 
erection of the same. The contract was let to John Shull, March 7, 1868, 
for the sum of $12,393, the building to be finished on or before the 1st of 
November following. It is an imposing four-storied brick structure, in- 
cluding basement, 40x75 feet in dimensions, and stands about two miles 
northwest of Findlay on the south bank of the Blanchard. A contract was 



258 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

let toD. C. Fisher & Co., May 8, 1869, to erect a two-story brick biiilding 
22x40 foet in size close to the Infirmary, " for the use of insane persons." 
This building was completed the same fall, and cost $3, 370. 50. Outbuild- 
ings of diflFerent sorts have since been put up, and the property is now rec- 
ognized as one of the best Infirmary Farms in Northwestern Ohio. For the 
past nineteen years, the unfortunate poor of the county have found here a 
healthy, comfortable home, while the institution has long been self-support- 
ing. 

The next public building erected by Hancock County, was the present 
elegant Jail on Main Cross Street. On the 24th of April, 1878, the Legisla- 
ture passed * ' an act to authorize the board of coianty commissioners of Han- 
cock County to levy a tax for the purpose of building a Jail." On the 4th 
of February, 1879, lots 29 and 30, with the buildings thereon, were pur- 
chased of B. F. Kimmons for $5,000, and. February 15, the plans of J. C. 
Johnson, the architect previously engaged to prepare a design for a Jail, 
were adopted, subject to changes suggested by the board. Mr. Johnson was, 
on the same date, appointed superintendent of construction. The old fi-ame 
house and fence which stood on the site, were sold for $247, and removed 
therefi-om. The contract was let April 10, 1879, to Jacob Karst, of Defi- 
ance, Ohio, for the sum of $17,264, the building to be finished on or before 
January 1, 1880. The Jail was completed according to contract, and ac- 
cepted by the board on the 2d of January, 1880. Extras on the build- 
ing amounted to $620, while the plans and architect's commissions came to 
$863.20, making a total for ground and building of $23,747.20. Mr. Karst 
was also paid $250 for filling lot, and sundry other work done around the 
Jail, which, however, was about offset by the amount received for the old 
fence and building that originally stood upon the lot. In May, 1880, con- 
tracts were given to the Champion Iron Fence Company, of Kenton, and 
M. Louthan & Co. , of Findlay, respectively, for an iron fence and stone 
sidewalk, which ran the total expense to about $25,000; and the property is 
fully worth all it cost. The front portion of the Jail is an elegant, two- 
story brick edifice, with stone trimmings, and graced by a handsome square 
tower. In the rear of this is the jail proper, a solid, substantial, one-story 
wing, the cells being constructed of stone and iron in such a manner as 
to be regarded as invulnerable. The sheriff' s residence will compare fa- 
vorably with the finer private homes of the city, while the whole premises 
reflect great credit on the architect, builder and board of commissioners 
who conceived and carried out the project to a successful completion. 

The General Assembly passed an act, April 17, 1885, authorizing the 
commissioners of Hancock County ' ' to erect a Court House in said county, at 
a cost not to exceed $100,000;" and on the 7th of November the contract for 
the erection and enclosure of the new building was awarded to W. H. Camp- 
field, of Lima, for the sum of $71,576, his work to be completed by Novem- 
ber 1, 1887. This contract does not include the completion of the structure, 
the total cost of which is expected to exceed the amount authorized by the 
act to be expended in its erection. In the fall of 1885 ground was broken 
on the p)ublic square, and other preliminary work begun, but that' s as far 
as the enterprise progressed till the spring of 1886. From the plans of the 
architects, Frank O. Weary and George W. Kramer, adopted by the building 
committee, is gathered the following description of the new Court House : The 
architecture, in the main, is classic, though the roof is pitched, and the an- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 259 

noyance and inconvenience of a flat roof avoided. The outside finish of 
the building will be entirely of stone, vs^ith rock face work, and highly 
trimmed with cut stone. The front windows are to be large and showy, 
the smallest having a five-foot and the largest a seven-foot opening. Each 
window has about forty-four square feet of glass or more, and ample light 
will be fiirnished in every part of the building. No wood whatever to be 
used in the construction of the edifice, so that it will be thoroughly fire- 
proof. The tower will be 130 feet high from ground to top, and 107 feet 
to the center of the clock face. It is to be finished with a dome roof. The 
tower will be built entirely of iron, and will be twenty- four feet square. 
The edifice will be 142 feet long and 82 feet wide. 

Entrance into the first floor hall fiom the front, on the east, will be 
through a stone portico supported by four polished granite columns twenty 
inches in diameter. This portico is designed as a protection for the first 
flight of steps so often left uncovered. This idea is peculiar to Mr. 
Weary' 8 Court House plan and is a marked improvement over others. The 
portico, twelve feet high, is siu-mounted by an imposing entablature, ex- 
tending up into the roof. In this is a window, 12x26 feet in size, opening 
out upon the balcony, having an archway top and extending through two 
stories. The whole effect of this is similar to the grand triumphal arch at 
Paris, built by Napoleon, and called Ai'C de Triomphe. Two small, easy 
flights of stari-s, separated by a vestibule, lead through double doors into a 
spacious hallway running through the building, intercepted by a transverse 
hallway 18 feet wide and 75 feet long. In the center will be an octagon 
rotunda 20 feet square, with a gallery up through into the dome. To the 
right of the hall, near the entrance, a door opens into the treasurer's oflice 
for the reception of city taxes, and a door from that leads into the main 
office of the same official, where taxes will generally be received. Several 
spacious places of entrance will be provided, and the room will be 24 feet 
long by 28 feet wide, so that there will not be the inconvenience of a crowd- 
ed doorway and a crowded room. Adjoining will be the money vault and 
the ti-easurer's private office, 18x15 feet in dimensions. This is about the 
size of all the private offices. Immediately adjoining this office to the west 
will be the auditor's apartments, consisting of three rooms. The main of- 
fice will be 30x35 feet in size, and will have communication with the treas- 
urer's office by means of a happily arranged sliding window. Besides the 
private office and deputy' s work room, adjoining there will be a large fire- 
proof record vault 13x28 feet in dimensions, and containing a window. To 
the south of and adjoining the auditor's vault and office will be the com- 
missioners' room, 17x24 feet in size. On the left side at the fi'ont entrance 
will be the sheriff's office, 16x18 feet in dimensions. This is connected with 
the common pleas court room on the second floor by means of a private 
stairway. At the south end of the transverse hall will be the entrance to 
the probate court room, 24x30 feet in dimensions, which, like the auditor's 
office, is to be separated from the hall by a glass screen. Adjoining on the 
east side will be the probate judge's office, while in the southeast corner 
will be the deputy' s work room and the record vault. A retiring room com- 
pletes the probate judge's suite. The southwest portion of the first floor 
will be used by the recorder, who will have a private office and record vault, 
besides a spacious room in which to transact business with the public. 
This completes the description of the first floor. 



260 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

The second floor may be reached by climbing a grand double iron staircase 
at the rear of the main hall. It is designed to have mahogany railings and a 
midway landing, and a large window will look out in the rear. In the south- 
west part of this floor, away from the din and noise of the street, will be 
the common pleas court room, in dimensions 35x40 feet. It will be fur- 
nished with amphitheater tiers of seats, and the general public may gain en- 
trance through large double doors. Back of the bar railings will be several 
private entrances for officials and those having business with the court, so 
that they need not push their way through the crowds in the court room. 
The judge's bench will be in an archway in the partition dividing the court 
room from the judge's room and a room for the law library and for attorneys' 
consultation with clients. On this floor also will be conveniently located 
apartments for grand and petit juries and waiting witnesses. These will 
be handsomely furnished, and will have cloak and water closets attached. 
The clerk' s desk in the court room is to be connected directly with the clerk' s 
suite of three offices in the front part of the second floor. In the northeast 
corner the prosecuting attorney is' to have a good- sized office and convenient 
consultation room. To the west of this and at the north end of the trans- 
verse hall there will be an office for the county school examiners. In the 
northwest corner a room of ample size has been set apart as a circuit court 
room, and immediately joining this on the south is a large room for the cir- 
cuit judges. The county teachers' examinations will be held in the circuit 
court room. It is the design, we believe, to have an elevator for use from 
the basement to the first and second floors. 

The basement will have a spacious assembly hall for conventions and pub- 
lic gatherings, with an ante-room and committee room. Besides this, there 
will be the surveyor's office, a public library room, reading, janitor's, boiler 
and work rooms, most conveniently arranged. Judging from the foregoing 
description it may be safely concluded that the new Court House, when com- 
pleted, will not only be one of the most convenient, biit also one of the 
finest public buildings in Northwestern Ohio. The progressive people of 
Hancock County can then feel a pardonable pride in their elegant Court 
House, Jail and Infirmary, as few counties of the State will be able to boast 
of their equals in design, solidity, finish and the many conveniences neces- 
sary in such institutions. 

Political Statistics. — The political complexion of Hancock County, since 
its organization in 1828, can, it is conceded, be fairly illustrated by a com- 
parison of the vote cast for the several gubernatorial candidates at each elec- 
tion during the past fifty-seven years. In the compilation of the following 
table the vote given at a few of the presidential contests has been added 
thereto, which will, perhaps, assist the reader in tracing the growth and 
changes of the different political parties in this county. 

1828 — -Vote cast for governor: Allen Trimble (National Republican), 44; 
John AV. Campbell (Democrat), 30. Total, 74. 

1830 — Vote cast for governor: Duncan Mc Arthur (National Republican), 
43; Robert Lucas (Democrat), 94. Total, 137. 

1832 — Vote cast for governor: Robert Lucas (Democrat), 260; Darius 
Lyman (Whig and Anti-Mason), 34. Total, 294. 

1832 — Vote cast for president: Andrew Jackson (Democrat), 181; 
Henry Clay (Whig), 85; William Wirt (Anti-Mason), 0. Total, 266. 

1834 — Vote cast for governor: Robert Lucas (Democrat), 371; James 
Findlay (Whig), 102. Total, 473. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



261 



1836-_Vote cast for governor: Eli Baldwin (Democrat), 525; Joseph 
Vance (Whig), 37G. Total, 901. 

1836— Vote cast for president: Martin Van Buren (Democrat), ^01; 
William Henry Harrison (Whig), 464. Total, 1,165. ,oof t u 

1838_Vote cast for governor: W'ilson Shannon (Democrat), 829; Joseph 
Vance (Whig), 505. Total, 1,334. 

1840— Vote cast for governor: Wilson Shannon (Democrat), i,UZ4:; 
Thomas Corwin (W'hig), 642. Total, 1,666. 

1842 Vote for governor: W^ilson Shannon (Democrat), 986; Thomas 

Corwin (Whig), 616; Leicester King (Abolition or Free Soil), 4. Total, 

1844— Vote cast for governor: David Tod (Democrat), 1,214; Mordecai 
Bartley (Whig), 870; Leicester King (Abolition or Free Soil), 3. Total, 
2 087 

1846— Vote cast for governor: David Tod (Democrat), 1,149; William 
Bebb (Whig), 751; Samuel Lewis (Abolition or Free Soil), 6. Total, 1,906. 

1848— Vote cast for governor: John B. Weller (Democrat), 1,320; Sea- 
bury Ford (W^hig), 868. Total, 2,188. 

1850— Vote cast for governor: Reuben Wood (Democrat), 1,299; Will- 
iam Johnston (Whig), 707 ; Edward Smith (Abolition or Free Soil) 0. Total, 

1851— Vote cast for governor: Reuben Wood (Democrat), 1,417; Sam- 
uel F. Vinton (Whig), 742; Samuel Lewis (Abolition or Free Soil), 7. 
Total, 2,166. 

1853— Vote cast for governor: William Medill (Democrat), 1,664; Nel- 
son BaiTere (W^hig), 576; Samuel Lewis (Abolition or Free Soil), 55. To- 

'1855— Vote cast for governor: William Medill (Democrat), 1,329; Sal- 
mon P. Chase (Republican), 1,238; Allen Trimble (American or Know- 
nothing), 30. Total, 2,597. x -, o«o 

1857— Vote cast for governor: Henry B. Payne (Democrat), 1,868; 
Salmon P. Chase (Republican), 1,611; Philip Van Trump (American or 
Know-nothing), 8. Total, 3,487. 

1859— Vote cast for governor: Rufus P. Ranney (Democrat), 1,79b; 
William Dennison (Republican), 1,674; total, 3,470. 

I860— Vote cast for president: Stephen A. Douglas (Regular Democrat), 
2,301; Abraham Lincoln (Republican), 2,135; John C. Breckinridge (Bolt- 
ing Democrat), 24; John Bell (American or Union), 16; total, 4,476. 

1861 — Vote cast for governor: Hugh J. Jewett (Democrat), 1,817; David 
Tod (Republican), 1,772. Total, 3,589. 

1863— Vote cast for governor: Clement L. Vallandigham (Democrat), 
2,277; JohnBrough (Republican), 2,296. Total, 4,573. 

1865— Vote cast for governor: George W. Morgan (Democrat), 2,228 
Jacob D. Cox (Republican), 2,120. Total, 4,348. 

1867— Vote cast for governor: Allen G. Thurman (Democrat), 2,509 
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican), 2,172. Total, 4,681. 

1868— Vote cast for president: Horatio Seymour (Democrat), 2,528 
"Ulysses S. Grant (Republican), 2,279. Total, 4,807. 

1869— Vote cast for governor: George H. Pendleton (Democrat), 2,483 
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican), 1,946. Total, 4,429. 

1871— Vote cast for governor: George W'. McCook (Democrat), 2,401 



262 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Edward F. Noyes (Republican), 2,218; Gideon T. Stewart (Prohibition), 0. 
Total, 4,619. 

1872 — Vote cast for president: Horace Greeley (Liberal Republican and 
Democrat), 2,449; Ulysses S. Grant (Republican), 2,811; James Black 
(Greenback), 3; Charles O'Connor (Independent Democrat), 0. Total, 
4,763. 

1873 — Vote cast for governor: William Allen (Democrat), 2,259; Edward 
F. Noyes (Republican), 1,794; Gideon T. Stewart (Prohibition), 39; Isaac 
Collins (Liberal Republican), 53. Total, 4, 145. 

1875 — Vote cast for governor: William Allen (Democrat), 2,833; Ruth- 
erford B. Hayes (Republican), 2,559; Jay Odell (Prohibition), not given in 
State report. Total vote, 5,457. 

1876 — ^Vote cast for president: Samuel J. Tilden (Democrat), 3,215 
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican), 2,811; G. Clay Smith (Prohibition), 8 
Peter Cooper (Greenback), 4. Total, 6,038. 

1877 — Vote cast for governor: Richard M. Bishop (Democrat), 2,854 
William H. West (Republican), 2,366; Henry A. Thompson (Prohibition) 
39; Stephen Johnson (Greenback), 14. Total, 5,273. 

1879 — Vote cast for governor: Thomas Ewing (Democrat), 3,308 
Charles Foster (Republican), 2,911; Gideon T. Stewart (Prohibition), 13 
A. Sanders Piatt (Greenback), 47. Total, 6,279. 

1880 — Vote cast for president: Winfield S. Hancock (Democrat), 3,350 
James A. Garfield (Republican), 3,124; James B. Weaver (Greenback), 33 
Neal Dow (Prohibition), 9. Total, 6,516. 

1881 — Vote cast for governor: John W. Bookwalter (Democrat), 2,985 
Charles Foster (Republican), 2,716; Abraham R. Ludlow (Prohibition) 
197; John Seitz (Greenback), 29. Total, 5,927. 

1883 — Vote cast for governor: George Hoadly (Democrat), 3,524 
Joseph B. Foraker (Republican), 3,098; Ferdinand Schumacher (Prohibi- 
tion), 42; Charles Jenkins (Greenback), 28. Total, 6,692. 

1884 — Vote cast for president: Grover Cleveland (Democrat), 3,497; 
James G. Blaine (Republican), 3,245; Benjamin F. Butler (Greenback 
Labor Reform), 32; John P. St. John (Prohibition), 84. Total, 6,858. 

1885 — Vote cast for governor: George Hoadly (Democrat), 3,283; 
Joseph B. Foraker (Republican), 2,800; Adna B. Leonard (Prohibition), 
388; John W. Northrop (Greenback Labor Reform), 24. Total, 6,495. 

The county has been carried by the Democratic party at "every presiden- 
tial and gubernatorial election since its organization, except those for gov- 
ernor in 1828 and 1863. It will thus be seen that Hancock County has 
always been a stronghold of Democracy, though the majorities given for the 
candidates of that party have often been quite small. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 265 



CHAPTER V I. 

The Judiciary— Organization of the Court of Common Pleas in Ohio 
AND Its Subsequent Changes— Pioneer Courts of Hancock County- 
Sessions Held at Findlay in 1828. 1829 and 1830— The Juries Impaneled 
AND Principal Business Transacted During Those Years— Items of 
Interest Gathered from the Court Journals— The Bench and Bar- 
Common Pleas Judges— Associate Judges— Prosecuting Attorneys 
—Pioneer Visiting Laavyers— Reminiscences of Pioneer Practice in 

ISfORTHWESTERN OHIO— INCIDENTS OF THE CIRCUIT RlDING PERIOD— FiRST 

Lawyers Who Located in Findlay— Brief Sketches of Resident 
Attorneys Who Practiced in Hancock County Prior to 1860— Pres- 
ent Bar of the County. 

AS people often fail to agree respecting their rights and duties, and as 
they sometimes violate their agreements, and even disobey those rules 
and regulations prescribed for their conduct, it is necessary that tribunals 
should be provided to administer justice, to determine and declare the rights 
of disagreeing parties, to investigate and decide whether the laws are 
observed or violated, and to pronounce judgment according to law and the 
just deserts of the citizen. These determinations are called judicial. Upon 
the organization of the Northwest Territory, courts were established and 
laws promulgated for its proper government. The court of common pleas 
was one of the first to take shape, being established by the governor and the 
three district judges of the Territory, August 23, 1788. This court was first 
composed of not less than three nor more than five justices, appointed by 
the governor in each county, and known as the ' 'County Court of Common 
Pleas;" but in 1790, the number of justices was increased to not less than 
three, and not more than seven in each county. The regular sessions of 
this court were, by the same act, increased from two to four terms annually. 
When Ohio was admitted into the Union, its judiciary was reorganized. 
The State was divided into circuits, for each of which a judge, who had to 
be a lawyer in good standing, was elected by the General Assembly for the 
term of seven years. Three associate judges were chosen in each county by 
the same body, and for the same length of service, who were intelligent citi- 
zens, usually farmers or business men, many of whom, however, knew very little 
about law. The president judge, with the associates, composed the court of 
common pleas of each county, and thus this court remained until the re-organ- 
ization of the judiciary under the constitution of 1851. That instrument 
provided for the division of the State into judicial districts, and each dis- 
trict into subdivisions. It abolished the office of associate judge, and di- 
rected that in each subdivision one judge of the court of common pleas, who 
had to be a resident thereof, should be elected every five years by the 
qualified electors in said subdivision, but the General Assembly reserved the 
power to increase the number of judges, and change the territory composing 
each subdivision whenever such a course became necessary. 

Prior to the organization of Hancock County, all of its judicial business, 
excepting that transacted by its justices of the peace, was done at the county 

15 



266 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

seat of Wood County, to which Hancock was attached until Mai'ch 1, 1828. 
Hon. Ebenezer Lane was then the president judge of this circuit, and the 
same Legishiture that passed the act organizing this county also elected 
Abraham HufP, Robert McKinnis and Ebenezer Wilson, associate judges of 
said county. The first meeting of the court of common pleas of Hancock 
County was held, March 14, 1828, in the old log schoolhouse erected the 
previous year, near the site of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western 
Railroad depot. The three associates were present and composed the court, 
its only business being the appointment of Wilson Vance as clerk pro tern, of 
said court. 

The first regular term of court was opened in the same building, which 
was used until the erection of the first Court House, June 8, 1828, Hons. 
Abraham Huff, Robert McKinnis and Ebenezer *Wilson on the bench ; Don 
Alonzo Hamlin, sheriff; Wilson Vance, clerk; and Anthony Casad, of Belle- 
fontaine, prosecuting attorney. The session lasted only a part of one day. 
Elijah T. Davis was appointed administrator of the estate of Thomas Wilson, 
deceased, with Joshua Hedges and Squire Carlin as securities in the sum 
of $400. Joshua Hedges, Jacob Poe and Charles McKinnis were appointed 
appraisers of said estate. Mr. Wilson was a pioneer of Liberty Township, 
and a brother of Judge Wilson, then upon the bench. The citizens of the 
newly erected townships of Amanda and Welfare (now Delaware), were 
ordered to elect a justice of the peace for their respective townships. The 
court then appointed Wilson Vance recorder of Hancock County for the 
term of seven years, after which it adjourned. 

The second term began November 19, 1828, the same judges and officers 
forming the personnel of the court as in the previous sessions. The follow- 
ing grand jury was impaneled: Joseph DeWitt, John P. Hamilton, Jacob 
Poe, Asa Lake, Charles McKinnis, Reuben Hale, Mordecai Hammond, Will- 
iam Wade, John Boyd, Henry George, William Moreland, James McKinnis, 
William Taylor, Edwin S. Jones and John C. Wickham. The court 
appointed "V\'illiam Taylor foreman of the panel. A venire for a petit jury 
was also retm-ned by the sheriflF at this session, but only eight of the panel 
answered to their names, viz. : John Beard, Joseph Johnson, John Huff, 
William Moreland, Jr., John Tullis, John J. Hendricks, Thomas Thomp- 
son and James Peltier; and it appearing that there was no business for a 
petit jury at this term the jui'ors present were discharged from further 
attendance. Rachel Wilson, widow of Thomas Wilson, was appointed 
guardian of her two childi-en, Rebecca and Jane, with Charles McKinnis 
and Jacob Poe as sureties in the sum of $800. The grand jury finding no 
business to transact was dismissed by the court. A license to ' ' vend mer- 
chandise" at his residence in Findlay until April 1, 1829, was granted to 
William Taylor upon the payment of $2. 25. The same gentleman was 
appointed surveyor of Hancock County, and William Hackney, William 
Taylor and Mordecai Hammond examiners of common schools. As an illus- 
tration of the remuneration county officers then received for their services, 
the following items fi-om the minutes of this term of court will suffice: 
"Ordered by the court that there be allowed to the sheriff of this county 
for extra services the sum of $15, to be paid one-half at each term of this 
court. Ordered by the court that there be allowed to Don Alonzo Hamlin 
the sum of $10 for his extra services as sheriff of this county for the pres- 
ent year. Ordered by the court that there be allowed to the clerk of this 



HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 267 

court the sum of $10 each year, to be paid one-half at each term of this 
court. ' ' This closed the business of the second regular session. 

A special term of court was commenced March 19, 1829, for the purpose 
of granting letters of administration on the estate of John Patterson 
(deceased), a brother of Mrs. William Taylor; all of the associates were on 
the bench, and William Taylor was appointed administrator of said estate, 
with Job Chamberlin and John Boyd as sui-eties in the sum of $1,400; 
Squire Carlin, William Hackney and Joshua Hedges were appointed by the 
court to appraise the property. 

The next session began April 24, 1829, and lasted two days. The same 
judges and officers of the preceding terms were present excej)t the sheriff; 
John C. Wickham having been chosen to succeed Don Alonzo Hamlin, at 
the previous October election. The following grand jurors were impaneled 
at this term: Robert Long, Amos Beard, Thomas Cole, John Shoemaker, 
Reuben W. Hamlin, Samuel Sager, William J. Greer, Robert Elder, John 
Hunter, Isaac Johnson, Nathan Frakes, Reuben Hale, Jacob Foster, William 
Moreland, Jr. , and Nathan Williams. William J, Greer was appointed foreman. 
The only indictment found at this term was against Thomas Slight, charging 
him with petit larceny. William Taylor was granted a license for one year 
to keep a tavern at his house in Findlay, for which he was charged $5. The 
court appointed Anthony Casad, prosecutor for one year, and agreed to pay 
him the sum of $40 for his services. What would our present prosecuting 
attorneys think of such a salary ? On the second day of the session, the follow- 
ing petit jury was impaneled: Van R. Hancock, Joshua Hedges, JohnElder^ 
Selden Blodget, Sampson Dildine, James McKinuis, William De Witt, 
Josiah Elder, Thomas F. Johnston, Asa M. Lake, Asa Lake and Matthew 
Reighly. Thomas Slight was tried by this jury, and found guilty of petit 
larceny as charged in the indictment. His counsel made a motion for a new 
trial, which was granted by the court. Bleuford Hamilton and Eli Powell 
were the principal prosecuting witnesses. In April, 1830, the case against 
Mr. Slight was dismissed by the court at the request of the prosecuting 
attorney, who claimed there was not sufficient evidence to sustain the charge.. 
This closed the business of the term, and "the court adjourned without 
day." 

On the 7th of November, 1829, the fourth regular term of the common 
pleas was held at Findlay, with the same judges and officers as the previous 
term. The grand jurors of this session were William Moreland, Jr. , George 
Flenner, Squire Carlin, Asa Lake, Jacob Foster, John Bashore, John Hun- 
ter, Edwin S. Jones, John Boyd, Don Alonzo Hamlin, Asher Wickham, 
Joshua Powell, Isaac Johnson, Joseph A. Sargent and Bass Rawson. This 
jury returned bills of indictment against Charles, Philip and James McKin- 
nis for assault and battery, after which it was discharged. Letters of 
administration were granted to Sarah Beard and John J. Hancock on the 
estate of John Beard, deceased, of Amanda Township, John P. Hamilton 
and Thomas F. Johnston being sureties in the sum of $300. Andrew Robb, 
David Egbert and Thomas Cole were appointed appraisers of said property. 
The assault and battery cases of Charles and Philip McKinnis were contin- 
ued till the next term of court; but that against their brother James was at 
once tried before the following jury : Andrew Robb, Warren Hancock, Peter 
George, Minor T. Wickham, Simeon Ransbottom, John Long, John J. Hen- 
dricks, Mordecai Hammond, Van R. Hancock, William De Witt, Job Cham- 



268 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

berlin and Thomas Slight. The jury failed to agree, and the case was then 
continued. The case in debt of Henry McWhorter vs. Samuel Sargent 
and Abraham Huff; the larceny suit of the State of Ohio vs. Thomas Slight; 
and the petition to sell land of William Taylor, administrator of the estate 
of John Patterson, deceased, vs. Eliza Patterson and heirs, were all con- 
tinued until the succeeding term of court. 

The next term was opened April 30, 183.0, with Hon. Ebenezer Lane, 
president judge, and Robert McKinnis and Ebenezer Wilson, associate 
judges, on the bench. This was the first session of court held in Hancock 
County at which the president judge was present. The following grand 
juiy was impaneled: Adam Woodruff, Joseph Johnson, Alfred Hampton, 
George Shaw, Joseph A. Sargent, Mordecai Hammond, Charles McKinnis, 
Simeon Ransbottom, Sampson Dildine, John George Flenner, Edwin S. J ones, 
Peter George, William J. Greer, Jacob Baker and John J. Hendi-icks. Mor- 
Sfecai Hammond was appointed foreman of the jmy, and Amos Beard, Na- 
than Williams, James Gibson, Reuben W. Hamlin and Peter Shaw, who 
had been summoned with the other jurors, were designated as talesmen. 
The pending petition to sell land of W^illiam Taylor, administrator of John 
Patterson, was granted at this term. The will of John W^olford, deceased, 
of Delaware Township, was admitted to probate, and Absalom W. W^olford, 
who was named in said will as executor thereof, recognized as such by the 
court. Letters of administration were granted to Elizabeth Miller and 
W^illiam McCloud, on the estate of Isaac Miller, deceased, whose cabin 
stood near the site of Van Buren. John P. Hamilton and Nathan Frakes 
were sureties for the administrators in the sum of $600; and William Tay- 
lor, Squire Carlin and Jacob Foster appraisers of said estate. 

The two damage suits of John P. Hamilton against Charles and Philip 
McKinnis, for assault and battery (which trouble resulted from the erection 
of Old Town Township, and is fully spoken of in the chapter on Liberty 
Township) were tried at this session. That of Charles came before the fol- 
lowing jury: Jacob Elder, Don Alonzo Hamlin, Robert L. Strother, Joseph 
Egbert, Joshua Powell, Nathan W^illiams, William J. Greer, John J. Hen- 
dricks, Mordecai Hammond, JPeterjGreorge, Thomas Thompson and William 
Moreland, who found the defendant guilty, and assessed the damages at 
$75 and plaintiff's costs of suit. The trial of his brother Philip came next, 
the following citizens composing the jury: Jacob Baker, Alfred Hampton, 
Thomas Slight, Absalom W. W^olford, Willis Ward, James Gibson, John 
Shoemaker, Matthew Reighly, H. B. Strother, Aquilla Gilbert, Joseph 
Johnson and Reuben W. Hamlin. He, too, was found guilty as charged, and 
the damages fixed at $30 and costs. When these suits were decided the in- 
dictment of the State still remained against the McKinnis brothers. Both 
pleaded guilty of assault and battery, asked for "the mercy of the court," 
and were each fined $1 and cost of prosecution. Thus ended one of the 
most prominent jDioneer events in the annals of the courts of Hancock 
County, the circumstances connected therewith being yet vividly remembered 
by many surviving early settlers. 

Squire Carlin was then carrying on a general store on the corner where 
he still resides, and was granted a grocery license at this term for one year, 
upon paying into the county treasury the sum of $10. An election was 
ordered to be held at the house of Aquilla Gilbert, in Jackson Township, on 
the last Saturday in June, 1830, for the piu'pose of electing two justices of 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 269 

the peace. The will of Eli Sargent, deceased, was admitted to probate, and 
Nancy Sargent recognized as executrix thereof. The case of Henry Mc- 
Whorter vs. Samuel Sargent and Abraham Huflf, was decided in favor of 
the plaintiff, who recovered $237.83, the amount of the debt, and damages 
assessed at one cent. The suit of Joshua Hedges and others vs. the Commis- 
sioners of Hancock County, brought to set aside the proceedings of that 
board in the erection of Old Town Township, was continued, and the court 
ordered an election for one justice of the peace for said township, to be 
held at the house of Ebenezer Wilson, on the last Saturday of June, 1830. 

The three associate judges held a special term of court, October 2, 1830, 
when the will of Andrew Kobb, a pioneer of Amanda Township, was ad- 
mitted to probate, and letters of administration granted to his widow, 
Margaret Eobb, and Aquilla Gilbert, the latter of whom is yet a resident of 
that township. 

The last term of the pioneer courts of which any special cognizance will 
be taken in this chapter, was held November 1, 1830, with Judge Lane and 
the three associates — Huff, McKinnis and Wilson being on the " wool- 
sack." The grand jurors of this session were as follows: William Hack- 
ney, John Dukes, John Fishel, Philip McKinnis, William Wolford, John 
Rose, Richard Dukes, Minor T. Wickham, Godfrey Wolford, Jacob Foster, 
William L. Henderson, Alfred Pm-cell, James McKinnis, Selden Blodget 
and Joseph Johnson. This jury indicted Nathan Frakes, one of the early- 
time " bruisers, " for assault and battery on Henry Shaw, a pioneer of 
Findlay, but the prosecuting witness not appearing in court when the case 
was called the indictment was quashed. The suit against the commission- 
ers by Joshua Hedges and others was decided at this sitting, the proceed- 
ings of the board in the erection and organization of Old Town Township 
being reversed and annulled. A grocery license for one year was granted 
to John Bashore, upon the payment of $10. These licenses were granted 
annually, and always included the sale of whisky — one of the principal 
commodities of pioneer groceries and taverns, and without the sale of which 
few of their proprietors could have accumulated the handsome competen- 
cies left at their decease. W^illiam Taylor, William L. Henderson, Bass 
Rawson, Thomas F. Johnston and Robert L. Strother were appointed ex- 
aminers of common schools for the term of two years. The court then 
ordered that the sheriiJ and clerk be allowed the sum of $10 each per an- 
num, for extra services, to be paid half yearly, after which the session was 
"adjourned without day." The first three years of the journal of the court 
of common pleas of Hancock County have now been run through, giving the 
court items and lists of grand and petit jurors at each term. The only im- 
portance attached thereto is because these events belong to pioneer days — 
that period about which so much genuine interest centers. The principal 
reason for giving the names of the jurors is that they were pioneers — a part 
of the brave vanguard who laid the foundation of the county's present pros- 
perity — and to perpetuate a record of the men who figured in the first judi- 
cial affairs of the county. 

The first judge of the court of common pleas in this circuit, after the or- 
ganization of Hancock County, was Hon. Ebenezer Lane, who served up to 
the close of 1830. His successors under the old constitution have been as 
follows: David Higgins, 1831-37; Ozias Bowen, 1838; Emerv D. Potter, 
1839-12; Myi-on H. Tilden, 1843-14; Patrick G. Goode, 1845-51. Since 



270 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the adoption of the constitution of 1851, the common pleas judges of the 
subdivision to which Hancock County belonged have been as follows: Law- 
rence W. Hall, Februaiy, 1852. to February, 1857; Machias C. Whiteley, 
February, 1857, to February, 1867; George E. Seney (additional judge), 
February, 1858, to February, 1863; Chester R. Mott, February, 1867, to 
February, 1872; James Pillars (additional judge). May, 1868, to May, 1878; 
Abner M. Jackson (additional judge), February, 1872, resigned in the sum- 
mer of 1874, and Thomas Beer, appointed August 15, 1874, and elected in 
October, 1874, to serve the unexpired term of Judge Jackson up to Febru- 
ary, 1877 (Judge Beer was re-elected in October, 1876, for a full term, but 
the subdivision was soon afterward changed, Crawford County, wherein he 
lived, becoming a part of another subdivision); Henry H. Dodge, May, 
1878, second term expires in May, 1888; John McCauley (additional judge), 
February, 1880, resigned in April, 1883, to accept an appointment on the 
supreme court commission, and Luther M. Strong appointed to fill vacancy 
until the following October election, when George F. Pendleton was chosen 
to serve the unexpired term of Judge McCauley, up to February, 1885. 
Judge Pendleton waa re-elected as his own successor in October, 1884, and 
began his regular term in February, 1885, which expires in February, 
1890. Judges Dodge and Pendleton are now the judges of this subdivision. 

The associate judges of Hancock County fi'om its organization up to the 
abolition of the office were as follows: Abraham Huff, March, 1828, to 
March, 1835; Robert McKinnis, March, 1828, to March, 1835; Ebenezer 
Wilson, March, 1828, to March, 1842; Robert L. Strother, March, 1835, 
to March, 1842; John W. Baldwin, March, 1835, resigned in July, 1835; 
Major Bright, appointed in August, 1835, served till March, 1836; William 
Roller, March, 1836, to March, 1849; John Ewing, March, 1842, to March, 
1849; Michael Price, March, 1849, to 'March, 1851; John Cooper, March, 
1849, to March, 1852; Gamaliel C. Barnd, March, 1849, to March, 1852; 
Levi Sampson, March, 1851, to March, 1852. 

The prosecuting attorneys since the organization of the county have 
been as follows: Anthony Casad, of Bellefontaine, June, 1828, resigned in 
September, 1832; Edson Goit, appointed in September, 1832, served till 
May, 1836; Arnold F. Merriam, appointed in June, 1836, resigned April 4, 
1837; Edson Goit, appointed April 4, 1837, resigned October 2, 1838; Ja- 
cob Barnd, appointed October 2, 1838, served till January, 1839; Jude 
Hall, Janaary, 1839, to January, 1843; Abel F. Parker, January, 1843, to 
January, 1845; William M. Patterson, January, 1845, to January, 1847; 
Abel F. Parker, January, 1847, resigned April 5, 1849, while serving his 
third term; John E. Rosette, appointed April 5, 1849, and served by elec- 
tion to January, 1854; William Gribben, January, 1854, to Januaiy, 1858; 
Edson Goit, January, 1858, to January, 1862; James A. Bope, January, 
1862, went into the army and resigned in October, 1862; Henry Brown, 
appointed November 10, 1862, served by election to January, 1868; Will- 
iam H. Anderson, January, 1868, to January, 1872; George F. Pendleton, 
January, 1872, to January, 1876; Henry Brown, January, 1876, to Janu- 
ary, 1880; Aaron B. Shafer, January, 1880, to January, 1885; Henry 
Brown, January, 1885, term expires in Jamiary, 1888. 

The first visiting lawyers who practiced at this bar were Anthony Casad, 
of Bellefontaine, Andi-ew Coffinberry, of Mansfield, and afterward of Per- 
rysburg, Rodolphus Dickinson, of Lower Sandusky (now Fremont), James 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 271 

H. Godman, of Marion; Curtis Bates, of Maumee City and Defiance; Abel 
Rawson, of Tiffin; and John M. May, of Mansfield and Maumee City. 
Most of these attorneys attended court at Findlay before the village pos- 
sessed a single member of the profession, and for years afterward some of 
them were retained in nearly every important case. Those early practition- 
ers were generally men of marked ability in their profession, and belonged 
to that sound and thorough class of thinkers who have done so much to 
Duild up the jurisprudence of the State, and who, by reason of the limited 
facilities afforded by reports and precedents, were compelled to search out 
by their own thinking and investigation the true principles of the law. In 
the course of time, as the county advanced in population and wealth, the 
local practice of these itinerants fell into the possession of the few resident 
attorneys who had located in Findlay, and the visits of the circuit-riding 
lawyers became less frequent, as they only appeared occasionally in some im- 
portant lawsuit. 

As the race of hardy, adventurous, circuit-riding lawyers who organized 
the courts of Northwestern Ohio have passed away forever, it may be inter- 
esting to the younger members of the bar to contrast the hardships and per- 
ils of the past with the ease and secimty of the present. Fifty-five years 
ago Judge David Higgins held his first term of coiu-t in Findlay. Rain 
fell in torrents for several successive days. The bridgeless streams swelled 
over their banks, and it became impossible to proceed overland to Defiance 
to hold court at the appointed time. But the indomitable Judge Higgins, 
and the hard-headed old stagers who traveled his judicial district, were 
equal to the occasion. They hired a man to take their horses through the 
Black Swamp to Peri-ysbiu-g, purchased a pirogue, which they appropriately 
named the ' ' Jurisprudence, ' ' freighted it with their saddles, bridles and 
baggage, and floated down the Blanchard and Auglaize Rivers to Defiance, 
where they held the term, then re- embarked and floated down the Maumee 
to ' Perry sburg. From an account of the trip written by Judge Hii:gins in 
1872, for Knapp's "History of the Maumee Valley," we take the following 
extract: "Our company consisted of Rodolphus Dickinson, John C. Spink, 
Count Cofiinberry, myself and a countryman whose name I forget. The 
voyage was a dismal one to Defiance, through an unsettled wilderness of 
some sixty miles. Its loneliness was only broken by the intervening Indian 
settlement at Ottawa village, where we were hailed and cheered lustily by 
the ' Tawa Indians, as would be a foreign war-ship in the port of New York. 
From Defiance we descended the Maumee to Perrysburg, where we found 
all well. In descending the Maumee, we came near running into the rap- 
ids, where we should probably have been swamped had we not been hailed 
from the shore and warned of oiir danger. ' ' 

In a letter to the writer, Hon. James M. Cofiinberry, of Cleveland, 
gives the following reminiscences of pioneer law practice in Northwestern 
Ohio: "In May, 1840," says Judge Cofiinberry, "Judge Potter held his 
first term for Putnam County. The Judge, with two or three lawyers, 
came into Kalida, the then county seat, from Defiance, where he had been 
holding court. One or two lawyers came over from Lima and two fi'om 
Findlay. One of the Findlay attorneys, John H. Morrisson, a slender, 
one-armed man, combining the physical strength of a girl with the energy 
of a buzz-saw, was mounted on an unbroken three-year-old colt, having left 
his own horse disabled by the way. The other, Edson Groit, put in an ap- 



272 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

pearance on foot, carrying his saddle on his shoulders, his horse having- 
broken a leg in a floating corduroy bridge near the village. Every man had 
been compelled to swim one or more streams to reach the county seat, and 
all were thoroughly saturated with water and covered with mud. The only 
liotel— a good one for the time and place — was adequate for the accommo- 
dation of all who came. His honor, with three of the brethren of his 
choice, had one little room to themselves. The rest of us lawyers, grand 
and petit jurors, suitors, witnesses and spectators, slept well on the rude 
beds which covered the floors. The table groaned with its weight of wild 
turkey, venison, mutton, fish, wild honey and butter. Everybody washed 
in what was called 'the county wash-bowl,' and dried on the 'county 
towel. ' A barrel of new corn whisky on tap stood invitingly in one corner 
of the dining-room, with a tin cup under the faucet, so that whosoever 
would could drink without money and without price. And yet complaints 
were made of the exorbitant charge of $1 per day for all this luxury, the 
care and feed of oiu* horses included. " 

Edson Goit was the first resident lawyer of Findlay. He was a native 
of Oswego Co., N. Y., born October 17, 1808. When Edson was quite small 
his father died, but, through improving every opportunity during his boy- 
hood years, he managed to obtain a fair education, and taught school ere 
reaching his majority. In 1827 he left his early home and traveled across 
Ohio until arriving "at the village of Fremont. Here he halted, and subse- 
quently taught school in Fremont and Tiffin. During this period Mr. 
Goit read law under Rodolphus, Dickinson, of Fremont, and Abel Rawson,of 
Tiffin, and July 12, 1832, was admitted to practice. Learning that Find- 
lay, the then new county seat of Hancock County, had no lawyer, he at 
once concluded to cast his fortunes with that village. Traveling on foot 
from Tiffin, he reached Findlay on the third day of his journey, and went 
to reside in the home of Dr. L. Q. Rawson, a practicing physician of the 
village. This was in August, 1832, and in September he was appointed 
prosecuting attorney, which position he held until May, 1836. The office 
of prosecutor, however, paid a very small salary during this period of the 
county's history, and for several months after settling in Findlay, Mr. Goit 
patiently waited for clients that never came. Discouraged at the poor oiit- 
look he at last made up his mind to leave the town, but ere carrying out his 
intention the tide turned, he was engaged to teach a school, and was thus 
guaranteed sufficient to pay his board. Clients soon began to consult him, 
hope took the place of despondency, and he gave up the idea of leaving 
Findlay. While boarding at the tavern of William Taylor, in 1835, he 
married Miss Jane Patterson, a sister of Mrs. Taylor, with whom she was 
living. In May, 1836, Mr. Goit was appointed auditor, vice John C. Shan- 
non, deceased, and served till March, 1837. In AjDril, 1837, he was again 
appointed prosecuting attorney, but resigned the office in October, 1838. 
The same month he was elected treasurer, and filled that office two succes- 
sive terms. He was now on the high road to prosperity, and besides attend- 
ing to the duties of his profession launched out boldly into other pursuits. 
He accumulated a large amount of land, and engaged extensively in mer- 
cantile business in Hancock, Allen and Putnam Counties. He, however, 
got "too many irons in the fire;" his business was too complex for judicious 
management, and his large landed interests finally became an incumbrance 
and proved his financial downfall. From January, 1858, to January, 1862, 





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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 275 

he again filled the office of prosecuting attorney, and this closed his official 
career. Mr. Goit possessed unbounded energy, and though a fair lawj'^er 
did not devote sufficient attention to his profession to keep up with the 
times. He was a man of fine personal appearance and dignified carriage, 
and was regarded as a very strong jury lawyer. Though he finally lost the 
fruits of a lifetime of persevering industry, he did not, however, "fail, " a& 
that term is commonly understood, but paid his creditors to the last farth- 
ing, no man losing a cent by him, and his every promise being faithfully 
redeemed. Such was his sterling honesty, that his principal solace at the 
hour of death was the fact that he owed no man a dollar. His first wife died 
in the spring of 1863, leaving a family of three sons and one daughter. 
(One of the sons was subsequently killed in the Rebellion, the other two re- 
side in Wood County, and the daughter in Michigan. ) Mr. Goit was afterward 
married to Mrs. Sarah A. McConnell, of Van Buren, and in the fall of 1867 
removed to Bowling Green, Wood Co., Ohio, where he died May 29, 1880. 
Two daughters were born of the second marriage, both of whom are dead, 
but his widow is still a resident of Bowling Green. No man has ever lived 
in Findlay who is more kindly remembered than Edson Goit. He was 
charitable to a fault, and every worthy public enterprise found in him a 
warm fi'iend and generous supporter. 

Arnold F. Merriam was the second lawyer to locate in Findlay. He 
was born in Brandon, Rutland Co., Vt., December 17, 1811, and was there 
educated and began the study of law. In early manhood he removed to 
Zanesville, Ohio, where he completed his law studies and was admitted to 
practice. He soon afterward started for Vinton County, where he intended 
to locate, but during his journey met Wilson Vance, who induced him to 
change his mind and come to Findlay. He arrived here in the spring of 
1885, and entered into partnership with Edson Goit. In June, 1836, he 
was appointed prosecuting attorney, which office he filled till April, 1837, 
when he resigned. On the 27th of May, 1837, he married Miss Sarah A. 
Baldwin, sister of Dr. William Baldwin, who bore him one son and two 
daughters. In January, 1838, Mr. Merriam started the Hancock Repub- 
lican, the first Whig paper published in the county, which he published about 
a year. He then removed to Mansfield, Ohio, sold the press, and subse- 
quently went to Kentucky, where he died in July, 1844. His widow re- 
turned with her family to Findlay, subsequently married Judge Robert L. 
Strother, and is still a resident of Findlay. Though Mr. Merriam followed 
his profession about four years in this county, he left Findlay at such an 
early day that little is remembered of him except by his immediate fi-iends. 

John H. Morrison, the next resident lawyer, is one of the best known 
members of the pioneer bar. He was born in Uniontown, Penn. , in 1802, 
but removed when quite young, to Perry County, Ohio, where at the age of 
fifteen he lost his right arm by an accident. Young Morrison received a 
good common school education, read law in the office of Philemon Beecher, 
of Lancaster, Ohio, began practice in Biicyrus, and afterward filled the 
offices of prosecuting attorney and treasurer of Crawford County. In the 
fall of 1836 he located in Findlay, and soon became well known through- 
out Northwestern Ohio. Mr. Morrison was talented, blunt and fearless to a 
remarkable degree, possessed untiring energy, and was an indefatigable 
worker in the interests of his clients. He was very eccentric, and many 
amusing anecdotes are told by the older members of the bar to illustrate 



■276 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

his marked peculiarities. Judge M. C. Whiteley says that during a certain 
term of court held by Judge Goode, at Findlay, Mr. Morrison had a case in 
which he manifested much interest, and after the evidence had closed he 
felt that the cause of his client was lost. Feeling somewhat irritated, he 
began his address to the court and jury in the following blunt manner: 
"May it please the court; by the perjury of witnesses, the ignorance of the 
jury and the corruption of the court, I expect to be beaten in this case." 
The Judge, very much surprised, turned to the counsel and sharply inquired: 
''What is that you say, Mr. Morrison?" Then the latter promptly replied, 
' 'That' s all I have to say on that point, ' ' and went on with his address. At 
another time, says the same authority, one of his clients made application to 
the court for a license, and Judge Goode announced that the application was 
refused. Considerably excited Mr. Morrison arose and addressed the 
associates as follows: "Judge Ewing, is that your decision?" "Yes." 
' 'Judge Roller, do you concur in that decision ?' ' ' 'Yes. ' ' He was about 
putting the same question to Judge Hammond, when Judge Goode, very 
much surprised at the proceeding said, "Mr. Morrison, what are you about ? 
What are you doing ?' ' ' 'Why, I' m polling the court, your honor. ' ' Mr. 
Morrison was married in Perry County, Ohio, to a Miss Henthorn, who died 
in Bucyrus without issue. He afterward married Miss Nancy Williams, who 
reared a family of five childi-en, four of whom with the mother are residents 
of Findlay. He died April 19, 1854, but he is as vividly remembered by 
the old members of the profession as if his death occurred only a year ago 
instead of thirty-two. 

Jacob Barnd was a bright, promising young lawyer, who died in 1845. 
He was a native of Perry County, Ohio, and a son of Christian Barnd, a 
pioneer of 1831, in which year he removed with his parents to this county. 
In 1832 the family moved from the farm into Findlay, where Jacob after- 
ward studied law under Edson Goit. He was admitted in 1837, and in 
October, 1838, was appointed prosecuting attorney, but served only till the 
following January. He filled the recorder's ofiice two terms, from October, 
1838, to October, 1844, and it is probable he did not practice much during 
that period. He left two sons, one of whom lives in Fostoria, and the 
other in Kansas. 

Jude Hall came to Findlay about 1836, where he followed the carpenter 
trade, and sometimes preached the gospel. He was a queer specimen of the 
genus homo and quite an eccentric character. He read law with Edson 
Goit, and soon after admission, in 1838, he was elected prosecuting attor- 
ney, and re-elected in 1840. In 1843 he removed to Defiance, and thence 
to Upper Sandusky, where further trace of him is lost in the fading twilight 
of tradition. 

Hon. Charles W. O'Neal comes next in the order of time. He was born 
in Middletown, Frederick Co. , Md., January 19, 1811, and in 1833 removed 
to Zanesville, Ohio, where the following year he was married to Miss Amy 
J. Baldwin. In July, 1835, he came to Findlay, and began the study of 
law in the office of Goit & Merriam, and in August, 1838, was admitted to 
practice. Mr. O' Neal was a practical surveyor, and did a great deal of sur- 
veying in this county. He was also one of the pioneer school teachers of 
Findlay. In 1836 he was elected auditor, serving one term, and also 
represented this district in the State Senate from 1844 to 1846. He prac- 
ticed his profession in Hancock County nearly forty years, retiring from 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 277 

active practice a few years prior to his death, and removing to Indiana, 
whence he retm-ned to and died in Findlay, December 20, 1879. Mr. O' Neal, 
though a safe counsellor, was not an advocate, and rarely appeared in that 
capacity in any impoi'tant case. He was very methodical and dignified in 
his practice, terse and forcible in argument, and always coui-teous to the 
opposing counsel. He was close and economical in his business habits, and 
very successful in the accumulation of wealth, leaving to his descendants a 
handsome fortune. 

Abel F. Parker was born in Cavendish, Windsor Co., Vt., May 11, 1800, 
and died in Findlay, May 31, 1881, in his eighty-second year. In early 
manhood he settled in Genesee County, N. Y. , where he was married in 
1823 to Miss Maria Strong. In December, 1836, he removed with his 
family to Blanchard Township, Hancock Co. , Ohio. , and two years after- 
ward located in Findlay. He read law xmder Edson Goit, and was admitted 
to the bar in 1842. The same year he was elected prosecuting attorney and 
served one term. In 1846 he was again elected prosecutor, and re-elected 
in 1848, but resigned the office in April, 1849. Mi'. Parker also filled the 
office of postmaster of Findlay. His first wife died in 1848, leaving a 
family of one son and two daughters. In 1852 Mr. Parker married Mrs. 
Sarah A. Robinson, who bore him two sons and one daughter. Five of the 
six children survive, and all were living at the time of their father's death, 
the eldest, Edwin, having since died. Though Mr. Parker lived to the 
ripe old age of more than four score years, he nevertheless continued in 
practice up to within a short period of his decease. He loved his profession 
and was highly respected by his associates of the bar. 

Ezra Brown is the oldest surviving member of the present bar of Find- 
lay, though not now in active practice. He was born in Lower Canada, 
August 4, 1814, and when about three years old removed with his parents 
to what is now the town of Albion, Orleans Co., N. Y., whore he resided 
till October, 1839, when he came to Findlay. He entered the law office of 
John H. Morrison, and was admitted to practice in July, 1 842. He formed 
a partnership with his preceptor, and continued in practice until February, 
1847, then removed to a farm in Wood County, near Fostoria. In the 
spring of 1852 Mr. Brown returned to Findlay and resumed the practice of 
his profession. He remained in practice till the fall of 1880, and then 
retired from the active duties thereof. In the spring of 1885 Mr. Brown 
was elected justice of the peace, which office he now holds. He has been 
mayor of Findlay, and also served in the town council. On the 11th of 
November, 1845, he was married to Miss Jane E. Bigelow, who* died Feb- 
ruary 4, 1873, leaving a family of two daughters. One son died at Mem- 
phis in 1863, while serving in the late Rebellion. 

Elijah Williams was also a student in the office of Mr. Morrison, and 
was admitted with Ezra Brown in July, 1842. He practiced in Findlay 
about eight years ere his removal to Oregon, and is remembered as a sharp, 
shrewd but diffident lawyer. Judge Coffinberry, in a recent letter to the 
writer, says: "I found Elijah Williams, one of the early lawyers of Find- 
lay, at Portland. He is seventy-six, well preserved jn mind and body, well 
heeled financially, and living as pleasantly as a widower can live, on one of 
his farms on the margin of East Portland. He feels that his life work is 
about done, but from the snap of his eyes when we talked finance, I judge 
that he still feels the inclination as well as the pecuniary ability to discount 
a good note for any reasonable amount. ' ' 



278 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Hon. Machias C. Whiteley can be justly called the Nestor of the bar of 
Hancock County, as for nearly forty-three years he has been an active par- 
ticipant in the courts of this portion of the State. He comes of Scotch-Irish 
stock, and was born May 24, 1822, in East New Market, Dorchester Co. , 
Md. , on the eastern shore of that State. His paternal grandfather was a 
patriot of the Revolution, and his father served in the war of 1812 against 
the same old foe of American liberty. In 1832 his parents, Willis and 
Elizabeth Whiteley, removed with their family to Baltimore, Fairfield Co. , 
Ohio, where Machias worked on a farm and attended the common schools of 
the neighborhood. He subsequently learned the harness and saddler trade, 
which he followed until coming to Findlay in 1840. For two years he worked 
in the clerk's office, devoting his spare time in reading law with Goit & 
O'Neal, and then returned to Fairfield County, where he continued his law 
studies with Medill & Whitman, of Lancaster. On the 4th of July, 1843, 
he was admitted to the bar at Tiffin, and immediately opened a law office in 
Findlay, where he gradually grew into a lucrative practice. In 1847 Mr. 
Whiteley was married to Miss Sarah A. Henderson, a native of W^ayne 
County, Ohio, and daughter of William L. Henderson, a leading pioneer 
sm'veyor and official of Hancock County, and one of the early settlers of 
Findlay. Nine children were born to this union, the survivors being Willis 
H. and Frederick P., of Findlay; Mrs. George B. Stevenson, of Upper San- 
dusky, Ohio, and Mrs. F. B. Satterthwaite, of Ottawa, Ohio. In 1848 Mr. 
Whiteley was elected to the Legislature, and re-elected in 1849. While in 
the Legislature he took part in the election of Salmon P. Chase to the 
United States Senate, and secured the charter of the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne 
& Chicago Railroad. In 1856 he was a delegate to the Democratic National 
Convention, which nominated Buchanan and Breckinridge for President and 
Vice-president of the United States. The same fall he was elected judge of the 
court of common pleas for the third subdivision of the Ninth Judicial District, 
and re-elected inl861, serving on the bench ten years. In 1864 Judge Whiteley 
was nominated on the Democratic ticket for supreme judge, but with the balance 
of the ticket was defeated, the State going largely Republican that year. Upon 
retiring fi'om the bench in 1867, Judge Whiteley resumed practice in Find- 
lay, and has ever since devoted his attention to his professional duties, the 
firm of Whiteley & Bope being long recognized as one of the prominent 
legal firms of Northwestern Ohio. Judge Whiteley' s wife died July 27, 
1880, and the following year he married Mrs. Mary C. Hollinger, daughter 
of Dr. A. F. Burson, of Mt. Blanchard, who died February 1, 1886. 

William M. Patterson was admitted to the bar at Tiffin, July 4, 1843, 
on the same day as Machias C. Whiteley. He was born in Harrison County, 
Ohio, March 24, 1812, and in the spring of 1834 came to Findlay with his. 
parents. Major John and Elizabeth Patterson. He read law with Charles 
W. O'Neal, and upon his admission began practice in Findlay. In 1844 he 
was elected prosecuting attorney and served one term. He was married, in 
1834, to Susan Amspoker, and resided in Findlay till 1854, when, with his 
wife and four children, he removed to Kansas, and died in the spring of 
1858, from the effects of an accident caused by a boiler explosion in the fall 
of 1855, in a saw-mill which he was then operating. 

Hon. James M. Coffinberry became a member of the Findlay bar in the 
fall of 1845. He was born in Mansfield, Richland Co., Ohio, May 16, 
1818; whence in 3836 his father, Andrew Coffinberry, removed to Per- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 279 

rysburg, Wood County. Here James M. read law in his father's office, 
and in 1840 was admitted to the bar. His father, widely known as "Count" 
Coffinberiy, was one of the leading attorneys of Northwestern Ohio, and 
practiced in this portion of the State throughout the earlier years of its his- 
tory. Soon after admission, James M. opened a law office in Maumee 
City, and subsequently served as prosecuting attorney of Lucas County. 
Late in the fall of 1845 he settled in Findlay, where he purchased an inter- 
est and took editorial charge of the Findlay Herald, the local organ of the 
Whig party. In the spring of 184G he became sole owner of the Herald, 
which he published about three years, then sold out to Dr. David Patton. 
From the date of his coming to Findlay, Judge CoffinbeiTy took and 
retained a leading position at the Hancock County bar; and in 1852 was a 
prime mover in the establishment of the Findlay Bank, the first financial in- 
stitution established in the county. Feeling the need of a larger field for 
the full exercise of his maturer powers, he concluded in 1855 to remove to 
Cleveland, where he at once assumed a high rank among the eminent law- 
yers of that city. In 1861 he was elected on the Union ticket, judge of 
the common pleas court, and served five years on the bench. IJpon the 
expiration of his judicial term, he resumed his professional duties, and con- 
tinued in the enjoyment of a large and kicrative practice till 1875 when he 
retired, and has since devoted his energies to the management of his private 
estate. Judge Coffinberry is a man of broad culture, a clear, vigorous and 
forcible writer, and has justly been recognized as a brilliant advocate, a log- 
ical and comprehensive reasoner, and an upright, unswerving and impartial 
judge. ' 'His charges to the jury, ' ' says one high authorily, "were models for 
clearness, directness and logical compactness, and it is complimentary to his 
judicial learning and professional ability, that no legal opinion pronounced 
by him was ever reversed on review by a higher court. ' ' Judge Coffinberry 
has always taken a deep and active interest in the social and material prog- 
ress of the beautiful city of his adoption. 

Charles S. Coffinberry, a younger brother of the Judge, practiced law in 
Findlay about three years. He was a native of Mansfield, Ohio, born Feb- 
ruary 1, 1824; read law with his father at Perrysburg, and came to Find- 
lay in the sj)ring of 1846, where he formed a partnership with John H. 
Morrison. In 1849, in company with many others from this portion of 
Ohio, he went to California, and was afterward appointed by President 
Fillmore to take the first census of that State. In the discharge of this 
laborious undertaking he was ably assisted by his father, who had followed 
him to California. He finally returned to Ohio, and for a few months was 
associated with his brother in the practice of the law in Cleveland; but fail- 
ing health compelled him to again relinquish his professional labors, and 
he went to Oregon and New Mexico, where he spent the latter years of his 
life, dying of consumption about thirty miles south of Pueblo, December 
17, 1873. 

Aaron H. Bigelow was a native of Vermont and a graduate of Middle- 
buiy College. He there read law and was admitted to practice. In July, 
1841, he located in Findlay, and for a few years was engaged in mercantile 
pursuits. He then began the practice of the law, which he followed until 
1856, when he gave up the profession and subsequently removed to Indiana, 
where he died about ten years ago. Mr. Bigelow possessed a good educa- 
tion, and was a fair speaker, but never acquired much practice. 



280 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

John E. Rosette first located in Mt. Blancliard, where he was mar- 
ried. In 1848 he removed to Findlay, and in April, 1849, was appoined 
prosecuting attorney, vice Abel F. Parker, resigned. He was twice elected 
to the same position, serving until January, 1854. He was a modest, quiet 
man, of studious habits, possessing good legal judgment, but diffident and 
lacking self reliance. Soon after the expiration of his last term as prose- 
cutor he removed to Springfield, 111. , where he rapidly secured recognition 
as a sound, reliable lawyer. He was appointed by President Johnson 
United States district attorney for the southern district of Illinois. For 
some years before his death he enjoyed a wide reputation as a criminal law- 
yer, and commanded the confidence of a bar embracing many distinguished 
men. 

Henry Brown, the present prosecuting attorney of Hancock County, is one 
of the oldest and best known members of the bar. He was born in Albion, 
Orleans Co., N. Y., November 5, 1826, and received a good literary and 
classical education at the Albion Academy. In May, 1844, he came to 
Ohio, and engaged in school teaching near Fostoria, which vocation he fol- 
lowed three years. During this period he commenced the study of law 
under Hon. Warren P. Noble, of Tiffin, and in the fall of 1848 was admitted 
to practice. In January, 1849, he located in Findlay, as a member of the 
law firm of Goit, Bigelow & Brown. In January, 1851, Mr. Brown became 
one of the editors and ^proprietors of the Hancock Courier, which he con- 
tinued to publish until January, 1854, when he sold his interest to his part- 
ner, Aaron Blackford, who had also been his law partner for the last two 
years. In January, 1855, he assumed entire editorial control of the Courier, 
and carried on the paper till December 20, 1856. He was elected auditor 
in October, 1854, and served till March, 1857. Mr. Brown was then com- 
pelled by ill health to retire from active business. After a period of need- 
ed recuperation he resumed the practice of his profession, and has ever 
since remained at the helm. In November, 1862, Mr. Brown was appoint- 
ed prosecuting attorney to serve the unexpired term of James A. Bope, re- 
signed; was elected as his own successor, and re-elected to the same posi- 
tion. In 1868 he was the Democratic senatorial candidate for election in 
this district, and made a splendid race, reducing the previous Eepublican 
majority 1,973 votes, being defeated by only 227. Mr. Brown was again 
elected prosecutor in 1875, and re-elected in 1877. In 1884 he was once 
more chosen to fill the same office, and is the present incumbent. Mr. 
Brown has hosts of friends, and no member of the bar stands higher in the 
esteem and confidence of the people of Hancock County. He is regarded 
as one of the county's safest and most honorable attorneys, and for many 
years has enjoyed a large and well paying practice, all of which he justly 
deserves. 

William Gribben is one of the present members of the bar, and might 
have been to-day one of its brightest ornaments if he had devoted his talents 
to his profession. He was born in Allegheny County, Penn. , March 11, 
1825, and the following autumn his parents removed to what is now Ash- 
land County, Ohio, where William grew to maturity and received a com- 
mon school education. He read law with Johnson & Sloan, of Ashland, 
and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1850. The same autumn he lo- 
cated in Findlay, and formed a partnership with John H. Morrison, and 
subsequently with Judge Whiteley. In 1853 he was elected prosecuting 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 281 

attorney, and re-elected in 1855, serving two consecutive terms. He served 
in the Legislatiire from 1862 to 1864, and received the cei-tificate of re- 
election, but lost the seat on contest. This was during the most exciting 
period in the political history of the State, when Democrats were publicly 
branded as rebels, and political passion ran high. 

In 1851, Philip G. Galpin came to Findlay and entered into partner- 
ship with his brother-in-law, James M. Coffinberry, which was the beginning 
of his legal career. He was born in Buffalo, N. Y. , in 1830, reared in New 
Haven, Conn. , graduated from Yale College, read law in New Haven and 
was admitted to the bar at Columbus, Ohio, in 1851, whence he immediately 
removed to Findlay. After about two years' practice at this bar, Mr. Gal- 
pin went to Toledo, and subsequently to New York City, where he practiced 
his profession several years with flattering success. Frequent bleeding at 
the lungs warned him that he must find a more congenial climate, and he 
sought and found deliverance at San Francisco. In that great metropolis 
of the Pacific coast he soon won recognition as the peer of the many able 
members of his profession. He now stands at the head of the California 
bar as a real estate lawyer, and is in the full tide of a distinguished and 
useful career. 

Aaron Blackford is one of the oldest and most prominent members of 
the Hancock County bar, to which he has belonged for about thirty-four 
years. He was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, February 8, 1827, and 
removed to Findlay with his parents, Price and Abigail Blackford, in Octo- 
ber, 1834. He received his education in the public schools of Findlay and 
at Delaware College, Delaware, Ohio. He read law with Henry Brown, of 
Findlay, attended the Cincinnati Law School, and was admitted to the bar 
in May, 1852. In January, 1851, he became associated with Henry Brown 
in the publication of the Hancock Courier, which they jointly edited till 
Januaiy, 1854, when Mr. Blackford became sole editor. He conducted the 
paper about one year, and then disposed of his interest to his former part- 
ner. During this period Mr. Blackford also practiced law, and with the 
passing years has attained considerable local eminence in his profession. 
He is well known throughout this portion of the State, and his practice has 
kept pace with the growth in wealth and population of his adopted county. 

Andrew, familiarly known as "Count" Coffinberry, was conspicuous among 
the old time lawyers of the Maumee Valley, and though not a resident of 
Findlay until a few years prior to his death, he practiced at this bar before the 
county possessed a single attorney. He was born at Martinsburg, Berkley 
Co., Va., August 20, 1788, where his grandparents had emigrated from 
Germany in 1750. In 1794 his father, George L. Coffinberry, a Revolutionary 
patriot, removed with his family to Ohio County, Va., and in 1796 to Chil- 
licothe, Ohio. In 1807 the family settled at Lancaster, Ohio, where the 
father established a newspaper — the first published in that town. Andrew 
worked in the office, and subsequently, in partnership with John C. and 
James M. Gilkinson, succeeded his father in its publication, first at Lan- 
caster and afterward at St. Clairsville. Finding the business not veiy 
remunerative, Andi-ew went to Philadelphia and worked in a newspaper 
office and on a press formerly owned and conducted by Benjamin Franklin. 
From there he shipped on the United States fi'igate ' ' Constitution, " com- 
manded by Capt. Isaac Hull. After a naval service of two years he joined 
his parents, who had removed to the then embryo village of Mansfield, Ohio. 



282 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

It is said he used to read the one weekly paper which came to Mansfield as 
early as 18 LI, from a big log on the public square to the assembled citizens 
of the village. He read law in the office of John M. May, of Mansfield, 
and was admitted to practice in 1813. Mr. Coffinberry was the first law 
student, the first justice of the peace and the second lawyer in Mansfield, 
and one of the earliest, if not the first, common pleas clerk of Richland 
Oounty. Though residing at Mansfield his practice extended to the western 
boundary of the State. We find him in Findlay as early as 1831, and he 
may have been here prior to that date. In the spring of 1836 he removed 
with his family to Perrysburg, Wood County, where he resided till 1849-50. 
From Perrysburg he removed to Sidney, Shelby Co. , Ohio; there he left 
his family and went to California. Upon the death of his wife, which oc- 
curred during his absence, his son James M. brought the family to Findlay, 
where their father joined them on his return fiom California. Here he 
continued in practice until his death. May 11, 1856. Count Coffinberry 
was not only a lawyer of ability, but possessed considerable literary talent 
and gave some attention to the Muses. ' ' The Forest Rangers, " a descriptive 
poem on the battle of Fallen Timbers, is yet well remembered as one of his 
productions. " He was," says a recent biographer, " a man of rare endow- 
ments and marked characteristics, widely known and greatly esteemed for 
his pure and upright life, while his quaint wit and genial manners gave him 
ready access to the hearts of all classes. He was called the ' Good Count 
Coffinberry ' by the younger members of the profession (all of whom if 
living are now past middle life), in grateful recognition of services rendered 
and coiu-tesies shown them when they most needed direction and encourage- 
ment fi-om such veterans of the bar. His sobriquet of ' Count ' was first 
playfully given him by his professional associates, from some real or sup- 
posed resemblance to the illustrious German jurist and publicist Count Puf- 
fendorf. The title was recognized as being so appropriate to the man that 
it stuck to him for life, and thousands of those who knew him long and well 
never learned that it was not his real name. " 

Hon. William Mungen is a native of Baltimore, Md., born May 12, 1821, 
and removed to Carroll County, Ohio, in 1830. Here he received a common 
school education and subsequently studied Latin, German and the physical 
sciences. He came to Findlay in October, 1842; in February 1845, took 
possession of the old Hancock Farmer and changed the name to the Hancock 
Democrat, and on the 1st of July, 1845, became the editor and proprietor 
of the Hancock Courier, consolidating the two papers. Excepting one 
year that the office was rented to William M. Case and a short period 
to B. F. Rosenberg, Mr. Mungen published the Courier until January, 1851, 
when he sold the establishment to Henry Brown and Aaron Blackford, two 
leading members of the present bar. In 1846 Mr. Mungen was elected 
auditor of Hancock County and re-elected in 1848. In 1851' he was chosen 
to represent this district in the State Senate and declined a re-nomination, 
which was then equal to election. In the meantime he had been reading 
law during his spare moments, and in 1852 was admitted to the bar and 
began practice. When the Rebellion broke out in 1861, Mr. Mungen was 
foremost in recruiting the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was 
commissioned colonel of that gallant regiment, which he commanded until 
April, 1863, when he resigned his commission. Col. Mungen served as a 
Democrat two terms in Congress, from 1867 to 1871, and in recognition of 




J^,/M<^^ ^-^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 285 

his services in the army is now receiving a pension. During the active 
period of his career Col. Mungen was recognized as a clear, forcible and 
logical writer, a fair lawyer and a shrewd, vigorous politician. When not 
engaged in the duties of the several public offices he has filled, Col. Mungen 
devoted his attention to his profession, in which he was quite successful. 

John F. Caples came to Findlay from Fostoria (then Rome) in the fall 
of 1854, and practiced law here till the spring of 1858, when he removed to 
Warsaw, Ind. He subsequently went to Portland, Oreg. , where he is still 
engaged in the practice of his profession. ' 'John F. Caples, " says Judge 
Coffinberry, ' ' is one of the best known and most distinguished lawyers of 
his adopted State, and one of the most entertaining and eloquent forensic 
speakers on the Pacific coast. He is in good circumstances, has reared an 
interesting and accomplished family, is full of anecdote and bubbling over 
with fun. ' ' During his stay in Findlay he was recognized as a good speaker 
and a promising young lawyer. 

Daniel B. Beardsley, one of the older members of the present bar, 
was born in Licking County, Ohio, May 12, 1832, and was brought by his 
parents to Hancock County in 1834, where he has ever since resided. Mr. 
Beardsley was educated in the public schools of the county, and followed 
school teaching for some years. He read law under Walker & West, of 
Bellefontaine, and was there admitted to the bar in August, 1856. In March, 
1857, he located in practice in Findlay, since which date he has belonged to 
the bar of this county. In 1858 he was elected a justice of the peace of 
Findlay Township, and re-elected eight times, serving continuously fi-om 
the spring of 1858 to the spring of 1885, a period of twenty-seven years. 
Mr. Beardsley was prominent in the organization of ' ' The Hancock County 
Pioneer and Historical Association," and an active member during its exist- 
ence. His connection with this society prompted him to write a history of 
the county, which he published in 1881. Since retiring from the office of 
justice in the spring of 1885, he has devoted his attention to his profession. 

William C. Bunts located in Findlay in the spring of 1858, whither he 
removed from Youngstown, Mahoning Co. , Ohio, of which county he was a 
native. He graduated, in 1854, from Allegheny College, Meadville, Penn. , read 
law with Ridgley Powei's, of Youngstown, and upon admission began prac- 
tice with his preceptor. Mr. Bunts practiced law in Findlay till 1860, and 
then returned to Youngstown and resumed partnership with Mr. Powers. 
During the war he served for a time on the staff of Gen. Rosecrans, and 
then settled at Nashville, Tenn. He afterward came back to Youngstown; 
thence removed to Cleveland, where he filled the positions of Assistant United 
States District Attorney and city solicitor, dying January 16, 1874, while 
holding the latter office. 

Hon. John M. Palmer was born in Clinton County, N. Y., July 5, 1814, 
learned the cabinet-maker's trade in Rutland, Vt., and worked at 
his trade in that State. In 1837 he came to Ohio, and attended Granville 
Seminary. He studied law with Hon. Henry Stansberry, of Cincinnati, and 
was there admitted to practice in 1841. In 1843 he was married at Lancas- 
ter, Ohio, to Miss Ellen Weaver, and located in practice at Somerset. Perry 
County. In 1S4() he removed to Defiance, where he followed his profession 
till 1852, when he was elected judge of the coiu't of common pleas. While 
still on the bench Judge Palmer removed to Putnam County, in which county 
he had considerable landed interests, and a township of which was named 



286 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

in his honor. In June, 1858, he settled in Findlay, and resumed the prac- 
tice of law in partnership with John Maston. From 1861 to 1863 he was a 
commissary in the army with the rank of captain, but resigning the office 
remained in the South for some time. Returning to Findlay he again took 
up his practice and followed the profession up to the illness which I'esulted 
in his death, November 29, 1876. 

Col. James A. Bope, of the firm of Whiteley & Bope, is a native of Adams 
County, Ohio, born November 30, 1833. His parents removed to Fairfield 
County, where our subject grew to maturity and received the advantages of 
a public school education. He gi-aduated from Wittenberg College, Spring- 
field, Ohio, in 1855, and soon afterward entered the law office of Hunter & 
Dougherty, of Lancaster, Ohio. In the fall of 1857 he was admitted to 
practice, and the following year opened an office in Lancaster. Col. Bope 
came to Findlay in the fall of 1859, where he has ever since prosecuted his 
profession. In October, 1861, he was elected on the Democratic ticket pros- 
ecuting attorney of Hancock County; but he entered the army as captain of 
Company D, Ninety-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in July, 1862, and 
resigned the prosecutorship the following October. He served until the 
close of the war, and came out with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Resum- 
ing practice in Findlay he soon became recognized as one of the most prom- 
inent attorneys of this bar. Col. Bope is a careful, conscientious, scholarly 
lawyer, who believes thoroughly in the dignity of his profession, and is one 
of the most courteous, popular and successful members of the legal fra- 
ternity. 

A few other lawyers, besides those mentioned, practiced for a brief period 
in Findlay prior to 1860. Alonzo Moni-oe was here as early as 1847, and 
after a few years' limited practice left the county. Jacob Carr was admitted 
to the bar in 1848, but after a couple of years' trial abandoned the profes- 
sion and has since practiced dentistry. Charles C. Pomroy was practicing 
here in the spring of 1857, and in 1858 was elected mayor of Findlay, but 
he soon after removed from the town. S. F. Hull's name appears among 
the attorneys of this bar in June, 1856, but he remained only a couple of 
years. John Maston was a partner of Judge Palmer, in June, 1858, and 
he, too, soon left the county. Philip Ford, who came in October, 1859, and 
a few other names might be added to these, though none of them staid suf- 
ficiently long to acquire much practice, or to become fully identified with 
the interests of the Hancock County bar. 

Brief biographies of the principal resident attorneys of the county 
who practiced at this bar prior to 1860 having now been given, it only 
remains to add the following alphabetical list of the present bar : AVilliam H. 
Anderson, Oren A. Ballard, Frank Ballard, Daniel B. Beardsley, Jesse C. 
Bitler, Aaron Blackford, Jason Blackford, James A. Bope, Ezra Brown, 
Hemy Brown, Jacob F. Burket, William L. Carlin, Ira B. Conine, Elijah 
T. Dunn, Alfred Graber, William Gribben, John M. Hamlin, John H. 
Johnston, Samuel A. Kagy, R obert Morr is, William Mungen, George F. 
Pendleton, James M. Platt^ John Poe, Aaron B. Shafer, Morgan D. Shafer, 
John Sheridan, Theodore Totten, Machias C. Whiteley, Willis H. Whiteley 
and Albert Zugschwert. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 287 



CHAPTER VII. 

Education in Ohio— Lands Originally Granted for Educational Pur- 
poses—Commissioners OF Schools and School Lands in 1822— The 
School Lands Sold and a School Fund Established— Annual Distri- 
bution OF School Money— Pioneer Schools, School-houses and Books 
in Hancock County— Character of the Early Teachers— "Barring 
Out" the jNIaster- How Pioneer Teachers were Usually Paid- 
Growth OF Education— Government and Progress of Schools Prior 
to 1851— Schools for Colored Youth Established— Reorganization 
OF Schools Under the Laws of 1853— Their Present Government and 
THE Educational Advantages they Afford. 

THE most casiial observer cannot but have noticed, notwithstanding the 
privation and discomforts attending the lives of the early settlers, the 
zeal they manifested in education, and that, as soon as a sufficient number 
of pupils could be collected and a teacher secured, a house was erected for 
the purpose. The period just preceding the Revolution was characterized 
by its number of literaiy men, and the interest they gave to polite learning; 
and the patriots who where conspicuous in that struggle for human liberty 
were men not only of ability, but of no ordinary culture. We can readily 
understand that the influence of theii- example had its weight in molding 
public sentiment in other respects besides that of zeal for the patriot cause. 
To this may be added that, for the most part, the early pioneers were men 
of character, who endured the dangers and trials of a new country, not 
solely for then- own sakes, but for their children, and with a faith in what 
the future would bring forth, clearly saw the power and value of education. 
Then we find, from the beginning, this object kept steadily in view, and 
provision made for its successful prosecution; and the express declaration 
of the fundamental law of the State enjoins that "the principal of all fimds 
arising from the sale or other distribution of lands or other property granted 
or intrusted to the State for educational purposes, shall forever be preserved 
inviolate and imdiminished, and the income arising therefi'om shall 
be faithfully applied to the specific objects of the original grants or appro- 
priations, and the General Assembly shall make such provisions by taxation 
or otherwise as. fi'om the income arising from the school trust fund, shall 
secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the 
State." 

The act of Congress providing for the admission of Ohio into the Union 
oflFered certain educational propositions to the people. These were, first, 
that Section 16 in each township, or, in lieu thereof, other contiguous or 
equivalent lands, should be granted for the use of schools; second, that 
thirty- eight sections of land, where salt springs had been found, should be 
granted to the State, never to be sold, or leased for a longer term than ten 
years; and third, that one-twentieth of the proceeds from the sale of the 
public lands in the State should be applied toward the construction of roads 
from- the Atlantic to and through Ohio. Those propositions were offered on 
the condition that the public lands sold by the United States after the 30th 



288 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of June, 1802, should be exempt from State taxation for five years after sale. 
The ordinance of 1787 had already provided for the appropriation of Section 
16 to the support of schools in every tovniship sold by the United States. 
This, therefore, could not, in 1802, be properly made the subject of a new bar- 
gain between the United States and Ohio; and by many it was thought that the 
salt reservations and one-twentieth of the proceeds of the sale of public 
lands were inadequately equivalent for the proposed surrender of a right to 
tax for five years. The convention, however, accepted the propositions of 
Congress, on their being so modified and enlarged as to vest in the State, 
for the use of schools. Section 10 in each township sold by the United States, 
and three other tracts of land, equal in quantity respectively to one thirty- 
sixth of the Virginia Military Reservation, of the United States Military 
Tract and of the Connecticut Western Reserve, and to give three per cent of 
the proceeds of the public lands sold within the State to the construction of 
roads in Ohio, under the direction of the Legislature. Congress agreed to 
the proposed modifications, and thus was established the basis of the com- 
mon school fund of Ohio. 

We have seen in the foregoing how Congress, by a compact with the peo- 
ple, gave them one thirty-sixth part of all of the lands northwest of the 
Ohio River for school pui'poses. The lands for this purpose set apart were, 
however, often appropriated by squatters, and, throu.gh unwise, careless and 
sometimes corrupt legislation, these squatters were vested with proprietor- 
ship. Caleb Atwater, in his history of Ohio, in speaking on this subject 
says: "Members of the Legislature not unfrequently got acts passed and 
leases granted, either to themselves, their relatives or to their partisans. 
One senator contrived to get, by such acts, seven entire sections of land 
into either his, own or his children's possession." From 1803 to 1820 the 
General Assembly spent a considerable portion of every session in passing 
acts relating to these lands, without advancing the cause of education to any 
degree. 

In 1821 the House of Representatives appointed five of its members, 
viz. , Caleb Atwater, Loyd Talbot, James Shields, Roswell Mills and Josiah 
Barber, a committee on schools and school lands. This committee subse- 
quently made a report, rehearsing the wi'ong management of the school land 
trust on behalf of the State, warmly advocated the establishment of a sys- 
tem of education and the adoption of measures which would secure for the 
people the rights which Congress intended they should possess. In com- 
pliance with the recommendation of the committee, the Governor of the 
State, in May, 1822, having been authorized by the Legislature, appointed 
seven commissioners of schools and school lands, viz. : Caleb Atwater, 
Rev. John Collins, Rev. James Hoge, N. Guilford, Ephraim Cutler, Josiah 
Barber and James M. Bell. The reason why seven persons were appointed 
was because there were seven different sorts of school lands in the State, 
viz. : Section 1 6 in every township of the Congress lands, the United States 
Military lands, the Virginia Military lands, Symmes' Purchase, the Ohio 
Company's Pm-chase, the Refugee lands and the Connecticut Western Re- 
serve. This commission of seven persons was reduced by various causes 
to one of three, Messrs. Atwater, Collins and Hoge, who performed the 
arduous duties incumbent upon them with but little remuneration and (at 
the time) but few thanks. 

The Legislature of 1822-23 broke up without having taken any definite 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 289 

action upon the report presented by the commission, but during the summer 
and autumn of 1824 the subject of the sale of the school lands was warmly- 
agitated, and the fi'iends of the measure triumphed over the opposition so 
far as to elect large majorities to both branches of the General Assembly in 
favor of its being made a law. The quantity of land set apart was ascer- 
tained in 1825 to be a little more than a half a million acres, and was valued 
at less than $1,000,000. The school lands were finally sold, the proceeds 
taken charge of by the State, the interest accruing from the moneys derived 
from the sale of the different classes of lands to be annually distributed 
among the counties in the respective land districts, according to the school 
enumeration of each county. It might be well to state here that the school 
age at this time was from four to sixteen, which was, however, changed 
whenever the General Assembly considered such a change necessary or 
judicious. 

From the time the school lands were sold up to the present, each county 
in the State has received annually its quota of the interest obtained fi'om 
this school fund. Nearly one-half the counties of Ohio pay more money 
into the common school fund of the State than they receive back again, the 
surplus thus raised going to poor or sparsely settled counties. Up to a recent 
date Hancock has been in the list of counties that receive more than they 
pay into the State fund. In 1875 she paid to the State $12, 150. 53, and 
received $14,334.40, or $2,183.87 more than paid in. In 1880 she paid 
$12, 190. 81, and received $13, 909. 50, or $1, 718. 69 more than paid in. The 
tide, however, has at least turned in her favor, for the duplicate of 1885 
shows that the State received from this county $14,730.88, and paid back 
to her $14,406.00, or a balance of $324.78 in favor of the county. This 
balance will be somewhat reduced by delinquencies and the treasurer' s fees, 
but there will be still a small amount in the county' s favor, which fact fairly 
illustrates the progress made in the past ten years. 

In the early development of Hancock County, a great variety of influen- 
ces was felt in the way of general education. The settlements were and 
for years continued to be sparse. The people, as the pioneers of all new 
counties are, were poor, and lacked the means of remunerating teachers. 
Their poverty compelled all who were able to labor, and the work of the 
females was as important and toilsome as that of the men. Added to these, 
both teachers and books were scarce. This condition of things continued 
perhaps for more than a quarter of a century. Taking these facts into con- 
sideration, it is surprising that they had any schools whatever. It was not 
uncommon for children to trudge through the snow-covered forest fi'om two 
to fovu- miles before reaching the little log schoolhouse. And though the 
great majority of the pioneers of Hancock County embraced every opportu- 
nity to educate their children, there were some who cared little for educa- 
tional matters — genuine backwoodsmen who reared their sons to shoot and 
trap successfully, and their daughters to spin and weave, but not to read or 
write. 

The interest awakened in literature and science immediately after the 
Revolution followed the pioneers to their Western homes ; but to make their 
efforts productive of useful results time became absolutely necessary. Just 
as soon as the settlements were prepared for the experiment, schools were 
opened; but at every step it was the acquisition of knowledge under diffi- 
culties. Everything connected with them was as simple and primitive as 



290 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

were their dwellings, food and clothing. Houses were built in the various 
neighborhoods as occasion made necessary, not by subscription in money, 
but by labor. On a given day the neighbors assembled at some place pre- 
viously agreed upon, and the work was done. Timber was abundant; they 
were skilled in the use of the ax, and having cut logs of the required 
length, the walls were soon raised. The roof was made of clapboards, kept 
in place by heavy poles reaching the length of the building. The door was 
of clapboards and creaked on wooden hinges; the latch of wood and raised 
by a string. The floor was ' ' puncheon, ' ' or trees split in the middle, toler- 
ably true, the edge and face being dressed with the ax. The crevices 
between the logs forming the walls were tilled with ' ' chinks, ' ' or split sticks 
of wood, and daubed with mud. The fire-place was equally rude, but of 
ample dimensions, built on the outside of the house, usually of stone to the 
throat of the flue, and the remainder of the chimney of split sticks of wood, 
daubed with puddled clay within and without. Light was admitted through 
the door and by means of an opening made by cutting out one of the logs, 
reaching almost the entire width of the building. This opening was high 
enough fi-om the floor to prevent the boys from looking out, and in winter 
was covered with paper saturated with grease, to keep out the cold, as well 
as to admit light. 

In the rural districts school ' ' kept ' ' only in winter. The furniture cor- 
responded with the simplicity of the hoiise. At a proper distance below the 
windows auger holes were bored in a slanting direction in one of the logs, 
and in these strong wooden pins were driven, and on the pins a huge slab 
or puncheon was placed, which served as a writing desk for the whole 
school. For seats, they used the puncheon, or more commonly the body of 
a smooth, straight tree, cut ten to twelve feet in length, and raised to a 
height of twelve to fifteen inches bj means of pins securely inserted. It 
has been said that not infrequently the pins were of unequal length, and 
the bench predisposed to ' ' wabble. ' ' Many of the pioneer teachers were 
natives of Ireland, who had left their homes for divers reasons, prior 
to and succeeding the struggle for Irish independence, in 1798, and 
here, in this land of fi-eedom, were putting to good use the education 
obtained in their native isle. Dr. Johnson's notion that most boys 
required learning to be thrashed into them was practically carried out in 
the pioneer schoolhouse. The pupils sat with their faces toward the wall, 
around the room, while the teacher occupied the middle space to superin- 
tend each pupil separately. In some rooms a separate bench was furnished 
for those too young to wi'ite. Classes, when reciting, sat on a bench pro- 
vided for this purpose. 

The books were as primitive as the surroundings. The New Testament 
was a common reading book; the "English Reader" was occasionally 
found, and sometimes the ' ' Columbian Orator. ' ' No one book was common 
in all the families. The reading class recited paragraphs alternately, and 
the book in use was made common property, passing from hand to hand 
during recitation. It was not unusual for the teacher to assist a pupil in 
one of his ' ' sums, ' ' discipline a refractory scholar, and hear the reading- 
class at one and the same time. Dabold's, Smiley' s and Pike's Arithmetics 
were commonly used, with the examples for practice almost exclusively in 
pounds, shillings and pence, and a marked absence of clear rules and defi- 
nitions for the solving of the different divisions. Webster's "American 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 291 

Speller ' ' was the ordinary spelling-book, which afterward made way for 
Webster's " Elementary Speller." This latter book maintained its popular- 
ity for half a century. The spelling class closed the labors of the day. All 
who could spell entered the ' ' big class, ' ' and the rivalry was sharp as to who 
should rank first as good spellers. The class was numbered in the order 
in which they stood in line, and retained the number until a miss sent some 
one above them. Spelling-matches were frequent, and contributed largely 
to make good spellers. Grammar was not often taught, partly for the rea- 
son that books were hard to get, and partly because some of the teachers 
were not proficient in this branch of learning. When the science was taught 
the text-book was Kirkham, which, though of little real merit, stimulated 
a taste for grammar. The boys and girls went to the same school, but sat 
on opposite benches. 

It occasionally happened that teachers were employed who had learned 
that an elephant may be led by a hair, or more probably were blessed with 
gentle natures, and won the hearts and life-long affection of their pupils by 
their pleasant and loving ways; but these were exceptions. The standard 
of excellence was often measured by the ability and swift readiness to thrash 
the scholars on any provocation. Disobedience and ignorance were equal 
causes for the use of the ' ' birch. " " Like master, like boy. ' ' The char- 
acteristics of the one tended to develop a corresponding spirit in the other, 
and the cruelty of the one, with the absence, too frequently, of all just dis- 
crimination in the use of the rod, excited animosities which lasted through 
life. There were few boys of that day who did not cherish the purpose to 
' ' whale the master ' ' on sight, at some future time. 

When Christmas came the teacher was expected to treat the school. If 
he ignored this custom, through stinginess or some other reason, he was 
' ' barred out ' ' by the offended pupils. Arriving at the schoolhonse early 
in the morning, they would fasten the windows securely, pile the benclies high 
against the door, «,nd when the unlucky pedagogue api:)eared a struggle for 
possession and mastery ensued, which generally resulted in the capitulation 
of the building, only after satisfactory arrangements were made for the treat. 
Exciting stories about ' ' barring out ' ' the teacher in nearly every township 
of Hancock County have been told, the relators, who were generally partici- 
pants in this backwoods revenge, being now gray-haired men. 

The schools were supported by subscription, the charge being from $1 to 
$3 per term of three months during the winter, to begin at 8 o'clock in the 
morning with an hour to an hour and a half recess at noon, and close at 5 
o'clock. One-half of Saturdays, or alternate Saturdays, made part of the 
term. Writing was taught to all the larger pupils, and the only pen used 
was the goose or turkey quill, made into a pen by the skillful hand of the 
teacher. Mending the pens was an essential part of the work. Copy-books 
were made of sheets of foolscap paper stitched together, and copies were 
"set" by the teacher during recess, which were commonly taken from the 
maxims in use from time immemorial. Sometimes the teacher was partly 
paid in produce or other commodities, which were the equivalent to him 
for money, while his support was often obtained by "boarding around." 

The introduction of schools in one settlement was an incentive to their 
speedy adoption in others, and the foregoing description applies to all of the 
earlier schools and schoolhouses of Hancock County. The erection of saw- 
mills, and the opening up of wagon roads, brought about a better order of 



292 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

things, and plank, ^Ceather-boarding and glass took the places of clapboards, 
puncheon floors and desks, log benches and greased paper windows. The 
pioneer schools opened in the different townships of this county will be 
found fully spoken of in the eighteen chapters specially devoted to the local 
history of said townships, to which the reader is referred for more definite 
information on the subject. 

The gradual development and progress of education in Ohio was en- 
couraged and fostered by State laws that were the germs from which came 
forth the present common school system; and, believing that a brief synopsis 
"of these enactments would be valuable in this connection, the following 
facts have been compiled from the Ohio statutes, which will enable the 
reader to understand more thoroughly the history of the public school 
system up to the adoption of the constitution of 1851. On the 2d of Jan- 
uary, 1806. three trustees and a treasiirer were authorized to be elected in 
each township for the purpose of taking charge of the school lands, or the 
moneys arising therefi'om, and applying the same to the benefit of the 
schools in said township. In 1810 this act was more fully defined, and in 
1814 every scholar was entitled to his or her share of said school funds, 
even when attending a school outside of their own township. In ^^815 those 
moneys were distributed according to the time of school attendance, an 
account of which each teacher was required to furnish to the trustees, and 
the apportionment made accordingly. No act of any importance was then 
passed vmtil January 22, 1821, when a vote was ordered to betaken in every 
township for the purpose of deciding for or against organizing the same into 
school districts ; also for the election of a school committee of three persons, 
and a collector, who was also treasurer in each district. The inhabitants 
were authorized to erect schoolhouses in their respective districts on land 
donated or purchased for that purpose, said schools to be paid for by dona- 
tions and subscriptions, together with the taxes raised for that object. This 
act authorized that all lands located in said districts liable to State or county 
taxation were also liable to taxation for erecting schoolhouses, and for edu- 
cating the childi-en of those unable to pay for schooling. Parents and 
guardians were assessed in proportion to the number of childi'en sent to 
school by them, but those unable to pay had their assessment remitted, and 
such deficiency was paid out of the fund raised by taxation. Of course, 
the .moneys accruing from the school lands went into the school fund held by 
the treasurer of each district. 

The first general school law was passed February 5, 1825, and it pro- 
vided that ' ' a fund shall hereafter be annually raised among the several 
counties in the State, in the manner pointed out by this act, for the use of 
common schools, for the instruction of youth of every class and grade with- 
out distinction, in reading, writing, arithmetic and other necessary branches 
of a common education." This was in harmony with the constitution, 
which asserted that schools and the means of instruction should forever be 
encouraged by legislative provision. This act provided for a general tax to 
be levied for the fostering of common schools throughout the State, which 
was to be collected annually and used for general educational purposes. 
Three school directors were to be elected annually in each district, to trans- 
act the business of said schools, erect buildings, employ teachers, receive 
and expend all moneys derived fi*om any source, etc. The court of common 
pleas in each county was authorized to appoint annually ' ' three suitable 





f^#,^^.:v.^-.^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 295 

persons to be called examiners of common schools, ' ' whose duties were to 
examine teachers for qualification and grant certificates, also to visit and 
examine the schools throughout the county. If any district neglected to 
keep a school therein at any one time for the space of three years, its pro- 
portion of the school fund was divided among the other districts in said 
township that employed teachers. The school fund of each county was 
taken charge of by the auditor, who distributed the same between the sev- 
eral townships. In 1827, this act was amended. The directors were in- 
structed to appoint a treasiu'er for each school district. Fines imposed by 
any justice of the peace, for ofPenses committed in any given district, were 
to be paid to the treasurer, to be used for the support of education in said 
district. Taxes were levied to build new houses and repair old ones. Every 
householder, whose tax was less than |1, had to pay that amount or give 
two days' labor toward the building or repairing of schoolhouses. The num- 
ber of examiners was increased, but at no time was it to exceed that of town- 
ships in the county. 

In February, 1829, a law was enacted providing more fully for general 
education, but the children of black or mulatto persons were not permitted 
to attend these schools, nor were such persons compelled to pay taxes toward 
their support. The official term of examiners was designated as two years, 
and their number to be not less than five in each county, nor more than one 
in each township thereof. Whenever the regular school fund ran short, the 
teachers, if not paid by voluntary subscription, were to be paid by those 
sending scholars to said schools. Often the regular fund did not pay for 
more than three months' schooling annually, so that even then the schools, 
though slowly improving, were anything but flourishing. The act of 1830 
did not materially improve them, and in March, 1831, the following clause 
appears in a law relative to raising the school fund. It says a general fund 
shall be raised ' ' for the instruction of the white youth of every class and 
grade," so that, although Ohio was a free State, a black man was debarred 
from the educational advantages accorded to his white brother, and, though 
his body was not kept in slavery, his mind was kept in ignorance as far as 
the State laws had the power to do so. With all this injustice the property 
of negroes was extempt from taxation for school purposes, which was at 
least a small grain of justice to the despised race. The school age was 
changed so as to include those between four and twenty-one years, and the 
number of examiners read ' ' not less than five in each county, nor more than, 
two in each township. ' ' 

On the 2d of March, 1831, an act was passed authorizing the establish- 
ment of a fund to be designated ' ' The Common School Fund, ' ' the income 
to be used for the support of common schools. All moneys arising from 
the sale of school lands were to be put into this fund, and the State guaran- 
teed a certain interest on all such moneys paid into the State treasury. 
The county auditors were authorized to draw said interest and distribute it 
among the several districts in their respective counties, to which said lands 
originally belonged. Donations and bequests were also put into this fund 
and used for the same general purpose. These moneys, however, were to 
be funded annually, until January 1, 1835, after which date the interest was 
divided among the several counties in proportion to the number of white 
males over twenty-one years of age residing therein. 

Up to this time women were not eligible as school teachers, for we find 



296 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

that an act was passed December 23, 1831, allowing directors to employ 
female teachers, but the directors had to signify in writing to the school 
examiners that it was the desire of the inhabitants of said district to employ 
"a female teacher for instructing their children in spelling, reading and 
writing only. ' ' The examiners were then empowered to give the lady * ' a 
special certificate" to teach those branches. It is unnecessary for the 
writer to comment on this injustice; he takes it for granted that the most 
illiberal of men will agree with him that this discrimination against women 
was a grievous wrong and unworthy of this great Commonwealth. In 1833 
other provisions and amendments were made to the school laws, whose 
object was to increase their influences, but no material changes were made 
in former ones. 

The office of State Superintendent of schools was created March 7, 1837, 
and made permanent a year from that date. He was elected by the General 
Assembly for a term of five years, but on the 23d of March, 1840, the office 
was abolished, and the Secretary of State required to perform the duties 
thereof. In 1838 a fund of $200,000 was provided for, to be annually dis- 
tributed among the several counties, according to the number of white 
youth, unmarried, between the ages of four and twenty-one. It was known 
as the "State Common School Fund," was reduced March 7, 1812, to 
$150,000 and again raised to $300,000 on the 24th of March, 1851. By 
Article VI of the constitution of 1851, it is declared that the principal of 
all funds accruing fi-om school lands, donations or bequests, "shall foi'ever 
be preserved inviolate and undiminished. ' ' It was enacted by the law of 
1838 that the township clerk should be superintendent of schools within 
his township, and this law remained in force until the reorganization of 
the school laws, in 1853. By this same law the county auditor was en- 
dowed with the position of superintendent of schools throughout the 
county. The number of school examiners was reduced to three members 
for each county, who were appointed by the court of common pleas. 

On the l(3th of March, 1839, an act was passed providing for the estab- 
lishment of night schools in towns, wherein male youth over twelve years 
of age, who could not attend school in daytime, might be instructed. This 
law also enacted that scholars could attend German schools and yet receive 
their quota of school money. Subsequently the German language was in- 
troduced into the schools as a part of the regular studies. 

On the 24th of February, 1848, a law was passed authorizing the estab- 
lishment of separate schools for colored children. This law was amended 
in 1849, and was thought by many to be contrary to the spirit of the con- 
stitution, but the supreme court declared it constitutional. Separate school 
districts were authorized to be organized and managed by directors chosen 
by the adult male colored tax-payers, whose property was alone chargeable 
for the suppoi-t of said schools. Colored children were not really debarred 
under the constitution at that time from attending the schools provided for 
white children, but it amounted to about the same thing, as the objection of 
any parent or guardian whose children attended said school prevented the 
attendance of colored youth. Thus the law existed imtil 1853, when the 
schools for colored children were placed upon the same basis as those for 
white. By the law of 1853, boards of education were directed, whenever 
the colored youth in any school district numbered more than thirty, to estab- 
lish a school for them. This law was so amended in 1864 that two or more 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 297 

districts could unite for the same purpose. Much trouble has been caused 
in different towns by the colored people insisting on sending their children 
to the schools for whites. In some places little or no opposition has been 
manifested, while in others a bitter struggle resulted. In the country dis- 
tricts and smaller towns white and colored children usually attend the same 
schools, and, as far as the wi'iter has investigated the plan, it seems to work 
harmoniously. 

The school law of 1853 made ample provision for the education of eveiy 
class and grade of youth within the State. We have seen in the preceding 
pages that those who participated in the organization of the Northwest 
Territory, and subsequently the State, recognized religion, morality and 
knowledge as necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind. 
We have also seen the gradual development of education from its earliest 
inception in the State up to its present permanent foundation through the 
law of 1853. Under the present law the State is divided into school dis- 
tricts as follows: City districts of the first class, city districts of the second 
class, village districts, special districts and township districts. To admin- 
ister the affairs of the districts, and to look after and promote the educa- 
tional interests therein, the law has provided for the establishment of boards 
of education in each district. These boards may acquire real or personal 
property for the use of their districts, and are required to establish schools 
for free education of the youth of school age, and may establish schools of 
a higher grade than the primary schools. They are to determine the studies 
to be pursued and the text-books to be used in the schools under their con- 
trol ; to appoint superintendents of schools, teachers and other employes, 
and fix their salaries. They are authorized to make such rules and regu- 
lations as they may deem expedient and necessary for the government of 
the board, their appointees and pupils. 

The State Commissioner of common schools is elected by the people, and 
his official term is three years. He is required to superintend and encour- 
age teachers' institutes, confer with boards of education or other school 
officers, counsel teachers, visit schools and deliver lectures calculated to 
promote popular education. He is to have a supervision over the school 
funds, and has power by law to require proper returns to be made by the 
officers who have duties to perform pertaining to schools or school funds. 
It is his duty to give instruction for the organization and government of 
schools, and to distribute the school laws and other documents for the use 
of school officers. He is required by law to appoint a board of State Ex- 
aminers, consisting of three persons, who hold their office for two years. 
This board is authorized to issue life certificates to such teachers as may 
be found, upon examination, to have attained "eminent professional ex- 
perience and ability." These certificates are valid in any school district in 
the State, and supersede the necessity of all other examinations by the 
county or local boards of examiners. Each applicant for a State certificate 
is required to pay a fee of $3. 

There is in each county in the State a board of examiners appointed by 
the probate judge, their official term being three years. The law provides 
that "it shall be the duty of the examiners to fix upon the time of holding 
the meetings for the examination of teachers in such places in theii- respect- 
ive counties as will, in their opinion, best accommodate the greatest number 
of candidates for examination, notice of all such meetings being published 



298 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

in some newspaper of general circulation in their respective counties, and at 
such meetings any two of said board shall be competent to examine to 
applicants and grant certificates; and as a condition of examination each 
applicant for a certificate shall pay the board of examiners a fee of 50 
cents. ' ' The fees thus received are set apart as a fund for the support of 
teachers' institutes. 

In city districts of the first and second class, and village districts having 
a population of not less than 2,500, the examiners are appointed by the 
boards of education. The fees charged are the same as those of the county 
boards, and are appropriated for the same purpose. 

There are, in the different townships, subdistricts, in which the people 
elect, annually, a local director, whose term of ofiice continues for three 
years. From this it will be seen that each subdistrict has a board consist- 
ing of three directors. These directors choose one of their number as 
clerk, who presides at the meetings of local directors, and keeps a record 
thereof. He also keeps a record of the proceedings of the annual school 
meetings of the subdistrict. The board of education of each township 
district consists of the township clerk and the local directors, who have been 
appointed clerks of the subdistricts. 

The law provides that "in every district in the >State there shall be 
taken, between the first Monday in September and the first Monday in 
October in each year, an enumeration of all unmarried youth, noting race 
and sex between six and twenty-one years of age, resident within the 
district and not temporarily there, designating also the number between six- 
een and twenty-one years of age, the number residing in the Western Re- 
erve, the Virginia Military District, the United States Military District, 
and in any original surveyed township or fractional township to which 
belongs Section 16, or other land in lieu thereof, or any other lands for the 
use of schools or any interest in the proceeds of such land: Provided, that 
in addition to the classified return of all the youth residing in the district 
that the aggregate number of youth in the district resident of any adjoin- 
ing county shall be separately given, if any such there be, and the name of 
the county in which they reside. ' ' The clerk of each board of education is 
required to transmit annually to the county auditor an abstract of the re- 
turns of enumeration made to him on or before the second Monday of Oc- 
tober. 

The county auditor is required to transmit to the State Commissioner, on 
or before the 5th day of November, a duly certified abstract of the enumer- 
ation returns made to him by clerks of school districts. The law provides 
that ' ' the Auditor of State shall, annually, apportion the common school 
funds among the different counties upon the enumeration and retiu'ns made 
to him by the State Commissioner of common schools, and certify the 
amount so apportioned to the county auditor of each county, stating fi-om 
what sources the same is derived, which said sum the several county treas- 
urers shall retain in their respective treasuries from the State funds ; and the 
county auditors shall, annually, and immediately after their annual settle- 
ment with the county treasurers, apportion the school funds for their 
respective counties according to the enumeration and returns in their 
respective offices." 

The law provides that the school year shall begin on the 1st day of Sep- 
tember of each year, and close on the 31st of August of the succeeding 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 299 

year. A school week shall consist of five days, and a school month of four 
school weeks. The law also provides, in relation to common schools, that 
they shall be " fi-ee to all youth between six and twenty-one years of age 
who are children, wards or apprentices of actual residents of the school 
district, and no pupil shall be suspended therefi'om except for siich time as 
may be necessary to convene the board of education of the district, or local 
director of the subdistrict, nor be expelled unless by a vote of two-thirds of 
said board of local directors, after the parent or guardian of the offending 
pupil shall have been notified of the proposed expulsion, and permitted to 
be heard against the same; and no scholar shall be suspended or expelled 
from the privilege of schools beyond the current term : Provided, that each 
board of education shall have powei- to admit other persons, not under six 
years of age, upon such terms or upon the payment of such tuition as they 
prescribe; and boards of education of city, village or special districts shall 
also have power to admit, without charge or tuition, persons within the school 
age who are members of the family of any freeholder whose residence is not 
within such district, if any part of such freeholder's homestead is within 
such district; and Provided, further, that the several boards of education 
shall make such assignments of the youth of their respective districts to the 
schools established by them, as will, in their opinion, best promote the 
interests of education in their districts; and Provided, further, that nothing 
contained in this section shall supersede or modify the provisions of Section 
31 of an act entitled ' an act for the reorganization, supervision and main- 
tenance of common schools, passed March 14, 1853, as amended March 18, 
1864.' " 

Provision is made by law for the establishment and maintenance of 
teachers' institutes, which are established for the professional improvement 
of teachers. *At each session competent instructors and lecturers are 
employed to assist the State Commissioner, who is required by law to super- 
intend and encourage such institutes. They are either county, city or joint 
institutes of two or more counties, and the examination fees paid by teachers 
to boards of examiners are devoted to the payment of the expenses incurred 
by these instructions. 

Every youth in Ohio under twenty-one years of age may have the benefit 
of a public school education, and since the system of graded and high 
schools has been adopted, may obtain a general knowledge fi'om the alpha- 
bet to the classics. The enumerated branches of study in the public schools 
of this State are about thirty-four, including mathematics and astronomy, 
French, German and the classics. Thus, Ohio, which was in the heart of 
the wilderness one hundred years ago, and has been a State only eighty- 
three years, now presents to the world not merely an umivaled development 
of material prosperity, but a very good system of popular education. 



300 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTEK VIII. 

Internal Improvements— Hull's Trace— Opening of the Perrysbukg 
& Bellefontaine and Other State Roads Through Hancock Coun- 
ty—Pioneer County Roads— First Bridge Built Across the Blanch- 

ARD AT FiNDLAY, AND ITS SUCCESSORS— EARLY NAYIGATION ON THE BLANCH- 

ARD— First Mail Route Established Through the County— Joseph 
Gordon, the Veteran Mail Carrier— History of the Railroads— The 
Proposed Bellefontaine & Perrysburg Railroad— Findlay Branch 
of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western— Lake Erie & Western 
—Baltimore & Ohio— McComb, Deshler & Toledo— New York, Chi- 
cago & St. Louis— Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Narrow (jUAGe — 
Toledo, Columbus & Southern — Proposed Railroad Enterprises that 
HAVE Failed During the Past Forty-seven Years. 

DURING the earlier years of the county's history Hull's Trace was the 
principal highway through this portion of the State. It was opened in 
1812 by the army of Gen. William Hull on its march from Urbana to the 
Maumee Rapids, and passed northward from the Scioto River through the cen- 
ter of Hancock County, traversing in its route what is now Madison, Eagle, 
Findlay and Allen Townships. Hull' s Trace could scarcely be called a road, for 
only the underbrush and very small timber were cut out so as to allow the 
gun-carriages and baggage wagons of the army to pass between the larger 
trees; yet nearly all of the travel fi'om Bellefontaine to the Maumee passed 
along this rude trace until after the organization of Wood County in 1820. 
Though the preliminaiy work of opening a highway from the Maumee 
southward via Fort Findlay to Bellefontaine was soon afterward commenced, 
it was nevertheless many years before anything that could be called a road 
was constructed through this county, and wagon paths blazed through the 
forest were the only means of communication between the scattered settle- 
ments. 

Many, even of the oldest citizens of the county, are under the impression 
that the Perrysburg & Bellefontaine road is located on the site of Hull's 
Trace, but such is not the fact. The trace struck the south line of Hancock 
County, about half a mile west of this road, thence, passing northward, ran 
down the west side of Eagle Creek to Fort Findlay, where it crossed the 
Blanchard; thence in a northerly direction, about half a mile east of the 
Perrysburg road, imtil reaching the highlands on the middle branch of the 
Portage River, a short distance south of Van Buren; thence took a north- 
west course along the southwest side of that stream into Wood County, and 
thence onward to the Maumee. The vanguard of Hull's army followed the 
dryest ground it could find, and avoided, wherever possible, the swales which 
then abounded in this region. 

Early in 1820 the General Assembly passed an act, ordering a State road 
to be laid out from the Maumee to Bellefontaine; and on the 27th of May, 
1820, the commissioners of Wood County appointed Peter G. Oliver, ' ' road 
commissioner for the county of Wood, to assist in laying out the State road 
from Bellefontaine to the foot of the rapids of the Miami of the Lake. ' ' 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 301 

This is familiarly known as the PeiTysbiU'g & Bellefontaine, but sometimes 
called'the Urbana, road, and is located on the range line between Ranges 10 
and 11. Oliver entered into bond to lay out and let the contracts for open- 
ing said road from Fort Meigs to Fort Findlay, but it seems he did not ful- 
fill the conditions laid down by the board, and December 12, 1820, the com- 
missioners intimated thgit they would sue his bondsmen, biit gave him till 
February 1, 1821, " to finish his road, provided that the logs should all be 
removed out of said road by the 1st of January, 1821." The road was cut 
out as far south as Fort Findlay by the time specified, and accepted by the com- 
missioners February 21, 1821. From Fort Findlay to Bellefontaine the 
road was partly opened by John Enochs, of Logan County, about the 
same time. Nothing further relating to the road in this county aj^pears 
on the Wood County records till June 6, 1826, when the commissioners 
ordered ' ' that the sum of $400 of the 3 per cent fund appropriated 
for Hancock County, be expended on the Urbana road in the said county. ' ' 
This road could not have been satisfactorily opened through to Bellefontaine 
under the act of 1820, for another act was passed by the Legislature February 
22, 1830, " to locate and establish a State road from Bellefontaine, in Logan 
County, to Fort Findlay, in Hancock County ; and thence on the range line be- 
tween Ranges 10 and ll,to the foot of the rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie. " 
Thomas F. Johnston, Thomas R. McKnight and James M. AVorkman, were 
appointed State Commissioners to lay out said road, and Walter Clement did 
the surveying. The survey was commenced at the public square in Belle- 
fontaine, May 20, 1830, and completed the following month, though the 
plat of the survey was not recorded in Wood County until about a year 
afterward. In Aiigust, 1830, the commissioners of Hancocli County agreed 
that the tax levied for the several State roads in this county be expended on 
the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg, the Upper Sandusky, Findlay & Defi- 
ance, and the State roads from Marion to Findlay, each of which were 
ordered to be cut out thirty-two feet wide, and the ground cleared of all 
timber. Thus it will be seen that ten years after the Perrysburg & Belle- 
fontaine road was first surveyed, it still remained comparatively unopened, 
but through the passing years it has been gradually improved, until it is 
to-day one of the best roads in the county. 

In the fall of 1828 the State road from Marion to Findlay was laid out 
by Don Alonzo Hamlin and George H. Busby, State Commissioners, and 
Samuel Holmes, surveyor. It unites with the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg 
road immediately south of the Eagle Creek bridge near the south line of 
Findlay Township, and passes southeastward through this county. In Au- 
gust, 1830, the county commissioners let the contract for cutting out this 
road thirty-two feet wide and removing the timber therefrom. 

The Upper Sandusky, Findlay & Defiance State road was surveyed 
early in 1830, and the contract for opening it let in August of that year. 
The survey of the State road fi-om Lower Sandusky (Fremont) to Findlay 
was commenced in November, 1830, by John Bell and Daniel Tindle, com- 
missioners, and David Camp, surveyor. Rome (now Fostoria), was after- 
wai'd laid out on this road. The Findlay & Port Clinton State road was 
surveyed in the fall of 1831 by David Camp, the State Commissioners being 
William L. Henderson, Joseph Hall and Ezekiel Price. This road runs in 
a northeast direction from Findlay to Port Clinton in Sandusky County. 
On the 6th of February, 1832, the Legislature passed an* act to establish 



302 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

State roads through several counties, Hancock being one of those named in. 
said act. Under this act, Squire Carlin, Samuel Jacobs and Picket Doughte, 
State Commissioners, with William L. Henderson as surveyor, laid out the 
Findlay, Lima & St. Mary's State road in the fall of 1832. The State 
road from Findlay to Tiffin was laid out the same year, but it was not 
opened as we find it re-established in 1842 from Findlay to the east line of 
Marion Township, by order of the county commissioners. The Findlay & 
New Haven State road was established in the spring of 1833, beginning at 
Sandusky Street in Findlay, and running due east to New Haven, Huron Co. 
Case Brown was the State Commissioner, and T. C. Sweney, surveyor of this 
road. The Tiffin and Defiance State road was also laid out in the spring of 
1833, by Jacob Foster, James Gordon and Christopher Sharp, commis- 
sioners, and William L. Henderson, surveyor. It passed westward through 
Kome and Risdon (now Fostoria), thence continued in a southwest course 
on the county ridge road surveyed in March, 1832, from the site of Risdon 
to the site of Van Buren; thence in the same general direction to the east 
line of Pleasant Township; thence inclined northwestwardly to the Putnam 
County line. In the spring of 1834, a State road was established from 
McCutcheaville, via Big Spring, in Seneca County, to Findlay. Joseph 
C. Shannon, John C. De Witt and Frederick Waggoner were the commis- 
sioners in charge, and Thomas C. Sweney, surveyor. In 1835, a State road 
was laid out from Bucyrus toward Fort Wayne, Ind., passing through 
Williamstown in its route; and the same year the Findlay & Kalida State 
road was established; Charles W. O'Neal surveyed the latter road, and 
Parlee Carlin and James Taylor were the road commissioners. Some of 
these highways were afterward changed in places, and parts vacated to 
accommodate the people living along their respective routes, while several 
years elapsed before they were fully opened and fit for travel. 

All of the earliest county roads, in Hancock County, were established 
under an act of the general assembly passed February 2(3, 1824, authorizing 
the opening and regulating of roads and highways within the State. The first 
road petition found on record, in this county, was presented to the commis- 
sioners June 1, 1829, for a public highway from the east line of the county 
to Findlay. The petitioners were John J. Hendi'icks, Justin Smith, Joseph 
Whiteman, James Beard, John Huff, John Beard, William Ebright, Sampson 
Dildine, John Williamson, Andrew Robb, Thomas Cole, David Hagerman, 
John Long, John Shoemaker and Mordecai Hammond. In September, 1829, 
the road was viewed by John HuflP, John J. Hendricks and William More- 
land, Jr., with William Taylor as surveyor; Peter George, James Beard, 
Joshua Powell and John Boyd, chainmen; and John Long, Philip Ebright 
and Norman Chamberlain, markers. The road was established by the com- 
missioners September 16, 1829. It began at Jacob Smith's on the county 
line (now in Wyandot County), and is the present road running westward 
through Vanlue to the Blanchard; thence passing down the northeast side 
of the river a few miles, when it crosses to the west side, and thence follows 
the meanders of the Blanchard into Findlay. 

The second petition was presented June 7, 1830, for a road commenc- 
ing on the line between Hancock and Hardin Counties, near the section 
line dividing sections 35 and 36, Delaware Township, thence down the west 
side of the Blanchard to Godfi-ey Wolford's mill in section 11, where it 
crossed the river, and continued down the east side of the stream through 




-5^^^^. 




HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 305 

the site of Mt. Blanchard until it intersected the county road to Findlay, 
laid out the previous fall, near the house of John J. Hendricks in Section 
12, Amanda Township. The petition was signed by Aquilla Gilbert, Asa 
Lake, Jesse Gilbert, Chauncy Fuller, Reuben W. Hamlin, Godfrey Wolford, 
John Wolford, Josiah Elder, William J. Greer, William J. Greer, Jr.| 
John Rose, Asa M. Lake, George W. Wolford, John Elder, Ephrai'm El- 
der, Absalom Elder, Andrew Robb, Justin Smith, Amos Beard, William 
Ebright, Nathan Williams, James Gibson, David Egbert and Joseph W. 
Egbert. The commissioners appointed Thomas Thompson, James Beard 
and Peter G;e^rge, . viewers, and Wilson Vance, surveyor, to lay out said 
road; Elijah Beard and Charles Gibson were employed as chain carriers, 
and Godfi-ey Wolford, marker. All of the foregoing were pioneers of Del- 
aware and Amanda Townships. The road was surveyed in July, 1830, and 
established as a public highway April 18, 1831. 

In March, 1831, a county road was laid out, fi'om the Perrysburg & 
Belief ontaine State road, south of Chamberlin's Hill, up the west side of 
Eagle Creek to Section 14, Madison Township, where it crossed that stream, 
and upon reaching the center line of Section 23 turned southeastward and 
continued in that direction till it intersected the Perrysburg & Bellefon- 
taine road near the southern boimdary of the county. This road followed 
Hull's Trace from Chamberlin's Hill to section 23, Madison Township, but 
the north part of it was afterward vacated. The petition, as presented to 
the commissioners March 7, 1831, was signed by the following well-remem- 
bered pioneers: Benjamin O. Whitman, Jacol), Joseph, John and Jacob 
Helms, Jr., John, Adam and Elijah Woodi-ufP, Conrad Line, John Decker, 
Nathaniel Hill, Simeon and Thomas Ransbottom, John and Griffin Tullisi 
James West, Joshua Garrett, Abner Hill, Abel Tanner, Aaron Kinion| 
Alpheus Ralston, John Boyd, Leonard Tritch, Squire and Parlee Carlin, 
Henry Shaw, John C. Wickham, Major Bright, William Dulin and Isaac 
Johnson. Of these Squire Carlin and Alpheus Ralston are the only surviv- 
ors. The commissioners appointed William L. Henderson surveyor, and 
Jacob Foster, Peter George and John Bashore, viewers. John Tullis, Adam 
Woodi-uff and Elijah Woodruff acted as chainmen, and Abel Tanner, 
marker. The road was established June G, 1831, and was a little over four- 
teen miles in length. 

The Benton Ridge road was the next highway established by the com- 
missioners, in -compliance with a petition laid before the board in the fall of 
1831, and signed by Squire and Parlee Carlin, Thomas F. Johnston, Levi 
Williamson, James Taylor, John Boyd, Matthew Reighly, William Taylor, 
Wilson Vance, John Groves, Joseph A. Sargent, William Dulin, Joshua 
Jones, William Moreland, Samuel Gordon, Joseph Johnson, William Fow- 
ler, Henry Lamb, Isaac Baker, Thomas Cole. Minor T. Wiclcham, Richard 
Wade, Zebulon Lee, Philip Cramer, John Mullen, John Cramer, Jacob 
Powell, Solomon Foglesong, Jacob Fox, Simon Cramer, William Lytle and 
Philip Cramer, Jr. The viewers appointed to lay out said road were Peter 
George, Isaac Baker and Thomas F. Johnston; William L. Henderson, sur- 
veyor; Frederick Henderson, Jonathan Parker, Stephen Lee, Reuben 
Baker, John Cramer, Henry Smaltz and William Greenly, chainmen; Mi- 
nor T. Wickham, Henry Baker, Philip Cramer and Adam Cramer, markers. 
The survey was completed in December, 1831, and March 5, 1832, the road 
was established by the board of commissioners. It begins at the west end 



306 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of Main Cross street, and runs northwest about a mile and a half to the 
Sand Eido-e; thence, turning abruptly southwestward, follows the ridge to 
the village of Benton, and thence in the same general direction to the Put- 
nam County line. Immediately west of Findlay was a low, wet piece of 
ground, and instead of running due west on a line with Main Cross Street, 
the viewers concluded to avoid this swale by deviating toward the north and 
following the higher ground. Throughout pioneer days the Benton Ridge 
road was one of the best public highways in the county, especially during 
wet seasons when many other roads became almost impassable. 

In February, 1832, William L. Henderson laid out a road, beginning at 
the house of Aquilla Gilbert, in Section 24, Amanda Township, thence run- 
ning northeast, till it intersected the State road from Upper Sandusky to 
Findlay, at the farm of Judge Jacob Smith, near the Crawford County line, 
but now in Wyandot County. Joseph Johnson, John Rose and Joshua 
Powell were the viewers; Henry Treese and Andrew Beck, chainmen, and 
Hemy George and Aquilla Gilbert, markers. The petitioners for this road 
were Adam Allspach, John Fenstemaker, Andi-ew Beck, Thomas Cole, 
Samuel Gordon, Thomas Thompson, Samuel Sargent, Elijah and James 
Beard, Joseph Egbert, Michael Misamore, Joseph Craig, Aquilla Gilbert, 
Isaac Litzenberger, John Condron, John Longwith, Asa M. Lake, William 
J. Greer, Henry Treese, William Ebright, W^illiam Taylor, Godfrey AVolford 
and Elisha Brown. The road was established in March, 1832, and is one of 
the principal highways traversing Amanda Township. 

A coimty road was laid out in March, 1832, on the ridge from Risdon 
(now Fostoria) to the site of Van Bui'en, and established by the commis- 
sioners as a public highway the following June. Christian Barnd, Jacob 
Foster and Thomas Slight were the viewers, and William L. Henderson, sur- 
veyor. The petition for this road was signed by John and Micajah Gor- 
such, David Heaston, Thomas Kelly, Michael Thomas, John Norris, James 
G. Wiseman, Elijah and John McRill, John Hiestand, John Burman, John 
Trout and Abraham Schoonover. In the spring of 1833 the Tiffin & De- 
fiance State road was established over the same route, and continued on 
westward into Putnam County. 

Another early county road was established in Union Township in the spring 
of 1833. The petition was presented to the commissioners Mqrch 4 of that 
year, with the following names appended thereto: Wenman Wade, William 
Fox, Jacob Burket, Hemy Smaltz, Philip, John. Simon and Philip Cramer, 
■Jr., William M. Colclo, Alexander Hardin, Solomon Foglesong, Jacob Fox, 
Sr., Jacob Fox, Jr., Isaac Comer, John and Thomas Mullen and Solomon 
and Stephen Lee. This road commences at the Findlay & Lima State 
Road, near the southwest corner of Section 27, Union Township, thence 
runs north nearly two miles to the southwest corner of Section 15; thence 
northeast down the northwest side of Ottawa Creek, crossing that stream 
below the mouth of Tiderishi Creek; thence up the northwest side of Tider- 
ishi about a mile; thence due north to the Benton Ridge road. It was sur- 
veyed by William L. Henderson; John Byal and Asher W^ickham, viewers; 
Philip Cramer and Peter Folk, chainmen, and Simon Cramer, marker. 
From this time forward roads were rapidly established in every part of the 
county. Whenever a few cabins made their appearance in any portion of 
the county, or a new township was organized, a petition was presented for 
a road, and always granted. For many years after the organization of the 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 307 

county one of the principal businesses of the commissioners was granting road 
petitions and establishing public highways. But even the best roads were 
at times almost impassable, and outside of Findlay Township very little 
stone piking has yet been done in this county, and mud roads are the rule 
instead of the exception. 

The lack of means with which to build bridges, was one of the great 
di*awbacks in this county, and during high water the Blanchard, and doubt- 
less some of the smaller streams, had to be crossed in canoes or rude boats 
improvised for the pui'pose. A few cheap bridges were built in some of the 
townships before the first one across the Blanchard at Findlay was con- 
structed, but they were usually temporary structures in danger of being 
swept away by the first freshet. In March, 1842, the commissioners resolved 
to receive proposals for building two bridges over the Blanchard; one at 
Findlay, and another on the Findlay & New Haven State road, in Marion 
Township. Aquilla Gilbert, one of the board, filed a protest against the 
proposed improvements, claiming that Findlay was getting more than her 
share of the public moneys, and naming bridges that had been built in other 
parts of the county by the townships wherein they were located, without any 
assistance from the county. The contract for constructing a bridge at Find- 
lay was let in April, 1842, to Squire Carlin and Horace Eaton for the sum 
of 11,600, and the bridge was completed and opened for traffic in the fall 
of 1843. It was an open, wooden bridge, supported by wooden abutments 
and trestles, and was used nearly seven years before being replaced by a 
better one. 

On the 19th of April, 1850, a contract for a new, wooden, covered "lat- 
tice bridge ' ' over the Blanchard at Findlay, was let to Jesse Wheeler, Will- 
iam Klamroth and Edwin B. Vail, to be completed on or before November 
15, 1850. This bridge was 180 feet long, and eighteen feet above low water 
mark, with stone abutments and one stone pier in the center of the river. It. 
was a very substantial structure, and cost about 13,000. Besides the wagon 
track there was a foot path on each side, and when the bridge was finished 
it was regarded with much pride by the citizens of Findlay. It did good 
service for nearly twenty-three years, but the day of its usefulness finally 
passed away, and it was succeeded in 1873-74 by the handsome iron bridge 
now spanning the stream. The old bridge was sold to Dr. D. W. Cass, for 
$105, while the stone in the abutments and pier brought about .|900. Some 
of the timbers of this bridge were utilized in the erection of the grand stand 
on the fair grounds. 

The sum of $940 was expended in the erection of bridges in Hancock 
County in 1845; and about the time the second bridge over the Blanchard at 
Findlay was built, many good bridges were constructed in different parts of 
the county. The time had come when the people could no longer afford to 
plod along in the old way. The previous temporary stru.ctures were replaced 
by substantial ones, and new bridges made their appearance in many places. 
With the growth in population and wealth, good bridges became a necessity, 
but years elapsed before all this was accomplished, and the work still goes 
on fi-om year to year. Nineteen wagon bridges now span the Blanchard 
within the limits of Hancock County, two of which are iron, while two more 
iron bridges cross the stream on the boundary lines between Hancock and 
Hardin, and Hancock and Putnam Counties, half the expense of which 
was borne by this county. Bridges have also been built wherever any of the 



308 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

main traveled roads cross the smaller streams; and within the last fifteen 
years many substantial iron bridges have replaced the old wooden ones over 
Eagle, Ottawa, Portage and perhaps other streams in difPerent parts of the 
county. 

As the present handsome iron bridge spanning the Blanchard at Find- 
lay is recognized as the finest in the county, it will not be inappropriate to 
mention it briefly in this connection. August 1, 1873, the commissioners 
entered into a contract with the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, 
Ohio, to erect a one span iron bridge over the river at Findlay, 164 feet 
long, with a roadway twenty feet wide in the clear, and a footway on each 
side six feet wide in the clear, for the sum of $10,889.60. On the same day 
the contract for the stone abutments was awarded to Louis Bruner at the 
rate of $7 per perch of twenty-five solid feet, which, when completed, to- 
gether with the east wing, came to $4. 008. 90. The bridge was finished and 
accepted by the commissioners March 27, 1874, and warranted by the com- 
pany for thirty years from that date. It is a substantial structure and a 
credit to the builders, as well as a lasting monument to the wisdom and pub- 
lic spirit of the board under whom it was built, and to the people whose 
generous liberality rendered such a fine public improvement possible. 

Before the era of roads and bridges in this portion of the State, much 
of the goods brought to Findlay came in pirogues from Perrysburg via the 
Maumee, Auglaize and Blanchard Rivers, while furs and other products of 
the then sparsely settled country were often shipped to the lake over the 
same route by the traders and merchants of the village. A Government 
survey made in 1816 pronounced the Blanchard navigable from Fort Find- 
lay to the Auglaize, and many of the pioneers who located along its banks 
once regarded it as a navigable stream. The only boats, however, that 
have ever been used in the transportation of goods upon the Blanchard, 
were the clumsy, old-fashioned pirogues, made fi-om the bodies of large trees, 
and much resembling a huge trough. A little later goods and products 
were wagoned to and from Sandusky City, and goods shipped at New York 
came via Buffalo and the lake to Sandusky, usually arriving at Findlay 
from two to four weeks afterward. 

The first mail route through Hancock County was established about 
sixty-six years ago, fi'om Bellefontaine via Fort McArthur and Findlay to 
Perrysburg, with Joseph Gordon as mail agent. Gordon was born in Alle- 
gheny County, Penn. , January 29, 1784, and in 1801, ere reaching man- 
hood, began his career as a horseback mail carrier in Kentucky. In 1804 
he carried his first mail into Ohio from Wheeling, W. Va. , some fifty miles, 
and his route was soon afterward extended to Chillicothe. via St. Clairsville, 
Zanesville and New Lancaster. He subsequently located in Bellefontaine, 
Ohio, and in 1820 commenced his horseback weekly mail service from that 
town to Perrysburg. The Findlay ofiice was established in February, 1823, 
and was then, and for years afterward, the only postofiice between Bellefon- 
taine and the Maumee — a distance of over eighty miles through a dense, 
unbroken forest, where the hum of civilization was yet unheard. Gordon 
was the only carrier over this route till the close of 1839, when a change 
occurred and his route ended at Findlay. He continued in the service from 
Bellefontaine to Findlay — some eight or ten years longer or until the route 
was abandoned. Gordon is remembered as a kind-hearted, generous, trust- 
worthy man, and was of incalculable benefit to the early settlers of Hancock 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 309 

County in doing errands for them at Perrysburg and Bellefontaine. It is a 
sad ciiticism on our nineteenth century civilization that this veteran of 
the mails was compelled by force of circumstances to spend the evening of 
his eventful life as a pauper in the infirmary of Logan County. 

The railroads are the next in order of time, and perhaps the most im- 
portant feature of the county's internal improvements. In March, 1839, 
the General Assembly passed an act "to authorize the commissioners of 
Wood and Hancock Counties to subscribe to the capital stock of the Belle- 
fontaine & Perrysbiu'g Railroad Company and to borrow money. ' ' Under 
the provisions of this act the commissioners of Hancock, at a special meet- 
ing held April 26, 1839, decided to subscribe 1,000 shares, amounting to 
$100,000, to the capital stock of said company, and delegated Parlee Carlin 
a special agent to negotiate a loan for said amount in the citj^ of New York 
or elsewhere, at a rate of interest not to exceed 6 per cent per annum, 
the bonds to be redeemed in not less than twenty nor more than thirty 
years. The loan was never negotiated, as the project vanished into air, and 
few of the present generation are aware that such an enterprise was ever 
contemplated. 

The Findlay Branch of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Rail- 
road was the first railroad built through Hancock County. On the 19th of 
February, 1845, the Legislature passed "an act to authorize the commis- 
sioners of Hancock County to subscribe to the capital stock of the Mad 
River & Lake Erie Railroad Company the sum of $60,000, or such sum as 
shall be sufficient to construct a railway or branch from the main track of 
said railroad to the town of Findlay. ' ' The following month, in compli- 
ance with a provision of said act, the commissioners ordered the proposed 
measui'e be submitted to a vote of the citizens of Hancock at the suc- 
ceeding April election. The people voted in favor of said subscription by 
1,055 to 764," a majority of 291. On the 11th of April, 1845, the board 
subscribed $60,000 to the capital stock of said railroad, and on the 22d 
the first installment of $30, 000 in county bonds was issued. The same 
month Wilson Vance, William Taylor, John Patterson and William L. Hen- 
derson were appointed by the commissioners as their special agents to look 
after the interests of the county in its dealings with the Mad River & Lake 
Erie Railroad Company. In June, 1845, John Ewing and Jacob Barnd 
were added to the list, but the latter dying soon afterward. Squire Carlin 
was appointed, September 11, 1845, to fill the vacancy. On the same date 
the commissioners added $15,000 to the former subscription, making a 
total of $75,000 subscribed by Hancock County toward the enterprise. 

On the 19th of August, 1846, the railroad company, at a meeting held 
in Kenton, agreed to accept said subscription, the county to retain and 
negotiate the bonds, and construct a branch railroad from Carey to Find- 
lay; "Provided that said commissioners will within four years fi'om this date, 
construct said branch railway as aforesaid, free of expense to this company, 
and will also pledge therefor to this company the stock by them subscribed 
as aforesaid, there to remain until said branch railway be completed; and 
Provided, further, that said branch railway shall be constructed as aforesaid, 
under and pursuant to the directions of this company, at a cost not exceed- 
ing the estimate of the engineer of the same, to-wit: $86,429.29, and when 
completed to be the property of this company; and Provided, further, that 
said commissioners fm-nish and convey to this company, ground, fi-ee of ex- 



310 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

pense (not less than two acres in quantity), at said Findlay for a depot, and 
of such shape as may be surveyed by said engineer therefor, and also, free of 
expense to this company, secure the permanent right of way for said branch 
railway." It will no doubt surprise many of our readers that such a one- 
sided proposition was acceptable to the county, which was actually building 
a railroad and giving it to the company; but the people were so anxious for 
the road to be built that the proposition was gladly accepted by the com- 
missioners. On the 22d of September, 1846, the board appointed John 
Patterson, John Ewing and Hiram Smith, railroad agents, to transact all 
business in the building and completion of said branch from Findlay to 
Carey. They were authorized to borrow money, obtain the right-of-way, 
put the work under contract, and carry oiit all other business necessary and 
expedient for the furtherance of the project. In March, 1847, Hiram Smith 
resigned, and Charles W. O'Neal and William L. Henderson were appointed 
addttional railroad agents, and, with Messrs. Patterson and Ewing, served 
till March, 1851, when the office was terminated by order of the commis- 
sioners. 

The road was completed in November, 1849, and trains began running ere 
the close of that month. It was one of those old-fashioned strap-iron roads, 
similar to those first built through this State. Upon the bed, sleepers were 
laid lengthwise, placed apart the width of the track, the ties being laid 
crosswise on top of said sleepers. Two strips of timber were then laid on 
top of the ties, also lengthwise, and let into the same immediately over the 
sleepers, and upon these strips the rails, made of five-eighths strap-iron, were 
fastened. When all was finished the county had expended only $45, 500 of 
the amount subscribed, leaving a balance of $29, 500 of the subscription yet 
unissued. In 1852-53, an eflPort was made to furnish the road with T 
rails, the company making- a proposition to the county for the latter to issue 
bonds to carry out the improvement, and the former to issue railroad stock 
to the county for said amount, and guarantee that the dividends on said 
stock would be sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds during their term 
of existence. The railway company further agreed to considerably reduce 
the rates of transportation. The board agreed to the proposition, but the 
project finally collapsed, and nothing was done at that time. 

Though the subject of T railing the branch was afterward often talked 
of, it was not till twenty years after the road was built that the work was 
accomplished. In the summer of 1868, the railway company made a prop- 
osition to the county that if the latter would contribute $12,000 toward 
the enterprise the company would T rail, ballast and put the branch in good 
condition. Upon examining the records it was discovered that $29, 500 of the 
original subscription remained unissued, and that the county was still liable 
for this amount, whenever the company complied with the original condi- 
tions, and constructed the road on a permanent basis. This was brought to 
the attention of the commissioners in October, 1868, who, after taking coun- 
sel, were satisfied the county was liable for said amount, and gladly issued 
the $12,000 in bonds to assist in carrying through the much needed im- 
provement, the company releasing the county from all further obligation in 
connection with the original subscription. The work of T railing com- 
menced in the spring of 1869, and October 21 of that year a dinner was 
given at the Crook House to the president of the road and board of directors 
on their visit to Findlay in honor of its completion. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 311 

The large frame warehouse at the depot was built before the road was 
finished, and as soon as completed the latter was leased by E. P. Jones, 
who operated the road and warehouse for about nine years. The company 
then took charge of the road, and engaged J. S. Patterson as their agent in 
Findlay. During these years this branch line was of incalculable benefit to 
Findlay, far more indeed than the average citizen is willing to admit. It 
supplied the town with shipping facilities, and thus built up its trade and 
population, thereby greatly enhancing the value of real estate. The road 
originally extended west on Crawford Street nearly to Main. From Findlay 
it runs in a southeast direction across the townships of Findlay, Marion and 
Amanda to Carey in Wyandot County, also crossing the southwest corner of 
Big Lick Township in its route, Vanlue being the only town on the line in 
this county. Originally operated by the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad 
Company, the name was changed by decree of the common pleas court of Erie 
County, February 23, 1858, to the Sandusky, Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad 
Company, and the branch went by that name. In January, 1806, the road 
was sold, and in July following i-eorganized as the Sandusky & Cincinnati 
Railroad Company. On the 11th of January, 1868, a decree of the common 
pleas court of Erie County again changed the name of the company to the 
Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland. This company operated the road over 
thirteen years, and March 8, 1881, leased its lines to the Indianapolis, 
Bloomington & Western Railroad Company for the term of ninety-nine 
years to go into effect on the 1st of May following. The branch fi-om Carey 
to Findlay is about fifteen miles in length, and is now known as the Findlay 
Branch of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad, which has 
become one of the great trunk lines of the West. 

The Lake Erie & Western was the second railway built through this 
county, and it is yet the most important road that enters Findlay. It had 
its inception early in 1853, and was first conceived and advocated hr Hemy 
Brown, of Findlay, then a young lawyer, and one of the editors of the Han- 
cock Courier. He published an editorial in the Courier advocating the con- 
struction of a railroad from Green Springs via Rome (now Fostoria), Find- 
lay, Lima and St. Mary's to the Indiana State line, and sent a number 
of the papers containing the article to leading men along the proposed route. 
Charles W. Foster received one of the papers, and at once seeing the feasi- 
bility of the project drove over to Findlay, and, after talking the matter 
over with some of the monied men of the town, took Mr. Brown in his buggy 
and talked up a railroad feeling along the line as far southwest as St. 
Mary's. On their return a delegation from Fremont met Mr. Foster 
at Rome, and he told them what had been done. Fremont did not want the 
road to go to Green Springs, and induced Mr. Foster to favor their town 
instead. On the 25th of April, 1853, the Fremont & Indiana Railroad 
Company was incorporated, with a capital of $200,000, by Charles W. Foster, 
L. Q. Rawson, Sardis Birchard, James Justice and John R. Pease. The 
charter called for "the construction of a railroad from the town of Fremont, 
in the county of Sandusky, through the counties of Sandusky and Seneca to 
the town of Rome, in said county of Seneca; thimce through the counties of 
Seneca and Hancock to the town of Findlay, in said county of Hancock; 
thence throucja the counties of Hancock, Allen. Auglaize, Mercer and Darke, 
to the west line of the State of Ohio, in said county of Darke. " 

The people of Hancock County, at an election held in the spring of 1853, 



312 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

voted to subscribe $100,000 to the capital stock of the Dayton & Michigan 
Raih-oad Company, if said road was built through this county. The Day- 
ton & Michigan and the Fremont & Indiana Companies entered into an 
arrangement for the latter company to take advantage of this vote, and get 
possession of the bonds voted for the pui'pose of building the Dayton & 
Michigan road, which was never really intended to be located through this 
county. In August, 1853, 100 bonds of $1,000 each were signed and de- 
livered by the commissioners to L. Q. Rawson, president of the Fremont & 
Indiana Railroad Company, though the transfer was bitterly opposed by 
some leading citizens of Findlay. The commissioners also turned over to 
the same company $51,150 of stock and bonds held by the county in the 
Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad. The opponents of this transfer at once 
notified all the money centers that the $100,000 in Hancock County bonds 
issued to the Fremont & Indiana Railroad Company were fradulent, and 
would not be paid by the county. The company were therefore unable to 
sell them and in 1856 returned to the county $91,000 of the amount, also 
the stock and bonds which they held in the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad. 
The remaining $9,000 of county bonds had been negotiated, and the party 
into whose hands they fell afterward brought suit against the county and 
collected the full amount of their face. The loss of these bonds was a severe 
stroke to the Fremont & Indiana Railroad Company, but the principal cap- 
italists of the enterprise, L. Q. Rawson, James Moore, Charles W. Foster, 
D. J. Cory and Squire Carlin, were experiened business men, and deter- 
mined to go forward with the project. 

The enterprise, however, progressed slowly because of the financial de- 
pression of 1856-57, and the lack of pi'oper encoui'agement from the people 
of the country through which the line was located. In the spring of 1857 the 
company began an effort to raise money along the route by personal subscrip- 
tion to purchase iron for the road. The iron and rolling stock was finally con- 
tracted for in the summer of 1857, but financial diificidties soon afterward 
stopped all further progress. In 1858 work went forward slowly along the 
eastern portion of the road, and by January, 1859, the track was completed 
from Fremont to Fostoria, and ere the close of that month a daily train began 
running between those towns. The following June a daily hack line was 
established from Findlay to Fostoria, connecting with the trains to and 
from Fremont. In the summer of 1859 the railroad bridge spanning the 
Blanchard was commenced, and track laying between Findlay and Fostoria 
went forward during the summer and fall, reaching to within one mile of 
Findlay, and early in the winter of 1859-60, trains began running to that point. 
The track was completed to the Findlay depot, on Main Cross Street, in 
March, 1860, and a train arrived and departed daily from Findlay. In No- 
vember, 1859, the large elevator near the depot was completed and put in 
operation by George W. Myers, and when the road was finished to the de- 
pot it found the elevator ready for business. Here the enterprise collapsed 
and the road was finished no further for more than twelve years. 

In December, 1860, the road was sold, and, January 21, 1861, the pur- 
chasers organized a new corporation, under the name of the Fremont, Lima 
& Union Railroad Company. On the 4th of February, 1865, this company 
was consolidated with the Lake Erie & Pacific Railroad Company, of Indiana, 
as the Lake Erie & Louisville Railroad Company. In July, 1871, the road 
was again sold, and the following November that portion of the line located 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 315 

in Ohio, and extending from Fremont to Union City, was reorganized as the 
Fremont, Lima & Union Raih'oad Company, and that lying in Indiana as 
the Lake Erie & Lonisville Raih-oad Company. These companies were once 
more consolidated, April 12, 1872, as the Lake Erie & Louisville Railroad 
Company. 

In the meantime considerable effort was made to complete the road to 
Lima. On the 10th of May, 1870, the company held a meeting at Fremont 
and made a proposition to complete the road by February 1, 1871, on con- 
dition that the people along the line would subscribe $100,000 toward the 
enterprise, to be paid as follows: $25,000 when the road was finished to 
Rawson; $25,000 on reaching Bluffton; $25,000 on getting to Beaver Dam, 
and the remaining $25,000 when the first train passed over the road to Lima. 
Meetings were held all along the line to stir up an interest in the subject, 
and raise the subscription asked for by the company. But it proved slow 
work, and the effort was ultimately a failure. In January, 1872, a condi- 
tional contract was made by the company with Perkins, Livingston & Post 
to furnish iron and equipments to put the road in running order whenever 
the company secured sufficient local aid to grade, bridge and tie the line, 
which it was thought would take about $100,000 to accomplish. During the 
spring the route from Findlay to St. Mary' s was resurveyed, and, in June, 
Findlay Township voted to subscribe $78,600; Liberty. $5,000; Eagle, $10,- 
000, and Union $20,000 toward the enterprise. Work began at once, and 
July 15, 1872 agreements were entered into between the railroad company 
and said townships, by which the former, in consideration of said subscrip- 
tions, promised to complete the road to Lima within one year from that date. 
L. Q. Rawson, Charles W. Foster, D. J. Cory and Squire Carlin represented 
the company in these agreements. 

Track-laying was now pushed forward rapidly, and early in September, 
1872, the first train reached Rawson. Before the close of the same month 
the road was finished to Bluff'ton, and the last rail connecting Findlay with 
Lima was laid November 21, 1872. On the 29th a dinner to celebrate the 
event was given at the City Hall in Lima by the citizens of that town, the 
officers of the road and many leading business men from Fremont, Fosto- 
ria, Findlay, and other towns on the road, being present at the celebration. 
Though the weather was very cold, every station along the line was crowded 
to witness and cheer the loaded train as it sped onward toward its destina- 
tion. Regular trains were put on soon afterward, and by the spring of 1873 
its business was booming. In September of that year the road was opened 
through to St. Mary' s. Thus, after long years of vexatious waiting the peo- 
ple of Hancock County had at last a good competing railroad, and were 
accordingly haj^py. In February, 1877, the road was sold, and the com- 
pany reorganized under the old name of the Lake Erie & Louisville. In 
August, 1879, it was consolidated with the Indianapolis & Sandusky Rail- 
road Company of Indiana, under the name of the Lake Erie & Western 
Railway Company, and the following December that corporation absorbed the 
Indianapolis, Lafayette & Muncie Railroad Company. The link between 
Fremont and Sandusky City was afterward built, and the company has now 
a continuous line from Sandusky, Ohio, to Bloomington, ly. , a distance of 
353 miles. It enters Hancock County near its northeast corner in the city 
of Fostoria, and taking a southwest direction through Arcadia, Findlay, 
Rawson and Cory, leaves the county near the northwest corner of Orange 



316 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Township, its main line within this county being about thirty miles in 
length. 

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was built through the northeast corner 
of Hancock County in 1873, and opened for business Januaiy 1, 1874. 
Though it is one of the greatest trunk lines of the United States, and trav- 
erses a few miles of Hancock County territoiy, it can scarcely be regarded as 
one of her roads; yet the Baltimore & Ohio is of great benefit to the north- 
ern portion of this county, crossing Wood County from east to west only a 
few miles north of Hancock, thus furnishing first-class shipping facilities for 
the people of that section. 

The McComb, Deshler & Toledo Railroad Company was incoi'porated June 
2, 1879, by a coterie of McComb citizens, with a capital of $20,000, for the 
purpose of building a railroad fi'om McComb, Hancock County, to Deshler, in 
Henry County. This company entered into an agreement with the Cincinnati, 
Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company to furnish right of way, grade, 
bridge and tie the road, and the latter agreed to lay the track and operate 
the road perpetually as a branch of the main line. Grading was commenced 
in the spring of 1880, and on the 2-4th of November, following, the first con- 
struction train came into McComb. On the next day (Thanksgiving) the 
event was celebrated at McComb by a grand dinner and a flow of oratory, a 
large delegation coming over the road from Deshler, and a few from Find- 
lay to participate in the happy festivities, more than 1,000 outsiders being 
present on the occasion. Regular trains soon began running, and the road 
has since proved a great convenience to the northwestern portion of the 
county. It takes a noi-thwest course fi'pm McComb to Deshler, passing 
through the village of Deweyville in its route, and about five miles of the 
road is located in Hancock County, the whole distance being nearly nine 
miles. 

Many years ago the Tifiin & Fort Wayne Air Line Railroad Company 
was chartered to build a road from Tiffin , Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Ind. A 
road bed was completed across the north part of Hancock County, but the 
project then collapsed. In June, 1872, the New York Western Railway 
Company and the Continental Railway Company of Pennsylvania were con- 
solidated and reorganized at Indianapolis as the Continental Railway Com- 
pany, to construct a great trunk line through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and 
Iowa. The old bed of the Tiffin & Fort Wayne in this county was selected 
and regraded in the fall of 1872 as the route of the Continental Railroad, 
but that is as far as the enterprise ever got. The New York, Chicago & 
St. Louis Railway Company was incorporated in 1880 to construct a line 
from New York to Chicago. Findlay made an effort to secui-e this road, 
but it was finally located over the old Continental route in this county, 
from Arcadia westward, but running northeast from Arcadia to Fostoria 
parallel with the Lake Erie & Western road. Work began on this section 
of the line in the spring of 1881, and early in July the road was finished 
through this county and construction trains were in full operation. The 
' "Nickel Plate, " as it is commonly called, is one of the leading trunk lines of 
the country, and supplies the north part of the county with excellent railroad 
accommodations. It runs southwest from Fostoria to Arcadia; thence due 
west through Cass, Allen, Portage and Pleasant Townships. Fostoria, Ar- 
cadia, Stuartville, McComb and Shawtown are the towns located on this 
road in Hancock, and twenty-five miles of the line are within the county 
limits. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 317 

The Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Gauge Railroad was char- 
tered March 9, 1881, and during the summer work was commenced along 
the line, which had previously been located through this county from Del- 
phos to Carey via Arlington and Mt. Blanchard. The road was finished 
from Bluffton to Arlington early in the fall of 1882, and in December the 
construction train reached Mt. Blanchard. January 1, 1883, the road 
was formally opened by an excursion fr'om Delphos to Mt. Blanchard, 
and the following summer the line was completed to Carey. From Bluffton, 
in Allen County, the road runs due east across the north parts of 
Orange, Van Buren, Madison and Delaware Townships to Mt. Blanchard; 
thence takes a northeast course through the south part of Amanda Town- 
ship to Carey, Wyandot County. Besides Mt. Blanchard and Arlington, 
two villages — Jenera and Cordelia — have since been laid out on this road in 
Van Buren and Orange Townships, respectively. About twenty-one miles 
of the road are within the boundaries of this county, and, though it is an ac- 
commodation to the people living along its route, it will always be of very 
limited utility for shipping pm-poses until changed to a standard gauge. 
It is now called the Delphos Division of the Air Line Railroad, and as there 
is some talk of making it a standard gauge, the name will doubtless be again 
changed before the publication of this work. 

The Toledo, Columbus & Southern Railroad, formerly the Toledo & In- 
dianapolis, was chartered in May, 1881, and, in the winter of 1881-82, the 
right of way was obtained between Toledo and Findlay. All of the towns 
on the proi)osed line subscribed liberally toward the project, Findlay sub- 
scribing $25,000. Hon. T. P. Brown, of Toledo, was the leading spirit of 
the enterprise, and Patrick Dowling had the general contract for building 
and equipping the line. Work was commenced in the summer of 1882, and 
pushed rapidly, as the subscriptions were based on the completion of the 
road before the close of January, 1883. The first rail was laid December 
15, and the first locomotive ran into Bowling Green from Toledo on Christ- 
mas day. Early in January, 1883, the track was built to within a couple 
of miles of Findlay, and soon afterward reached the northern part of that 
city. January 30, the connecting rail was laid some fifteen miles north of 
Findlay in Wood County, and on the following day the event was celebrated 
by a dinner at that point. Though the last rail was in position the road 
was not then by any means completed, the bed being still in a very crude 
condition. But it was vitally necessary for the company to thus fulfill, 
technically at least, the conditions under which the subscriptions were ob- 
tained. The first through train came over the road from Toledo to Findlay 
February 7, 1883, but regular traffic did not commence before spring, and 
by May 15 the road was in full operation. A temporary depot was fitted up 
near the track of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, east of Main Street, 
in North Findlay, and the new road got no farther till the summer of 
1885. The right of way was then obtained southward to the track of 
the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad; a bridge was built 
over the Blanchard and the road extended across the river to the track 
of the latter railroad, whence it runs into the depot of said road. Late 
in 1885 surveys were made southward toward Columbus, and it is claimed 
to be only a question of time when this railroad will be built to the capital 
of the State. It enters the county fe'om the north about a quarter of a mile 
east of the Perrysbiu'g & Bellefontaine Road, and runs due south through 



318 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the villages of Van Buren and Stuartville to Findlay. The route south of 
Findlay most likely to be selected, is also parallel with and a little east of 
the Belief ontaine road, via Arlington, Williamstown and Dunkirk to Kenton, 
though a survey has also been made southeastward through Mt. Blanchard. 
Officers of the company state that the road will probably be extended to 
Kenton, and perhaps Columbus, in 1886; and though it is now of great ad- 
vantage to the county, it will then offer far better facilities to both travelers 
and shippei's. 

In closing the history of the railroads it only remains to notice briefly the 
several roads that have been surveyed through this county, but never built. 
Mention has been made of the proposed Bellefontaine & Perrysburg Rail- 
road,' also of the survey made by the Dayton & Michigan Company, which 
was never really intended to be located through Hancock, and the Tiffin & 
Fort Wayne and the Continental Roads, In 1870 the Ohio & Michigan 
Railroad Company surveyed a road from Sturgis, Mich., r/a Napoleon andMc- 
Comb, Ohio, to Findlay; but that is as far as the project ever got. In 1870-71 
considerable effort was made to get the Mansfield & Coldwater road located 
through Findlay, but Fostoria got the prize; yet though the road was grad- 
ed and some of the rails put down, it was never completed. The Toledo & 
Columbus Railroad Company was chartered, in 1872, to build a road be- 
tween the cities named, via Findlay. Liberal subscriptions were voted by 
the several townships of the county, through which the line was located, but 
the supreme court afterward declared the act unconstitutional under which 
the subscriptions were made, and the scheme fell through. In January, 
1880, the Columbus, Findlay & Northwestern Railroad Company was incor- 
porated, to construct a line from Columbus, Ohio, via Findlay to Coldwater, 
Mich. Meetings were held and the people living along the route apparently 
took a deep interest in the success of the measure, but after a brief period 
of enthusiasm the enterprise collapsed and nothing has since been heard of 
it. The foregoing comprises all of the proposed roads, and though some of 
them would doubtless have been an advantage, the county now possesses 
good railroad communications with every portion of the country. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 319 



CHAPTER IX. 

Military History of Hancock County— War of 1812— March of Hull's 
Army from Urbana to the Mai'^iee River— Site of Fort Necessity, 
AND Line of Hull's Trace — Fort Findlay Erected and Garrisoned — 
Description of the Fort — Gen. Titpper's Campaign — Indians Pursue 
Capt. Oliver from Fort Meigs to Fort Findlay— Evacuation of the 
Fort by Capt. Thomas, and his Murder by the Indians— Pioneer PiEm- 
iniscences of fort findlay, and its final destruction— mexican 
War— The Great Rebellion— Sublime Patriotism of the People — 
Enthusiastic Demonstrations in Findlay at the Outbreak of the 
War— Stirring Scenes of Preparation for the Conflict— Enroll- 
ment AND Organization of Volunteers, and their SuBSE(iUENT De- 
parture FOR Cleveland— Brief Sketches of the Com^iands Wherein 
THE Soldiers of Hancock Served, also the N'ames and Promotions of 
Commissioned Officers in each from tpiis County— Number of Volun- 
teers FROM EACH TOWNSHIP UP TO SEPTEMBER 1, 1862, AND TOTAL ESTI- 
MATED Number of Soldiers from the Whole County During the War 
—Relief Afforded by the County to Soldiers' Families— Good Work 
OF THE Military Co:mmittees and Aid Societies— Closing Scenes of 
THE Rebellion— Celebration at Findlay over the Capture of Rich- 
mond AND THE Surrender of Lee's Army— Joy Turned to Grief by 
the Assassination of Lincoln— Conclusion. 

"^TEARLY three-quarters of a century have elapsed since the arrogance 
JJN of the English Government brought on the war of 1812, and though 
it ended five years before the erection of Hancock County, the territory 
embraced therein was very closely associated with the earliest stages of that 
struggle for the preservation of our national rights. On the 4th of June, 
1812, a resolution was passed by Congress declaring war against England; 
on the 17th of the same month the bill passed the Senate, and two days 
afterward President Madison sent forth the edict. Ohio had been prepar- 
ing for the conflict, and prior to the declaration of war troops began as- 
sembling at Dayton, Springfield, Urbana and other points in obedience to 
the call of Gov. Meigs, and Gen. William Hull was appointed to the 
chief command of these troops. On the 16th of June the army left 
Urbana on its march toward the Maumee Rapids, and Col. Duncan Mc- 
Arthur was ordered in advance to open a road through the forest from the 
Greenville Treaty line to the Scioto River, "where they built two block 
houses, which they named Fort McArthur, in honor of the ofiicer whose 
regiment had opened the road. To this fort the whole army came on the 
19th, and on the 21st Col. James Findlay was ordei;ed to open the road as 
far as Blanchard's Fork, whither the army, excepting a guard left at Fort 
McArthur, again followed on the 22d. Here, amid rain and mud, another 
block-house was erected, which was named Fort Necessity. From this 
point the army soon after moved to Blanchard's Fork, where Col. Find- 
lay had built a block-house, which was named in honor of that ofiicer, and 
thence marched northward to the Maumee."* From the Greenville Treaty 
line to the Maumee Rapids the route of the army was through an unbroken 

♦American State Papers. 



320 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

forest, and as there were a great many baggage wagons and also some artil- 
lery, it was necessary to partially open a road the whole distance. The 
weather continued wet, and some of the time men and horses had to travel 
middle deep in mud and water. Frequently the van of the army had to 
halt and wait for the rear guard, which was often detained in reliev- 
ing wagons and horses from the mire. The army arrived at the rapids 
June 30, 1812, whence it proceeded to Detroit, and there on the 16th of 
August the campaign came to a disastrous termination through Gen. Hull' s 
disgraceful and cowardly surrender to the enemy without firing a shot. 

The quotation in the foregoing paragraph from the ' ' American State 
Papers ' ' might lead the reader to infer that Fort Necessity was located on 
the Blanchard River, but such is not the fact. Hull's Trace entered the 
southern boundary of Hancock County about half a mile west of the Perrys- 
burg & Bellefontaine State road, and Fort Necessity was constructed on 
the west side of the East Branch of Eagle Creek, in the southwest corner 
of what is now Madison Township. Several acres of forest were chopped 
down and a temporary fort erected, where the army encamped through 
necessity (hence the name) until Col. Findlay had the road opened to the 
Blanchard. Fort Necessity was never garrisoned, and Squire Carlin, Job 
Chamberlin, M. S. Hamlin, William Tanner, and many other pioneers, 
have told the writer that they never knew that a block-house was built at 
that point, as it was known throughout pioneer days as ' ' Mud Fort. ' ' The 
' ' American State Papers, ' ' however, mention the erection of a block-house, 
and, as it was not garrisoned, it may have been burned down by the Indians 
before the close of the war of 1812. From Fort Necessity the trace ran 
down the west bank of the East Branch of Eagle Creek to near its junction 
with the West Branch, crossing the latter and thence continuing down the 
west side of Eagle Creek to Fort Findlay. Here it crossed the river, and 
thence ran northward, a short distance east of the State road, till reaching 
the high lands south of the Middle Branch of Portage River; thence followed 
the meanders of that stream northwestward, into what is now Wood County; 
and thence to the Maumee Rapids. 

Gen. Hull left a small gan-ison imder Capt. Arthur Thomas, to complete 
and guard Fort Findlay. When finished, the fort consisted of a stockade 
about ten feet in height, with a two-story block-house, built of round logs, 
at each corner. The enclosure was fifty yards square, the entrance or 
gate being on the east side. A ditch surrounded the stockade, the earth 
■ from the excavation having been thrown up against the pickets to give them 
added strength. The outer walls of the block-houses projected a short dis- 
tance beyond the stockade, and the upper story of each extended a few feet 
over the lower one, thus commanding the approaches fi'om every direction. 
Each block-house was thoroughly loop-holed, and fiu'nished with one small 
piece of artillery. Within the enclosure a number of cabins for the use of 
the soldiers were built along the stockade, the open space in the center be- 
ing utilized by the garrison as a parade ground. To guard against surprise 
the forest was cleared off' for a considerable distance on the south, easi? and 
west of the fort, while the river on the north afforded a clear view in that 
direction. Though no attack was ever made on Fort Findlay, it was never- 
theless well calculated to successfully resist any ordinary force which the 
Indians could bring against it. The fort stood on the south bank of the 
Blanchard River, in Findlay, the southeast block-house being located on the 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 321 

site of Judge D. J. Cory's residence, on the northwest corner of Main and 
Front Streets. It was one of the many wooden fortifications, which were 
peculiarly adapted to Indian warfare, erected as depots for military stores, 
and to giTard the rear communications of the army. 

In July, 1812, Gen. Edward W. Tupper, of Gallia County, raised a 
force of 1,000 men for six months' service, principally from Gallia, Law- 
rence and Jackson Counties, who, under the orders of Gen. Winchester, 
rendezvoused at Urbana. From that village Gen. Tupper followed Hull' s 
Trace to Foi't McArthur, where he established his base of supplies, and 
then marched northward to Fort Findlay. After a much needed rest his 
command pushed on to the foot of the Maumee Rapids. The Indians appear- 
ing in force on the oj)posite bank of the Maumee, Tupper attempted to cross 
the river and attack the enemy, but the rapidity of the current, and the 
feeble, half starved condition of his men and horses, rendered the attempt 
a failure. The enemy soon after took the offensive, and, crossing the Mau- 
mee, attacked the American camp, but were defeated and driven back with 
considerable loss. This defeat caused them to retreat hastily to Detroit, 
and Tupper subsequently marched back to Fort Findlay, and thence to 
Fort McAiihur, where his siipplies were stored. 

The following anecdote, related in Howe's "Historical Collections," 
page 238, is so closely associated with Fort Findlay as to be worthy of a 
place in this chapter : ' ' About 9 o' clock one dark and windy night in the 
late war, Capt. William Oliver, in company with a Kentuckian, left Fort 
Meigs for Fort Findlay on an errand of importance, the distance being 
about 33 miles. They had scarcely started on their dreary and perilous jour- 
ney, when they unexpectedly came upon an Indian camp, around the fixes 
of which the Indians were busy cooking their suppers. Disturbed hy» the 
noise of their approach, the savages sprang up and ran toward them. At 
this they reined their horses into the branches of a fallen tree. Fortu- 
nately the horses, as if conscious of the danger, stood perfectly still, and the 
Indians passed around the tree without making any discovery in the thick 
darkness. At this junctiu'e Oliver and his companion put spurs to their 
horses and dashed forward into the woods, through which they passed all 
the way to their point of destination. They arrived safely, but with 
their clothes completely torn off by the brambles and bushes, and their 
bodies bruised all over by coming in contact with the trees. They had 
scarcely arrived at the fort when the Indians in pursuit made their appear- 
ance, but too late, for their prey had escaped. ' ' 

Fort Findlay was gan-isoned until the spring of 1815, and a man named 
Thorp kept a small sutler store immediately east of the fort during the 
period of its occupation. Soon after the war closed the fort was abandoned, 
and its garrison retm-ned to peaceful avocations. The Indians though sub- 
dued, still entertained very bitter feelings toward their conquerors, as the 
treacherous murder of Capt. Thomas and son will serve to illustrate. 
' ' Capt. Arthur Thomas, ' ' says Howe, ' ' lived on King' s Creek, three miles 
from Urbana. He was ordered, in the war of 1812, with his company to 
guard the public stores at Fort Findlay. On his return himself and son lost 
their horses, and separated from the rest of the company to hunt for them. 
They encamped at the Big Spring, near Solomon's Town, about five miles 
north of Bellefontaine, and the next morning were found killed and scalped. 
Theii- bodies were brought into Urbana by a deputation of citizens. ' ' 



322 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

There has been considerable difference of opinion among the pioneers of 
Hancock County as to the number of block-houses Fort Findlay originally 
contained, but it is apparent that it had one at each corner, though a 
couple of them had probably been torn down by the Indians before the erec- 
tion of the county in 1820. "When my father, Benjamin J. Cox," says 
Mrs. Elizabeth Eberly, of Portage, Wood County, ' ' located at Fort Findlay 
in 1815, there were three block-houses yet standing in a fair state of preser- 
vation, and another partly torn down. Many of the pickets enclosing the 
fort had been cut down by the Indians for fire wood. Very little remained 
of the block-house at the northwest corner of the enclosure, but the other 
three were occupied by some Wyandot Indian families, a settlement of whom 
we found around the fort. ' ' From several interviews held with the venerable 
Squire Carlin, of Findlay, the writer is of the opinion that some of the mater- 
ial in these historic buildings was utilized by Wilson Vance and others of 
the very earliest settlers for fire wood and to erect out-buildings, and later 
comers found but one block-house intact, which was used by Mr. Vance for 
a stable. This fact led many to believe that the fort originally contained 
but one block-house, which remained standing on the site of Judge Cory's 
residence for several years after the organization of Hancock County in 
1828. This too was finally torn down and removed, and with the passing 
years all traces of Fort Findlay were gradually obliterated. 

Mexican War. — The disputed territory lying between the Nueces and 
Kio Grande Rivers was the direct cause of the Mexican war. Texas, which 
had first won its independence and was afterward admitted into the Union, 
claimed the Rio Grande as the boundary line, while the Mexican authorities 
disputed this claim, asserting it was Nueces River. The United States 
Government proposed to settle the controversy by peaceful negotiation, but 
Mexico scornfully refused and made threats of occupying the territory in 
dispute. The Americans in the meantime had been preparing for war, which 
from the actions of the Mexican authorities seemed inevitable. In March, 
1846, Gen. Taylor was ox-dered to advance to the Rio Grande with a few 
thousand men, which he had organized at Corpus Christi, near the mouth of 
the river Neuces. He erected Fort Brown opposite Matamoras, which was 
accepted by Mexico as a declaration of war, and on the 26th of April, 1846, 
Gen. Arista, the Mexican commander on the Rio Grande, notified Gen. 
Taylor that hostilities had begun. On the same day a small force of Amer- 
ican cavalry was attacked by the Mexicans on the east side of the Rio 
Grande, and here occurred the first bloodshed of the war. Hancock County 
was then very sparsely settled, and when the call for troops reached this 
portion of Ohio the quota of the State was full. A company, however, 
was recruited from Hancock and Putnam Counties and offered to the 
Governor, who replied that their services were not needed. As far as known 
only four citizens went from this county into the Mexican war, viz. : 
Dr. William D. Carlin and Allen Royce, of Findlay, and Jeremiah Yates 
and Loami Farmer, of Eagle Township. But the progress of the victorious 
army from the Rio Grande to the City of Mexico was hailed with a patriotic 
enthusiasm all over the country. Some of the Whig leaders, however, 
affected to see in the war a scheme for the extension of slavery, and on this 
ground made many bitter speeches against it, but the patriotism of the nation 
was aroused and the Government was nobly sustained by the people in its 
triumphant appeal to arms. 




Cx^-c-tA^ CAyU)- 



?<n-e^<_ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 325- 

The Great Rebellion. — Since the days of the Revohition, the people of 
this country were never so thoroughly aroused, as when the news flashed 
over the wires that Fort Sumter had fallen. From all sections of the Free 
States, there went up many voices, expressive of a tierce determination to 
sustain the Government and punish traitors. History furnishes few exam- 
ples of such patriotic devotion, and such unanimity of sentiment and feel- 
ing. Volunteer companies sprang into existence as if by magic; and large 
amounts were conti'ibuted by State Legislatures, private corporations and 
individuals to defray the expenses of the coming stiiiggle for national unity. 
Hancock County was fully in harmony with the patriotic sentiments of the 
nation, and enthusiastic expressions of loyalty to our time-honored flag fell 
from the lips of old and young alike. Findlay being the county seat, was 
the principal point where public sentiment found outward expression, and 
the action taken in that town will serve to illustrate the patriotism of the 
people throughout the county. 

Early on the morning of April 17, 1861, a few national flags were 
thrown to the breeze, the sight of which seemed to kindle a patriotic fire 
in every heart, and others followed in quick succession. Presently a large 
American banner was suspended across Main Street fi-om the Coui't House to 
Bead's Hotel. The town soon began to present a lively appearance, and 
when a band headed by the stars and stripes commenced promenading Main 
Street, the martial spirit in many loyal hearts broke forth in cheers. About 
10 o' clock A. M. , a cannon, owned by the local Democratic organization, 
was brought out, and, accompanied by several hundred citizens on foot and 
horseback, taken across the river and a salute of thirty-foui* guns fired in 
honor of the Union. The enthusiasm was unbounded, and party lines 
seemed to be entirely forgotten. Toward noon another large banner was 
suspended across Main Street, and flags of every size were floating from 
nearly every business house and many of the private residences. Two 
' ' liberty-poles ' ' were raised in the afternoon on the opposite corners of 
Main and Main Cross Streets, and the stars and stripes run up on each. A 
few days afterward four more flag-staffs were put up at different points on 
Main Street, ranging from fifty to eighty feet in height. The abundance 
of national bunting to be seen on every hand at this time gave to Findlay 
an appearance of a great military encampment. 

Pursuant to a call issued Wednesday, April 17, 1861, a large and enthu- 
siastic assemblage of citizens convened at the Court House on the following 
afternoon. Edson Goit was called to the chair, and Philip Ford and S. J. Mills 
appointed secretaries. Mr. Goit, on taking the chair, delivered a patriotic 
speech, which was frequently interrupted by outbursts of applause. He 
said the Government should be sustained at all hazards, and the man who, 
in this emergency, opposed the execution of the laws denounced as a 
traitor. On motion of J. M. Palmer a committee, consisting of Messrs. 
Aaron Blackford, J. M. Palmer, A. P. Byal, W. W. Siddall and Israel 
Green, was appointed to draft resolutions expressing the sentiments of the 
meeting. During the absence of the committee the enthusiasm was kept 
at fever heat by patriotic, soul-stirring music and speeches. The band 
played ' ' Hail Columbia, ' ' and ' 'The Star Spangled Banner' ' was called for 
and sung by Messrs. N. Y. Mefford, Dwella M. Stoughton and William Mun- 
gen, the large audience rising and joining in the chorus. At the close of each 
verse cheer after cheer was given by the assembled hundreds, till the very 

18 



326 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

building seemed to join in the enthusiastic patriotism of the people and 
echo back their sentiments. James A. Bope made a brief speech denounc- 
ing treason and secession, and calling upon all to rally around the flag. 
Amidst frequent applause William Mungen declared himself ' 'in favor of 
our country, right or wrong. ' ' The time, he said, was now past for party 
questions, and as a Democrat of the strictest school he asserted that in the 
present alarming condition of the country political questions should be for- 
gotten. William Gribben was the next speaker. He said that armed trait- 
ors had conspired together for the destruction of our Government; that our 
national flag had been insulted and trampled upon by the enemies of our 
coimtry; and declared the honor of the glorious old banner should be up- 
held. By this time the committee had retiu'ned, and the following pream- 
ble and resolutions were reported and adopted: 

Whereas, A band of armed traitors to the Government of the United States have 
leagued together for the avowed purpose of overturning the Constitution and laws of 
our beloved country, and to insult and strike down the ensign of our nation, which has 
given to the American citizen ample protection at home and abroad, and to our country 
consideration and dignity wherever its stars and stripes have been seen and known; 
and whereas, in pursuance of such treasonable intent, these traitors have once struck 
down that glorious flag, and now threaten with a myrmidon host in arms to seize our 
national capital, to trail our nation's honor in the dust and transform this free govern- 
ment into a cruel monarchy; Therefore, 

Besolced, That whatever differences of opinion have divided us in the past, to-day 
we are united, and are animated by one purpose, and that is an unyielding and undy- 
ing devotion to the Union and determination to stand by the Government and flag of 
our country. Living, we will stand shoulder to shoulder and fight in their defense; 
dying, we bequeath this purpose to our children. 

Resolved, That in the present civil war, so wantonly begun by traitors now in arms 
against our Government, the only issue presented to every American citizen is: Shall 
our constitional government stand against the rebel and revolutionary force that now 
threatens its destruction? Or shall it yield to treason for a despotism to be erected 
upon its ruins? "Be that is not loith us is against vs." 

Resolved, That as our Revolutionary fathers, with a firm reliance on the protection 
of Divine Providence, mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and 
their sacred honor for the purchase of those civil and religious liberties by them trans- 
mitted to us, and that we have so long enjoyed; we, their descendants, with a firm re- 
liance upon the same Divine and all-protecting Power, mutually make the same sacred 
pledge to each other for the preservation and perpetuity of that inestimable inherit- 
ance by them bequeathed to us. 

Upon the adoption of the foregoing resolutions, Judge Palmer addressed 
the meeting in an eloquent speech full of patriotic devotion. James M. Neib- 
ling was then called for, and began by saying that fourteen years before, 
when only a boy, he shouldered his musket at the call of his country to as- 
sist in chastising Mexican arrogance, and he was ready to go again if his 
country' s cause demanded his services. This declaration was received with 
unbounded applause. After some fm-ther remarks on the necessity of 
united and immediate action, he presented the roll of enlistment for volun- 
teers, under the call of President Lincoln for 75,000 men, issued three 
days before. In a brief time seventy-two names were down upon the roll, 
and the meeting then adjourned with cheers and expressions of loyalty to 
the flag. The volunteers were formed into line by Colonel Neibling, and, 
' escorted by the band, marched down Main Street and disbanded, to meet 
for another rally on Tuesday, April 28, which had been announced before 
the adjournment of the meeting. 

The news went abroad for a grand rally at Findlay on that day, and 
never before were so many people seen in the town. They came from every 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 327 

part of the county, all seeming to be moved by the one pervading sentiment 
of loyalty. Nothing was talked of but the defense and preservation of the 
Government, and in this great cause none were more deeply enlisted than 
the old gi-ay-headed veterans who had so long enjoyed its blessings. Scores 
of pioneers publicly declared their readiness to shoulder a musket and 
march to the defense of their country. All seemed to be imbued with that 
same spirit of patriotic devotion and sacrifice which nerved the Revolution- 
aiy fathers to win that glorious boon of liberty we now enjoy. Party preju- 
dice was set aside, and all labored together, hand in hand, in that noble 
work of preserving the national honor. 

By this time three companies of volunteers had been raised in Hancock 
County, which were afterward mustered into the Twenty-first Regiment 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry as Companies A, F and G. The officers of Com- 
pany A were James Wilson, captain; Dwella M. Stoughton, first lieu- 
tenant; George Foreman, second lieutenant. Company F was officered 
by George F. Walker, captain; Morgan D. Shafer, first lieutenant; Joseph 
E. Stearns, second lieutenant. Company F was commanded by R. Heniy 
Lovell, captain; Joshua S. Preble, first lieutenant: J. J. A. Thrapp, sec- 
ond lieutenant. In the afternoon companies A and F were each presented 
by the ladies of Findlay with a handsome flag. The presentation took place 
in fi'ont of the Court House, in the presence of the large assemblage which had 
come together on that day to attest their unswerving loyalty. Mrs. James 
M. Neibling made the presentation speech, and the flags were respectively 
received by Captains Wilson and Walker on behalf of their companies. 

The volunteers rendezvoused at the fair ground, then located in East 
Findlay on the Mt. Blanchard road, which was dedicated as " Camp Neib- 
ling" in honor of the gallant Col. James M. Neibling, who was ever foremost in 
promoting the good cause, and who afterward commanded the Twenty-fiz'st 
Regiment on many a bloody field. On the 25th of April Mrs. Mary Mun- 
gen, on behalf of the ladies of Findlay, presented a flag to Company G; 
but on the following day a delegation of ladies fi'om McComb put in an ap- 
pearance at Camp Neibling and presented another flag to the same com- 
pany, most of which command were from the northwest part of the county. 
Miss Addie M. Price presented the beautiful banner, and Capt. Lovell re- 
ceived it and responded in appropriate terms. 

On Saturday, April 27, a mass meeting was held at the Court House for 
the purpose of arranging for a more thorough military organization of the 
county. James M. Neibling was elected chairman, and Daniel B. Beardsley, 
secretary. Speeches were made by Messrs. James M. Neibling, Aaron 
Blackford and Abel F. Parker, advocating the proposed measure; and com- 
mittees were appointed in each township to carry the project into effect. 
Meetings were soon afterward held in nearly every township, military compan- 
ies organized, and the patriotic ardor of the people was unabated. Several 
companies of home guards were also formed, consisting of men over forty- 
five years of age ; but these organizations subsequently disbanded, because the 
term ' 'Home Guard ' ' soon became one of reproach, and was flippantly used 
to designate stay-at-homes, or a class who were afraid to go into the army. 

Up to this period, $3,965 had been raised by private subscription as a 
" Volunteer Aid Fund " for the families of volunteers, and the good work 
was still going on. April 29, a ' 'Volunteer Relief Committee' ' was organized 
to distribute said fund, consisting of Messrs. William H. Wheeler, Israel 



328 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Green, William C. Cox, B. B. Barney and Ezra Brown. This organization 
did efficient work during the first stages of the war, or until the ' ' Military- 
Committee" and "Soldiers' Aid Society" took its place. 

The three companies at Camp Neibling were finally notified to prepare 
for active duty, and Monday, May 6, Company A was ordered to Carey. It 
was escorted to the depot by Companies F and G, headed by the two fire 
companies in uniform and the Citizens' Band. A large crowd was at the 
depot to witness their departure. End the scenes enacted, are still vividly 
remembered. As the train moved slowly away, cheer after cheer was given 
by the assemblage for .the departing volunteers. Five days afterward Com- 
panies F and G left Findlay for Cleveland via the Fremont & Indiana Eail- 
road. They were escorted to the depot by the Citizens' Band, and accom- 
panied by nearly 2,000 people, who turned out en masse to bid them God 
speed. Company A left Carey for Cleveland on the same day. The three 
companies arrived at Camp Taylor the day of their departure, and were soon 
after mustered into the Twenty-first Regiment, which had been organized at 
CampTaylor April 27, and James M. Neibling, of Findlay, was elected lieuten- 
ant colonel. On the 22d of May, Companies A and F left Camp Taylor for 
Jackson County, Ohio, whither the balance of the regiment followed on the 
24th, and subsequently went into camp near Gallipolis. The regiment did 
some service in Western Virginia, part of it being engaged in the battle of 
Scarey Creek, but its experience in the field was limited, and only prepara- 
tory for what was coming. Cyrus Hemry, of Pleasant Township, who was 
drowned in the Ohio River, and Eli S. Reed, of Findlay, commissary of 
the regiment, who died at Cincinnati, were the only deaths which occurred 
in the companies from Hancock County during their three months' service. 
The regiment remained in the field till its term of service expired, and was 
mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, August 12, 1861. 

Toward the close of August a military rendezvous, named "Camp Vance," 
in honor of Wilson Vance, of Findlay, was established for the Twenty-first 
Regiment up the Blanchard River, on the Baker farm, and the companies 
recruiting for the three years' service went into camp at that point. Here the 
regiment was reorganized, and mustered in for three years September 19, 
1861. Lieut-Col. Neibling retained*the same rank in the new organization; 
and Robert S. Miingen, of Findlay, became quartermaster. Four com- 
panies from Hancock County were mustered into the Twenty-first, viz. : Com- 
pany A — captain, Dwella M. Stoughton; first lieutenant, John A. Williams; 
second lieutenant, George Foreman. Company B — captain, George F. Wal- 
ker; first lieutenant, William Vance; second lieutenant, Joseph E. Stearns. 
Company F — captain, Henry H. Alban; first lieutenant, John C. Martin; 
second lieutenant, Alexander A. Monroe. Company G — captain, Isaac 
Cusac; first lieutenant, James Porter; second lieutenant, Simon B. Web- 
ber. The regiment left Findlay for Camp Dennison September 26, where 
it was supplied with arms, and early in October marched into Kentucky. 
Its first engagement was at Ivy Mountain, where the Union troops were 
commanded by Gen. Nelson, soon after which the Federals returned 
to Louisville. The army was reorganized under Gen. Buell, and 
the Twenty-first pai'ticipated in the capture of Bowling Green, Ky., 
and Nashville, Murfi-eesboro and Huntsville, Tenn. During the reb- 
els' siege of Nashville, in the fall of 1862, the regiment did such 
gallant service that Gen. Rosecrans issyied a special order compliment- 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 329 

ing it for its efficiency on the grand guard around that city. From this 
time forward the Twenty-first followed the fortunes of Rosecrans' army 
around Murfi-eesboro and Chattanooga. It fought with great desperation 
and valor in the bloody battles of Stone River and Chickamauga, Lieut. -Col. 
Stoughton being so severely wounded in the latter fight that he died at 
Findlay, November 20, 1863, just two months after that battle took place. 
The regiment retired with the army to Chattanooga, and subsequently was 
present at the battle of Mission Ridge. In January, 1864, almost the entire 
command, then numbering only about 300 men, veteranized, and 160 of the 
survivors from Hancock County returned to their homes on a thirty days' 
furlough. After resting and recruiting the Twenty- first again took the 
field and participated in the celebated Atlanta campaign, and subsequently 
in Sherman's historic "march to the sea." Early in the Atlanta campaign, 
at New Hope Church, May 28, Col. Neibling had his right arm so badly 
shattered that it was afterward amputated, and he was honorably discharged 
fi'om the service. Upon the capture of Richmond and the surrender of the 
rebel armies under Lee and Johnston, the Union army returned to Washing- 
ton, where the Twenty-first was present at the grand review May 26, 1865. 
It was mustered out of service at Louisville, Ky. , July 25, 1865, and thence 
proceeded to Columbus, Ohio, where, on the 28th of July, it was paid off and 
discharged. Its unflinching bravery in battle won for the Twenty-fii'st the 
sobriquet of " The Fighting Regiment," and the survivors of this command 
are proud of its brilliant record. 

The following officers from Hancock County served in the Twent-First 
Regiment, from its reorganization for three years: James M. Neibling, mus- 
tered in as lieutenant-colonel September 19, 1861; promoted to colonel 
December 20, 1862; lost right arm at the battle of New Hope Church, and 
was honorably discharged December 6, 1864. In June, 1863, Col. Neibling 
was presented by his regiment with a magnificent sword and spurs, costing 
nearly $500, as a mark of their esteem and confidence in him as a com- 
mander. Robert Mungen, mustered in as quartermaster September 19, 
1861, subsequently became brigade quartermaster. Dwella M. Stough- 
ton, mustered in as captain September 19, 1861; promoted to major October 
3, 1862, and to lieutenant- colonel December 20, 1862; died at Findlay 
November 20, 1863, of wounds received in the battle of Chickamauga. 
George F. Walker, mustered in as captain September 19, 1861; j^romoted 
to major December 20, 1862; resigned June 14, 1863. Henry H. Alban, 
mustered in as captain September 19, 1861; honorably discharged March 
8, 1865. Isaac Cusac, mustered in as captain September 19, 1861; pro- 
moted to major February 29, 1864; mustered out with the regiment. John 
A. Williams, mustered in as first lieutenant September 19, 1861 ; resigned 
January 8, 1862. William Vance, mustered in as first lieutenant September 
19, 1861; resigned December 5, 1862. John C. Martin, mustered in as first 
lieutenant September 19, 1861; promoted to captain April 9, 1862; com- 
mission returned; again promoted to the same rank February 29, 1864, and 
to major July 12, 1865; mustered out with the regijnent. James Portei', 
mustered in as first lieutenant September 19, 1861, and mustered out Sep- 
tember 20, 1864. George Foreman, mustered in as second lieutenant Sep- 
tember 19, 1861; promoted to first lieutenant February 3, 1862; honorably 
discharged September 11, 1862, and reinstated November 18, 1862. Joseph 
E. Stearns, mustered in as second lieutenant September 19, 1861; promoted 



330 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

to first lieutenant February 3, 1862; commission revoked, and August 26, 
1862, lie was appointed by the President assistant adjutant-general, with 
the rank of captain. Alexander A. Monroe, ^mustered in as second lieuten- 
ant September 19, 1861; promoted to first lieutenant December 5, 1862; 
resigned May 21, 1868. Simon B. Webber, mustered in as second lieuten- 
ant September 19, 1861; resigned with same rank. Daniel Lewis, promoted 
to second lieutenant February 8, 1862; to first lieutenant November 18, 
1862; and to captain February 29, 1864, having also succeeded Robert S. 
Mungen, as quartermaster; killed July 21, 1864. Eobert S. Dillsworth, 
promoted to second lieutenant March 1, 1862, and to first lieutenant June 
18, 1868; killed June 27, 1864. Thomas B. Lamb, promoted to second 
lieutenant August 26, 1862, and to first lieutenant February 29, 1864; 
resio-ned January 8, 1865. Daniel Richards, promoted to second lieutenant 
November 18, 1862, and to first lieutenant February 29, 1864; discharged 
January 31, 1865. Jacob L. Keller, promoted to second lieutenant December 5, 
1862; to first lieutenant February 29, 1864, and to captain May 11,1865; mus- 
tered out with the regiment. Wilson J.Vance, promoted to second lieutenant 
May 2, 1863, and to first lieutenant December 30, 1863 ; resigned April 2, 1864. 
Wilson W. Brown, promoted to second lieutenant May. 18, 1863, and to 
first lieutenant January 20, 1865; discharged as an enlisted man. John R. 
Porter, promoted to second lieutenant June 13, 1868, and to first lieuten- 
ant January 28, 1865 ; declined last promotion, and was mustered out 
March 31, 1865. James Blakely, promoted to second lieutenant September 
14,1863; killed September 20, 1863, at Chickamauga. William Welker, pro- 
moted to second lieutenant February 29, 1864; to first lieutenant January 
28, 1865, and to captain May 18, 1865; mustered out as second lieutenant 
May 15, 1865. Christian B. Sholty, promoted to second lieutenant Febru- 
ary 29, 1864; to first lieutenant February 10, 1865, and to captain July 
12, 1865; mustered out with regiment. David McClintock, promoted to 
second lieutenant February 29, 1864; to first lieutenant February 10, 1865, 
and to captain July 12, 1865; mustered out as first lieutenant. John H. 
Bolton, promoted to first lieutenant May 18, 1865, and to captain July 12, 
1865; mustered out with regiment. Robert F. Bonham, Philip Wilch, 
Quincy A. Randall and Jeremiah E. Milhoof were all promoted to first, lieu- 
tenants July 12, 1865; mustered out with the regiment. Bonham declined 
promotion. Squire J. Carlin, promoted to captain July 12, 1865; mustered 
out with the regiment. 

The Thirty -first Ohio Volunteer Infantry comes next in the order of 
time, being organized at Camp Chase in August, 1861, with Moses B. Walker, 
of Findlay, as colonel of the regiment. The Thirty-first, however, 
had only a few men from Hancock County, and its history is not regarded 
with much interest by the people of this portion of the State. Besides Col. 
Walker, his nejohew, Capt. George F. Walker, of Findlay, formerly 
of the Twenty-first Regiment, was appointed to a captaincy in the Thirty- 
first January 11, 1864, and promoted to major June 20, 1865. The regi- 
ment made a good record, and its deeds of valor are fully mentioned in 
Reid's "Ohio in the War." Col. Walker was mustered oat with his reg- 
iment as brevet brigadier -general of volunteers July 20, 1865, and subse- 
quently retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. 

The Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry received one full company 
fi-om Hancock County, commanded by Albert Langworthy, captain; Samuel 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 331 

P. Gray, first lieutenant, and James W. Davidson, second lieutenant. 
The regiment was organized at Camp Noble, near Tiffin. Ohio, in August, 

1861, and besides the company raised at Findlay, it received a good many 
recruits into other companies. Captain Langwoi-thy' s command was mus- 
tered in as Company A, August 22, 1801, and left with the regiment for 
Camp Dennison September H), where the men were equipped. The Forty- 
ninth reported to Gen. Robert Anderson at Louisville, Ky. , September 22, 
and the same evening took cars for Lebanon Junction to join the forces then 
under Gen. W. T. Sherman. Its first skirmish with the rebels took place 
in December, on Green River, where the regiment went into camp and re- 
mained till the following Februaiy, when it marched to Bowling Green, 
Ky., and Nashville, Tenn. Here it went into camp till the IGth of March, 

1862, when it moved with Bueir s army to join Grant at Pittsburg Land- 
ing, and participated in the second day' s fight. It took part in the seige of 
Corinth, and was engaged in duty in that vicinity until the movement after 
Bragg' s army, which was then threatening Louisville and Cincinnati, was 
inaugurated. From Louisville the regiment moved with the army in pursuit 
of Bragg, and was with the advance that raised the seige of Nashville. The 
Foi*ty-ninth served under Rosecrans in his movements around Murfreesboro 
and Chattanooga, and lost many of its brave officers and men in that campaign. 
At the battle of Chickamauga the regiment was commanded by Maj. Sam- 
uel F. Gray, and did gallant service. The army under Rosecrans was then 
shut up in Chattanooga till the defeat of the rebels at Mission Ridge, where 
the Forty-ninth was conspicuous for its gallantry. Immediately after this 
battle the regiment moved with the corps sent to the relief of Knoxville; 
but ere reaching that point learned that the rebels were repulsed, and after 
a long, severe march, returned to Chattanooga. Here most of the regiment 
re-enlisted and returned to Ohio on furlough, the survivors of Company A 
arriving at Findlay February 11, 1864. On the expiration of tlioir fur- 
lough the brave boys of the Forty-ninth again took the field, the ro j^iment 
strengthened by hundreds of new recruits. The movement against Atlanta 
soon afterward began, the Forty-ninth taking an active part in that cam- 
paign, and suffering severe loss in the bloody battles fought around Atlanta. 
When Sherman commenced his "march to the sea, " the Army of the Cum- 
berland, to which the Forty-ninth belonged, was left to look after Hood, 
whom it defeated at Franklin and Nashville. Upon the close of this cam- 
paign the regiment was sent, via New Orleans, to Texas, mustered out at 
Victoria November 30, 1865, and subsequently discharged at Camp Chase, 
Ohio. 

The following citizens fi'om Hancock County served in the Forty-ninth 
as commissioned officers: Albert Langworthy, elected captain August 22, 
1861; resigned June 22, 1862. Benjamin S. Porter, elected captain August 
24, 1861; promoted to major September 30, 1862, and to lieutenant-colonel 
January 1, 1863 ; appointed major in invalid corps July 2, 1863. Amos 
Keller, elected captain August 24, 1861; killed at Stone River January 1, 

1863, Samuel F. Gray, elected first lieutenant August 22, 1861; promoted to 
captain January 9, 1862; to major January 1, 1863, and to lieutenant-col- 
onel October 4, 1863 ; resigned October 4, 1864. James W. Davidson, 
elected second lieutenant August 22, 1861; promoted to first lieutenant Jan- 
uary 9, 1862; resigned July 27, 1863. Thomas J. Ray, promoted to second 
lieutenant June 30, 1862; to first lieutenant June 24, 1863, and to captain 



332 HISTORY OF IlANCOCrC COUNTY. 

August 11, 18G4; mustered out with regiment. Charles Wallace, promoted 
to second lieutenant June 24, 18(33, and to first lieutenant May 9, 18G4; 
killed at Kenesaw June 21, 1864. George S. Crawford, promoted to second 
lieutenant July 27, 18G3; to first lieutenant May 9, 1864, and to captain 
December 21, 1864; mustered out with the i-egiment at Victoria, Tex. 

The Fifty -seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, like the Twenty-first, was 
largely recruited in Hancock County, and also partially organized at Camp 
Vance, near Findlay. William Mungen, of Findlay, was also the first colo- 
nel of the regiment, and largely instrumental in raising it; while Dr. Will- 
iam D. Carlin, of Findlay, was its second surgeon. Recruiting commenced 
September 16, 1861, and was pushed forward rapitlly. Companies F, G and 
H were raised in Hancock County and also a portion of Company B. The 
officers of Company F, when mustered into service, were captain, John B. 
May ; first lieutenant, Daniel Gilbert; second lieutenant, Edmund W. Firmin. 
Those of Company G were captain, James Wilson; first lieutenant, John W. 
Wheeler ; second lieutenant, John Adams. Of Company H were captain, Patrick 
Kilkenny (of Toledo); first lieutenant, Hiram E. Henderson; second lieutenant, 
Oliver Mungen. The regiment left Findlay for Camp Chase January 22, 
1862, where its organization was completed on the 10th of February. Eight 
days afterward the regiment left Camp Chase and reported at Paducah, Ky. , 
where it was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. From Paducah the 
Fifty-seventh went to Fort Henry, thence to Savannah, Tenn. , and soon 
aftei'ward arrived at Pittsburg Landing. It did duty in that vicinity on 
several reconnoissances ; but its first appearance in battle was at Pittsburg 
Landing April 6 and 7, 1862, where its valor was fully tested and not found 
wanting. On the next day the Fifty-seventh Avas engaged with Forrest' s 
Cavalry at Pea Ridge, and came out victorious. From this time uji to Jan- 
uary, 1864, the regiment was engaged in the following battles and skir- 
mishes : Russell House, siege of Corinth, Morning Sun, Coldwater, Her- 
nando, Wolf Creek Bridge, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Clay Farm, 
Rolling Fork, Haines' Bluff, Snyder's Bluff, Champion Hill, Messenger's 
Ford, Raymond, Black River, Mechanicsburg, Vicksbxu-g, Jackson, Tus- 
cumbia, Mission Ridge and the relief of Knoxville. ' On the 1st of January, 
1864, the Fifty-seventh re-enlisted as veterans, and about a month afterward 
started for Ohio on furlough, those from Hancock County arriving at home 
on the 13th of February. After resting, the regiment rendezvoused at 
Camp Chase, where it received 207 recruits. It arrived at Nashville, March 
29, 1864, and the next month rejoined its brigade, at Larkinsville, Ala. 
The regiment participated in the Atlanta campaign, and was almost con- 
stantly engaged with the enemy in the many sanguinary battles fought in 
that vicinity. The regiment left Atlanta with Sherman's army on its 
"march to the sea," and shared in the glory of that achievement. After 
the surrender of Johnston, it marched from Petersburg and Richmond to 
Washington, and was present at the grand review May 26, 1865. On the 2d 
of June the Fifty-seventh was ordered to Louisville, Ky. , and subsequently 
proceeded from Louisville to Little Rock, Ark. It was mustered out of 
service at Little Rock August 14, and on the 25th was paid off and dis- 
charged at Tod Barracks, Columbus, Ohio, The names of 1, 594 men are 
on its muster rolls, but of that number only 243 were present to be mus- 
tered out at the close of the war. The remnants of its battle-torn flags at 
Columbus, faded in color, but bright in glorious suggestions of the scenes 
through which they passed, tell the history of this gallant command. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 335 

The officers of the Fifty-seventh Regiment from Hancock County were as 
follows: AVilliam Mungen, appointed lieutenant-colonel September 27, 1861, 
and colonel December 16, 1861; resigned April 16, 1863. Dr. William D. 
Carlin, appointed surgeon May 26, 1862; died December 26, 1862. James 
Wilson, elected captain January 4, 1862; honorably discharged April L2, 
1865. John W. Wheeler, elected first lieutenant January 4, 1862; promoted 
to captain December 31, 1862; honorably discharged March 28, 1864. John 
Adams, elected second lieutenant January 4, 1862; resigned April 27, 1864. 
John B. May, elected captain January 10, 1862; resigned January 30, 1863. 
Daniel Gilbert, elected first lieutenant January 10, 1862; promoted to cap- 
tain January 30, 1863; honorably discharged November 18, 1863. Edmund 
W. Firmin, elected second lieutenant January 10, 1862; promoted to first 
lieutenant January 30, 1863, and. to captain August 16, 1864; declined cap- 
taincy, and was mustered out at expiration of service. Hiram E. Henderson, 
commissioned first lieutenant February 17, 1862; promoted to captain April 
22, 1862; honorably discharged August 31, 1863. Oliver Mungen, com- 
missioned second lieutenant February 17, 1862; promoted to first lieutenant 
April 22, 1862; resigned February 9, 1863. Squire Johnson, promoted to 
second lieutenant August 19, 1862; to first lieutenant May 9, 1864; to cap- 
tain February 10, 1865, and to major August 16, 1865; mustered out with 
regiment. John M. Jordan, promoted to second lieutenant November 27, 
1862, and to first lieutenant May 9, 1864; mustered out at expiration of 
service. Jacob R. Tussing, promoted to first lieutenant December 31, 1862, 
and to captain May 9, 1864; declined captaincy, and was mustered out at 
expiration of service. W. Cramer Good, promoted to second lieutenant 
January 30, 1863, and to first lieutenant May 9, 1864; declined latter pro- 
motion, and was mustered out at expiration of service. James McCauley, 
promoted to first lieutenant January 18, 1865, and to captain August 10, 
1865 ; mustered out with regiment. George Trichler, promoted to first lieu- 
tenant January 18, 1865, and to captain August 10, 1865; mustered out with 
regiment. Jasper T. Rickets, promoted to first lieutenant August 10, 1865; 
mustered out with regiment. Ezra Hipsher and Aaron Glottheart, pro- 
moted to second lieutenancies August 10, 1865, and mustered out with the 
regiment at Little Rock, Ark. All of the foregoing officers are well remem- 
bered, and some of them are yet living in the county. 

The Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was one of the regiments in- 
cluded in the brigade raised at Mansfield. Ohio, by the Hon. John Sherman. 
It was organized at Camp Buckingham, near Mansfield, October 3, 1861, 
and mustered into service on the 1st of December following: One company 
was raised in Hancock County for this regiment, of which Joshua S. Preble 
was captain; Joseph M. Randall, first lieutenant, and John C. Matthias, 
second lieutenant. It was mustered in as Company K, with the foregoing^ 
officers in command. The Sixty-fifth left Mansfield, December 18, 1861, 
for Louisville, Ky. , and was on duty in that State till going to Nashville, 
Tenn., in March, 1862. From Nashville it marched to Savannah; thence by 
steamer to Pittsburg Landing, where it arrived on the afternoon of the 
second day' s fight, but did not become actively engaged. It was under fire 
almost constantly at the siege of Corinth; and upon the evacuation of that 
city by the rebels, was engaged in guarding the Tennessee River, until it 
marched northward in pui-suit of Bragg and the defense of Louisville. The 
regiment soon after returned to Nashville, where the army was reorganized 



336 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

under Gen. Rosecrans. In the advance on Murfreesboro the regiment was hotly- 
engaged at Stone River, losing many of its commissioned officers and men in 
that engagement. In June, 18(38, the Sixty-fifth moved from Murfreesboro to 
the vicinity of Chattanooga, and the following September participated in the 
terrible battle of Chickamauga. It was subsequently engaged in the battle 
of Mission Ridge. During the several battles of the Atlanta campaign 
the reoriment was almost constantly under fire until the evacuation of 
Atlanta, when it went into camp at that city. From Atlanta it moved in 
pursuit of Hood, was engaged at Spring Hill, and took part in the bloody 
battles of Franklin and Nashville, and the subsequent pursuit of the rebel 
army across the Tennessee. From Nashville the Sixty -fifth went to New 
Orleans, and thence to San Antonio, Tex., where it performed garrison duty 
till December 16, 1865, when it was mustered out. It was then ordered to 
Camp Chase, Ohio, where the men were paid off and discharged on the 2d 
of January, 1866. 

The commissioned officers from this county who served in the Sixty- 
fifth were as follows: Joshua S. Preble, elected captain November 17, 
1861 ; resigned April 14, 1862. Joseph M. Randall, elected first lieutenant 
November 17, 1861; promoted to captain October 7, 1862; mustered out 
January 19, 1865. John C. Matthias, elected second lieutenant November 
17, 1861; promoted to first lieutenant May 11, 1862, and to captain Febru- 
ary 20, 1863; resigned November 17, 1864. Christian M. Bush, promoted 
to second -lieutenant March 30, 1863; to first lieutenant June 14, 1864, and 
to captain December 9, 1864; mustered out with regiment. John Kanel, 
promoted to first lieutenant November 26, 1864, and mustered out with the 
regiment at Camp Chase. 

A Company of Independent Sharp-shooters was recruited principally 
from the southern part of Hancock County, in the fall of 1861, and subse- 
quently attached to the Sixty-sixth Illinois Infantry as Company H. It 
participated in the following engagements and skirmishes prior to the At- 
lanta campaign: Tuscumbia, Danville, Rienzi, Blackland, Jumpertown, 
Hatchie River, Boonville and Whiteside's farm. In December, 1863, they 
re-enlisted as veterans, and early in 1864 came home on furlough. They 
returned to the field in time for the Atlanta campaign, and took part in the 
many battles fought around that city. The Sharp-shooters also formed a 
pai-t of Sherman' s army on the ' ' march to the sea, ' ' and served in the cam- 
paign of the Carolinas. They were mustered out at Louisville, Ky. , July 
15, 1865, and paid and discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio. James Wal- 
termire, John Pifer, James Cox and William N. Watson, of Hancock 
County, served as lieutenants in this command, which did much efficient 
service from the date of its organization until the close of the rebellion. 

The Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infayitry was a three-months organ- 
ization, recruited in the spring of 1862, with Columbus as its point of i-en- 
dezvous. Early in June a company of volunteers left Findlay for Camp 
Chase, and were mustered into the Eighty-seventh as Company D. Sam- 
uel Huber and Philip Ford, of Findlay, were respectively captain and 
first lieutenant, the second lieutenant, with a portion of the company, being 
from another county. The chaplain of the regiment. Rev. George D. 
Oviatt, was also from Hancock County. On the 12th of June the regiment 
was ordered to Baltimore, Md. , and went into camp near that city. Toward 
the close of July it repaired to Harper's Ferry, where it remained till the 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 337 

expiration of its term of service. In the meantime the rebels captured tlie 
national forces at this point, but on learning that the Eighty-seventh was 
no longer in the service, the men were released fi-om then- paroles, and the 
regiment sent home and mustered out at Camp Chase, September 20, 1862. 
The Ninety-nmth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized at Camp Lima, 
Allen County, and mustered into service August 26, 1862. Albert Lang- 
worthy, of Findlay, formerly captain in the Forty-ninth Regiment, was 
commissioned as colonel of the Ninety-ninth. The sui-geon. Dr. J. T. 
Woods, was also fi'om this county. Two companies, D and G, were 
recruited in Hancock and mustered in with the following officers: Company 
D, captain, James A. Bope; first lieutenant, James Harsh; second lieutenant, 
William C. Kelley. Company Gr, captain, Oliver P. Capelle; first lieutenant, 
Charles G. Barnd; second lieutenant, Josiah Moorhead. Robert B. Drake, 
of Allen County, recruited quite a number of men fi'om the southwest part 
of this county, who were mustered into Company B. These companies 
began recruiting in July, 1862, and on the 16th of August left Findlay for 
Camp Lima. The regiment left Lima August 31, under orders for Ken- 
tucky, where it did service in the defense of Louisville and subsequent pur- 
suit of Bragg' s army. It then moved to Nashville, Tenn. , and took position 
near that city. The battle of Stone River was its first itevere engagement, 
and its next was Chickamauga. It participated in the capture of Lookout 
Mountain, and on the following day was engaged at Mission Ridge. In 
May, 1864, the Ninety-ninth started on the Atlanta campaign, in which it 
was under fire almost daily, and made a record for bravery and endurance 
highly creditable to its officers and men. On the 1st of October, 1864, the 
brigade to which the Ninety- ninth belonged started in pursuit of Hood on 
his Nashville campaign. For a few weeks it was cut off from communication 
with the main army under Thomas, but December 10 joined the army at 
Nashville and participated in the defeat and pui'suit of Hood. It pursued 
the retreating enemy as far as Columbia, Tenn., where it was consolidated 
with the Fiftieth Ohio Regiment, and the Ninety-ninth ceased to be an 
organization. The regimental colors were forwarded to Gov. Brough, who 
acknowledged their reception in a highly complimentary letter. The officers 
and men of the gallant Ninety -ninth felt deeply chagrined over the consol- 
idation and loss of their regimental^ number, the consolidated commands 
retaining the name of the Fiftieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. But there was 
no redi'ess, and the brave boys of the Ninety-ninth bore the change like 
soldiers — always obedient to the commands of their superior officers. The 
war, however, was now drawing to a close, and the regiment took part in no 
battles after the consolidation. It was mustered out of service at Salisbury, 
N. C. , June 26, 1865, and July 17 arrived at Camp Dennison, Ohio, where 
it was paid and discharged. At the soldiers' reunions held since the war, 
the Ninety- ninth has always appeared under its own regimental number, and 
its veterans do not care to be classed with the Fiftieth. 

The following commissioned officers from Hancock County served in 
these regiments: Albert Langworthy, commissioned colonel August 11, 
1862; dismissed fi'om the service by the Governor of Ohio in September on 
a false charge, and after two years' investigation was acquitted and honor- 
ably discharged, September 4, 1864. Dr. J. T. Woods, appointed surgeon 
August 19, 1862; mustered out with the Fiftieth. Oliver P. Capelle, 
elected captain July 12, 1862; died January 8, 1863, fi'om wounds received 



338 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY, 

at Stone Kiver. James A. Bope, elected captain July 23, 1862; promoted 
to lieutenant-colonel of the Fiftieth April 10, 18(35, and mustered out with 
that regiment. Charles G. Barnd, elected first lieutenant July 10, 1862; 
promoted to captain December 25, 1862; resigned September 27, 1864. 
James Harsh, elected first lieutenant July 23, 1862; resigned November 16, 
1862. William C. Kelley, elected second lieutenant Jiily 23, 1862; 
resigned November 26, 1862. Josiah Moorhead, elected second lieutenant 
August' 7, 1862; promoted to first lieutenant January 8, 1863; mustered 
out with the Fiftieth Regiment. William B. Richards, promoted to second 
lieutenant November 16, 1862; to first lieutenant on the same date, and to 
captain November 3, 1864; transferred to the Fiftieth Regiment as first 
lieutenant and again promoted to captain April 10, 1865; mustered out with 
that regiment. William Zay, promoted to second lieutenant November 16, 
1862, and to first lieutenant November 3, 1864; mustered out with the 
Fiftieth Regiment. Daniel J. McConnell, promoted to second lieutenant 
January 5, 1863, and to first lieutenant November 3, 1864; mustered out 
December 31, 1864. David S. Blakeman, promoted to second lieutenant in 
the Fiftieth April 10, 1865; mustered out with that regiment June 26, 1865. 
The One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized 
at Camp Lima, AHen County, in August and September, 1862. Here it 
was joined September 1 by a company from Hancock County, under the 
command of Capt. Samuel Howai-d; first lieutenant, Darius Pendleton; 
second lieutenant, Milton B. Patterson; was mustered into the regi- 
ment as Company G. Quite a number of men were also recruited in 
this county by Martin L. Higgins, who were mustered into Company K, 
with Higgins as first lieutenant. The regiment left Camp Lima in Septem- 
ber, 1862, for Cincinnati, then threatened by Kirby Smith, where it was 
mustered into the service. It soon afterward moved into central Kentucky, 
and performed much important patrol duty in that State up to the 20th of 
August, 1863, when it set out on the march for east Tennessee, reaching 
Kingston November 10. After the victories of Mission Ridge and Knox- 
ville, the regiment moved to Nashville. On the 29th of December it par- 
ticipated in a brief but stubborn engagement at Mossy Creek, where the 
regiment exhibited great gallantry, losing forty killed and wounded in two 
hours. From this to the beginning of the Atlanta campaign nothing of 
special interest occurred in the fortunes of the One Hundred and Eighteenth. 
Early in May, 1864, the movement on Atlanta commenced, and this regi- 
ment participated in the many victories and final triumphs of that brilliant 
campaign. Upon the fall of Atlanta the regiment joined in the pursuit of 
Hood toward Nashville, took a prominent part in the desperate battle of 
Franklin and was also engaged at Nashville, and in the subsequent pursuit 
of the defeated rebel army as far as Columbia, whence it went to Clifton. 
Here it received orders to proceed to North Carolina, and January 16, 1865, 
the brigade embarked on a steamer for Cincinnati, and there took cars for 
Washington, D. C. From Alexandria it took steamer to Smithville, landed 
and moved immediately on Fort Anderson, which was captured, the One 
Hundred and Eighteenth being the first regiment to plant its colors on the 
walls. It was next engaged at Town Creek, entered Wilmington February 
22, thence proceeded to Kingston and Goldsboro, where, on the 23d of 
March, the brigade joined Sherman's army. The regiment participated in 
the final movements against Johnston, and was mustered out at Salisbury, 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. dd9 

N. C, June 24, 1865. It arrived at Cleveland, Ohio, July 2, and seven 
days after the command received its final discharge and returned to their 
homes. 

The following citizens of Hancock County served as commissioned offi- 
cers in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment: Samuel Howard, elected 
captain, August 16, 1862; resigned April 1, 1864. Darius Pendleton, 
elected first lieutenant, August 16, 1862; resigned April 19, 1863. Milton 
B. Patterson, elected second lieutenant, August 16, 1862, promoted to first 
lieutenant, April 17, 1863; honorably discharged, May 24, 1865. Martin L. 
Higgins, elected first lieutenant, July 23, 1862; resigned, March 24, 1863; 
John Eckels, promoted to second lieutenant, April 17, 1863; died, July 1, 
1864. Joel Eckels, promoted to second lieutenant, February 1, 1864, and 
to first lieutenant, October 12, 1864; mustered out with the regiment. 

In September, 1862, the threatened invasion of Cincinnati by the rebels 
under Gen. Kirby Smith, brought out a call fi'om the Governor of Ohio for 
the citizens of the State to come to the rescue. About 250 men from Han- 
cock County responded to the call. As these volunteers were equipped 
with all sorts of fire-arms, they became ofiicially known as the ' ' Squirrel 
Hunters. ' ' The timely arrival of these patriots from every portion of the 
State, doubtless averted the invasion and saved Cincinnati, and ere the 
thirty days for which they were called out had expired most of them had 
returned to their homes. ^ Theirs, it is true, was a bloodless victory, but the 
' ' Squirrel Hunters ' ' of Ohio nevertheless deserve credit for their prompt 
and patriotic response when danger threatened their State. 

The First Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery had one company (L ) from * 
this county, commanded by Capt. Joshua S. Preble; first lieutenant, Eben- 
ezer Wilson, and second lieutenant, John Foreman. The One Hundred and 
Seventeenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry formed the nucleus of this regiraent, 
being changed fi'om infantry to artillery by an order issued from the war 
department May 2, 1863. During its recruitment it was engaged in con- 
structing fortifications around Covington and Newport, Ky. , for the protec- 
tion of Cincinnati. The reorganization was completed August 12, 1863, 
and the regiment remained in Kentucky till early in 1864, when it was 
ordered to Knoxville, Tenn. Throughout the year 1864 and the winter of 
1864-65, the regiment was almost constantly engaged on expeditions against 
the rebel cavalry infesting east Tennessee and North Carolina. In the 
spring of 1865, the brigade to which this regiment then belonged moved 
toward Virginia and North Carolina, and continued to guard the mountain 
passes until the surrender of Lee and Johnston. It soon afterward returned 
to Greenville, Tenn., where the regiment camped till July 15. when it 
started homeward, and on the 25th of July was mustered out at Knoxville, 
Tenn. It was paid and discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, August 1, 
1865. All of the officers from this county served until the close of the war. 
The Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry was recruited during September and 
October, 1863, and mustered into the service at Camp Taylor, near Cleve- 
land, November 24, following. Most of Company G was raised in Hancock 
County, by Alexander A. Monroe and Eli N. Flaisig, who became respect- 
ively captain and second lieutenant of that company. In November one-half 
the regiment was sent to Johnson' s Island, where it was engaged in doing 
guard duty during the winter of 1863-64. In the spring of the latter year 
the reo-iment moved from Camp Dennison, where it was mounted, armed and 



340 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

equipped, to Louisville, Ky. ; thence to Lexington and Mt. Sterling. In 
May, 1864, it foi*med a portion of the command that started on the first Saltville. 
Tenn., raid, but eight days afterward the Twelfth retvu'ned in pursuit of 
Morgan, who was making a raid into Kentiicky. The rebels under Morgan 
were encountered at Mt. Sterling and Cynthiana, and scattered in every 
direction, the regiment pursuing the fleeing enemy for three days. It soon 
afterward came up with another guerrilla band at Lebanon, and completely 
routed it. In September the Twelfth started on a second raid to Salt- 
ville, where the regiment was engaged in some hard fighting. On the third 
raid to Saltville the rebels, after forty hours' fighting, were defeated at 
eveiy point, and the salt works and immense quantities of stores, etc. , sub- 
sequently captured and destroyed. In the spring of 1865 the regiment 
formed a part of Gen. Stoneman's raiding expedition into North Carolina, 
thence through South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, aiding in the capture 
of Jefferson Davis, and capturing the rebel generals, Bragg and Wheeler, 
\^ith their escorts. The regiment was then sent into Tennessee, the several 
companies being scattered over that State enforcing law and order, and 
finally rendezvousing at Nashville, where it was mustered out November 14, 
1865. Proceeding to Camp Chase, Ohio, it was there paid and discharged, 
after two years of incessant service. Capt. Mom'oe was promoted from this 
regiment as major of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Colored Infantry, 
and Lieut. Flaisig was discharged February 26, 1864. These were the only 
commissioned officers fi'om Hancock County who went out in the Twelfth 
Ohio Cavalry. 

The Ohio National Guards were called out for 100 days' service April 
24, 1864. There were four companies forming the Fifty-eighth Battalion 
in Hancock County, viz. : A, B, C and D, all of which reported at Camp 
Chase May 5, 1864. The following day they were mustered into three 
diff'erent regiments. Company A was taken into the One Hundi-ed and 
Sixty-first Regiment, George Foreman, captain; Henry B. Green, second 
lieutenant. Companies B and D were consolidated with the One Hundred 
and Thirty-third Regiment, James Waltermire, John Romick and Robert 
S. Boyles being mustered in as first lieutenants, and Jefferson H. Darrah 
and William H. Zarbaugh, second lieutenants. Company C was consoli- 
dated with the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth regiment, and its men dis- 
tributed among several companies of that command, its captain, Samuel 
Biggs, subsequently becoming first lieutenant through the resignation of 
another officer. The remaining officers of the Fifty-eighth Battalion, who 
were thus knocked out of their positions, either returned home or went into 
the ranks, except Rev. Jacob B. Dunn, who was api:>ointed chaplain of the 
regiment. Considerable feeling was manifested at the time, and much dis- 
satisfaction afterward existed among the companies from this county be- 
cause of their separation; but they were forced to submit to the orders of 
the higher authorities, and soon became reconciled to their position. 

The One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment (O. N. G.) was mustered 
in at Camp Chase, May 6, 1864, and immediately ordered into West Vir- 
ginia, where it remained on duty till June 7, when it proceeded to Wash- 
ington, D. C, and thence to 'Bermuda Hundi-ed. On the 17th of July the 
regiment embarked for Fort Powhattan, on the James River. Here it was 
employed in various important duties until August 10, when it returned to 
Washington, and thence to Camp Chase, where it was mustered out of service 
August 20, 1864. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 341 

The One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment (O. N. G. ) was mustered 
into the service at Camp Chase, May 6, 1864, and the next day moved for 
Cumberland, Va. On the 0th of June it started to Washington, D. C, 
and thence proceeded to White House, on the Pamunkey River, but on its 
arrival was at once ordered to City Point. The regiment had its first and 
only engagement with the rebels at Port Walthall during the assault on 
Petersbui-g, where the men displayed admirable coolness under fire. For 
seventy days the regiment formed a portion of the advanced lines operating 
on Richmond, and was engaged in intrenching and picket duty. Its term 
of service having expired, it returned to Camp Chase, where it was mus- 
tered out August 81, 1864. 

The One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment (O. N. G. ) was mustered 
into the service at Camp Chase, May 9, 1864, and left on the same day for 
Cumberland, Md. It soon afterward moved to Martinsbm-g, W. Va., and 
early in June a part of the regiment was sent up to the Shenandoah Valley 
with the supply train to Hunter' s army. After tiu-ning over the supplies 
the detachment returned to Martinsburg, bringing back safely a long 
wagon train, many sick and wounded from the army, and several hundred 
prisoners and contrabands, the entire distance marched being nearly 500 
miles. From Martinsburg the regiment fell back to Maryland Heights, 
where skirmishing with the enemy commenced and continued two days. It 
assisted in defending the Heights until the rebels were di'iven from the 
Shenandoah Valley. On the 25th of August, 1864, the regiment was 
ordered to Ohio, and mustered out at Camp Chase on the 2d of Septem- 
ber following. 

The One Hundred and Ninety-Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry was 
organized at Camp Chase, March 10, 1865. Moses Louthan and Jefferson 
H. Darrah, of Hancock County, having each recruited in this county nearly 
a company of men for the One Hundred and Ninety- second, were re- 
spectively elected caj^tain of Company H and I. On the 12th of March, 
1865, the regiment left for the front and were first stationed near Harper' s 
Ferry, Va. The regiment was engaged in picket duty near Harper's Ferry 
and on the Shenandoah River, subsequently moving to the vicinity of Win- 
chester, Va. Upon the surrender of Lee the regiment moved to Stevenson 
Station; thence to Jordan Springs, and afterward encamped at Reed's Hill 
above Winchester, until ordered to be mustered out, which occurred at 
Winchester, September 1, 1865. It arrived at Columbus, Ohio, two days 
afterward, and on the 6th of September was paid and discharged at Camp 
Chase. Though the end of the war, coming soon after this regiment took 
the field, cut it off from much active service, it nevertheless stood high for 
drill, discipline and efficiency, and many of its men were scaiTed veterans 
who had faced the enemy on many a well contested battle-field. 

The foregoing commands are those wherein the soldiers from Hancock 
County mainly served; but several additional regiments from Ohio and 
other States contained some Hancock County boys. In fact she was repre- 
sented in every arm of the service, and her gallant sons did honor to their 
country on many a bloody field. Among others from Hancock, who served 
as commissioned officers in commands not previously mentioned, were \he> 
following: Dr. Samuel S. Mills, surgeon of the Fourth Michigan Artillery; 
Lieut. John T. Carlin served in the Eighty-second Regiment, and also on 
Gen. Sigel's staff; Abraham F. McCurdy and. Nat W\ Filkin, each served 



342 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

as captain and major of the Tenth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, which also con- 
tained a few men from this county. But it is not the intention here to follow 
the fortunes of these outside commands, as the history of Hancock County 
in the war is set forth in the sketches of those regiments wherein the great 
majority of her soldiers fought — hundreds of them laying down their lives 
that a free and united nation might live. 

Up to September 1, 1862, the number of volunteers from this county by 
townships, as returned by the assessors, was as follows: Allen, 65; 
Amanda, 16; Big Lick, 47; Blanchard, 100; Cass, 46; Delaware, 74; Eagle, 
50; Findlay, 247; Jackson, 51; Liberty, 63; Madison. 59; Marion, 44; 
Orange, 61; Pleasant 70; Portage, 42; Union, 93; Van Buren, 31; Wash- 
ington, 101; total, 1,260. Under all of the subsequent calls each town- 
ship had to furnish a certain designated number of men, and the county 
always filled her quota, though the draft had finally to be resorted to dur- 
ing the later stages of the war, as men were then so scarce that even large 
bounties failed to fill up the quotas of the several townships. Including 
every branch of the service, Hancock County furnished to the Union cause 
nearly 3,000 as brave men as ever carried a musket, and about two-thirds of 
that number served throughout the greater portion of the war. Her sol- 
diers displayed a spirit of valor unsurpassed in history, while their courage, 
fortitude and self-sacrifice were worthy of the glorious cause for which they 
fought. 

From 1861 to 1865 the local woi-k at home of encouraging enlistments 
and assisting the families of soldiers went steadily on. In June, 1862, the 
county commissioners passed an act allowing each dependent wife or parent 
of volunteers $8 per month, and each child under fifteen years of age $2 
per month. The following September the monthly allowance of wife or 
parent was fixed at $4. Relief was afforded only to the families of non- 
commissioned officers and privates, and then only in cases of actual neces- 
sity. In February, 1862, the General Assembly passed an act for the relief 
of families of volunteers, by which a tax was levied on all taxable property, 
and a larger, more thorough and systematic relief was afforded. Under this 
act $38,070 were expended by the county among the families of soldiers dur- 
ing the years 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865; and fi-om that time until February, 
1868, when the last order was redeemed, $8,503 additional were paid out. 

In October, 1861, a "Military Committee" was appointed in this county, 
consisting of Edson Goit, James A. Bope, J. S. Patterson. J. B. Roth- 
child and J. F. Perkey. A thorough military organization of the county 
was effected, and sub-comniittees appointed in each township to aid and en- 
courage volunteering, and solicit contributions of underclothing, etc., for 
the "boys" in the field. The military committee appointed in this county in 
1862, was Edson Goit, James A. Bope, W. G. Baker and Joel Markle; and 
in 1864 it was Henry Brown, Edson Goit, J. B. Rothchild, J. S. Patterson 
and J. F. Perkey. In every county of the State these committees did a 
noble work, and for their untiring efforts to sustain the Government and 
comfort its brave soldiers during the darkest period of the war deserve the 
highest praise. The soldiers' aid societies were among the most popular 
and efficient local institutions of the covinty, and the ladies of these societies did 
a great deal of good in gathering and forwarding sanitary supplies to hos- 
pital and camp. In fact the patriotic women of the county did their full 
share toward crushing the. mightiest rebellion in the history of the 
world. 



^J^^i 




'^t,^ (PiLJl:^ 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 345 

When the news that Richmond was captured spread over the county, it 
created the most intense excitement, but it was one of joy. Bell-ringing, 
hand-shaking and congratulations were the order of the day. The citizens 
turned out en masse ; bonfires were lighted in every town and village, and 
an undercurrent of deep thankfulness pervaded the entire community.' All 
hailed the good news as a harbinger of peace, and happiness filled every 
loyal heart. With the fall of the rebel capital the war was comparatively 
at an end; and, though Lee struggled bravely to save his army from the iron 
grasp of Grant, its fate was sealed. On the 9th of April, 1865, he surren- 
dered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, and nine days afterward John- 
ston gave up his army to Sherman. Throughout the North the news of these 
glorious successes of the Union arms was received with unbounded enthu- 
siasm, and heartfelt prayers were offered to the God of battles, who in His 
infinite mercy had vouchsafed such a brilliant ending to the long tiu-moil of 
civil strife. After four years of bloody war— after the sacrifice of hundreds 
of thousands of gallant men and millions of treasure, the great rebellion 
was at an end, the Government preserved, and freedom perpetuated 

The following poem, found by the writer, uncredited, in one of the local 
papers of Fmdlay, aptly illustrates the feeling of the people at the close of 
the war: 

VICTORY. 

When G(xl gave us Richmond, and victory o'er Lee 

The dark clouds of war, lilve a scroll, rolled away' 
Peace shed her bright halo o'er land and o'er sea 

And ushered the glory of freedom's glad day. 

Thrill the heart with such joy as the ransomed may feel' 

Fhng aloft the proud flag in its radiant light. 
From steeple and turret, from mountain top, peal 

The tidings of victory, the triumph of right. 

But there steals through the sound of thanksgiving and praise 

A low wail of anguish for brave hearts at rest; 
Their blood was the purchase that Liberty gave, 

That this may henceforth be the land of the blest. 

Lift the flag of the free to the azure above, 

Let the nation rejoice in the victory won; 
Bear the message, ye angels, on swift wings of love, 

A Republic redeemed by the blood of her sons. 

According to previous announcement a grand celebration was held at 
Findlay, April 14, 18()o, to rejoice over the dawn of a glorious peace. The 
day was bright and cheerful, and nature seemed to smile on the exalted 
happiness of the people. The exercises commenced at 6 o'clock in the morn- 
ing with the ringing of bells, and the firing of a salute of thirty-six guns. 
As the day wore on crowds of people came pouring into Findlay. At 10 
o'clock services were held in several of the churches, and shortly after noon 
a large audience gathered at the Court House where appropriate addresses 
were delivered by Revs. Rose and Wykes. In the evening there was a fine dis- 
play of fireworks, and every business house, as well as many of the private 
dwellings, was brilliantly illuminated. This jov, however, was destined to 
be short-lived, and suddenly changed to deep mourning. About 10 o'clock 
on the following morning the news of President Lincoln's assassination 
reached Findlay, and fell like a pall on the hearts of its citizens. Every 
one was horror-stricken at the awful deed, and never was there so much 



346 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

feeling manifested by the true and loyal hearts of Hancock County. In a 
short time all of the business houses were closed and draped in mourning, 
and the flags dressed in crape and raised at half mast. In the afternoon a 
public meeting was held at the Court House to express the sentiments of the 
people on the assassination of the President, and deep gloom filled every 
honest heart. The Jeffersonian fully expressed in the following poem the 
deep feeling of the people throughout the coiinty at that time: 

APEIL 15, 1805. 

Toll the slow bells ! fire the minute guns! 

Let rain-drenched flags at half-mast droop! 
This grief a nation's great heart stuns, 

Beneath this burden strong men stoop. 

Hang mourning emblems o'er the walls 

So lately winged with banners gay! 
He saved our flag from treason's thralls, 

"Who slain by traitors lies to-day. 

Let wailing fife and muflied drum 

Make moan as for a hero dead! 
But, oh! our deepest grief is dumb. 

Our bitterest tears congeal unshed. 

We loved him; and the traitors live 
Who forged the bolt that struck him down! 

"Tis not for us to say, "Forgive," 
When Lincoln's blood cries from the ground. 

Lincoln, who stood so far above 

These war-clouds that his great heart felt 
Even for the South a yearning love, 

Which must at least' e'en rebels melt. 

Oh! by the love he bore our land, 

By these four years of toil for us, 
By all he was, so good, so grand, 

Our hearts cry out for vengeance just. 

Soon after the war ended, the Union armies were discharged and re- 
turned to their homes, and once more joy reigned supreme around hundreds 
of firesides in Hancock County. Orators, joui'nalists and historians have re- 
corded the numerous well- contested battles, campaigns and marches of these 
great armies, and their wonderful achievements are enshrined upon the 
choicest pages of American poetry and eloquence. The spirit of patriotism 
that caused them to enlist, that sustained them through the trials and perils 
of the war, now pervades and radiates from all the institutions of the land, 
and is felt in every patriotic heart. To the survivors has been vouchsafed 
the blessing to witness the grand results of all their sacrifices, in a re- 
united country pursuing a common destiny under a government offering 
equal rights to all, while the name and fame of those who have fallen either 
on the battlefield or in the line of duty, have been commemorated through 
the pages of history and on the beautiful monuments of marble and bronze 
prominent in city, town and village all over this broad land. 



ALLEN TOWNSHIP. . 347 



CHAPTER X. 

ALLEN TOWNSHIP. 

Erection, Name, Area, Population and Boundaries— Wildcat Thicket — 
Streams, Topography and Soil — Pioneers — First Marriage and 
Death— The Burman and Ensminger Mills— Killing of John Gilchrist 
AND Son— First Electors— Justices— Early Schools— Churches— Vil- 
lages— Van BUREN and STUARTVILLE. 

THIS township was the last one organized in Hancock County, being 
erected in Jnne. 1850, fi'om territory previously embraced in Cass and 
Portage Townships, taking twelve sections from each. It was named in 
honor of Gen. Ethan Allen, of revolutionary fame, and contains an area of 
twenty-four square miles, or 15,360 acres. The official census of 1850 
gave Allen a population of 869; 1860, 1,009; 1870, 969, and 1880, 1,025. 
The west half of the township lies in Township 2 north, Range 10, and the 
east half in Range 11. Allen is bounded on the north by Wood County, on 
the east by Cass Township, on the south by Findlay Township, and on the 
west by Portage Township. 

When the first settlers built their cabins in this portion of the county,, 
the original forest was unbroken by a single clearing, unless the almost im- 
penetrable tract called "Wildcat Thicket" could be so named. This was a 
strip of fallen timber extending across the township from west to east, and 
covered with a dense undergrowth, where wild animals of every sort took 
refuge. The forest had evidently been blown down by a hurricane from 
the west long prior to the coming of the whites, and bushes and vines of 
every sort covered the decaying timber like a perfect network of defense. 

The Middle Branch of Portage River flows in from Cass, and winds 
across the northwest portion of Allen Township; while the east fork of 
Ten Mile Creek di'ains the southwest corner westward into Portage. The 
southeast corner of the township is di'ained by a small branch of the Blanch- 
ard. Along the Middle Branch the surface is somewhat broken, and back 
from that stream may be termed elevated and rolling. The " Wildcat 
Thicket" was originally low and wet, but the removal of the fallen trees and 
judicious drainage has reclaimed the greater part of this tract. A sand and 
gravel belt, known as Sugar Ridge, crosses the north half of the town- 
ship in a southwest direction, Van Buren being on the summit of the ridge.' 
South of this ridge the soil is generally a mixture of sand and clay, while 
north of it a black, sandy loam prevails. 

Pioneers. — Nathan Frakes was the first settler in this township. In 
1827 he purchased of John Gardner the west half of the northeast quarter 
of Section 13, Township 2 north. Range 10 (entered by the latt^' in 1826), 
upon which he at once erected a small log-cabin. Frakes settled in Madi- 
son County, Ohio, prior to the organization of that county in 1810. He 
was there known as one of the ' 'fighting men' ' of the county, and his name 



348 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

figures in one or more assault and battery cases at nearly every term of 
court held during the first years of that county's history. He subsequently 
removed to Logan County, where he bore the same reputation, and kept it 
up after settling in Hancock, voting and fighting at the first county elec- 
tion, in April, 1828. As a good illustration of his character at this period, 
the following anecdote is told by one of the pioneers who knew him well: 
"A man named Enochs, who lived in Logan County, was one of the con- 
tractors in opening the Bellefontaine road, and Frakes worked for him. 
Enochs became afflicted with a strange and apparently incurable malady. 
He was not a good man by any means, and one night, believing his end 
was nigh, and possessing little of that religious spirit necessary on such oc- 
casions, requested Frakes to pray for him. Nathan swore he could not 
pray for himself, and roughly told Enochs to do his own praying. The lat- 
ter finally concluded to make the attempt, and in a self-important manner 
began: 'Oh! Lord, what have I done that Thou persecutest me so?' when 

Frakes, looking at him in unfeigned disgust, blurted out, 'That' s a d d 

nice way to pray! What the h — 11 is it that you haint done, I would like 
to know!' " 

Frakes sold his improvement in Section 13 to Isaac Miller December 
13, 1828, and in June, 1829, entered the west half of the southeast quarter 
of Section 12, upon which he had previously erected a cabin, with the in- 
tention of entering the land. On the 11th of June, 1830, he sold this 
tract to Elias L. Bryan, and removed to a farm of 115 acres in the south- 
east quarter of Section 10, Township 1 north. Range 10, now a part of the 
Infirmary Farm, which he had bought of Joseph Eversole, of Fairfield 
County, in January, 1830. Here he resided till his death, he dying about five 
years afterward, leaving a large family of children. His wife, Susannah, 
was an ardent Methodist, and constantly deplored her husband's combat- 
iveness. Finally Frakes met his match, being badly worsted in a rough- 
and-tumble fight with Josiah Elder, of Delaware Township. Going home 
considerably crestfallen over his defeat, he exclaimed: "Susy! Nathan has 
been whipped; I'll now join a temperance society, and also the church!" 
He kept his word, and ever afterward was a very peaceably inclined citizen. 
He was a large, muscular man, and bore the marks of many a savage en- 
counter, possessing not a perfect finger on either hand. 

Isaac Miller was the second pioneer of what is now Allen Township, 
coming in the fall of 1828. In December, 1828, he purchased the west 
half of the northeast quarter of Section 13, of Nathan Frakes, who had 
bought it of John Gardner. Miller died here early in 1830, and his family 
soon removed from the county. 

Elias L. Bryan came in 1829, and built his cabin on the east half of the 
southeast quarter of Section 12, which he entered November 9th, of 
. that year. In June, 1830, he bought out Nathan Frakes, who removed to 
his farm on the Blanchard, Bryan taking possession of the Frakes cabin. 
Bryan subsequently read medicine under Dr. Fisher, of Arcadia, and prac- 
ticed the healing art in this township. He finally left the county, but at 
what time or where he went is not remembered. The cabins of Frakes, 
Miller and Bryan stood but a short distance apart, and there are few now liv- 
ing who personally remember their locations. 

The sons of John Trout claim that he came to Hancock County in the 
summer of 1828, selected land and built a double-log cabin on the site of 



ALLEN TOWNSHIP. 349 

Van Buren, and then returned to Perry County for his family, whom he 
brought out in December, 1828. The book of entries shows that John Trout 
entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 13, Town 2 north, 
Kange 10, September 1, 1829, and the west half of the southwest quarter 
of Section 7, Town 2 north, Range 11, June 2, 1830. It is therefore 
opined that Mr. Trout did not settle on the site of Van Buren until 
December, 1829, as his first entry in this county was not made till Septem- 
ber of that year. He was a native of Pennsylvania, whence he removed to 
Perry County, Ohio, where he married Miss Eleanor Skinner. Leaving 
Somerset November 12th, the family did not reach the little settlement on 
the Middle Branch of Portage River till December 14, 1829, and on the fol- 
lowing day Mr. Trout took possession of his cabin. The trip was long and 
arduous, and well calculated to discourage the stoutest heart. Fording 
swamp, stream and river, and being compelled at times to cut their way 
through forest and thicket, the sturdy parents with their five children, Eliza, 
Ephraim, John S., George W. and Philip, trudged many a weary mile ere 
reaching their destination. Eliza afterward mari'ied Elisha Beeson, which 
was the first marriage in the settlement; while the first death was that of 
Cornelius, her youngest brother. Mr. Trout served in the war of 1812, and 
in early life followed the potter's trade. In 1833 he and George Ensminger 
laid out the village of Van Buren iipon their land. Both he and his wife died 
in this township, and of their children but two survive: Ephraim, the oldest 
living pioneer of Allen, and John S. , a resident of Liberty Township. 

John Burman settled in Section 17, in April, 1831, and there resided 
till his death April 7, 1864, his widow surviving him until February 4, 1871. 
Mr. Burman was born in Northampton County, Penn. , April 8, 1784. Re- 
moving to Fairfield County, Ohio, he was there married in 1813, to Miss 
Catherine Fisher, a native of Berks County, Penn., born November 16, 
1796. He served in the war of 1812, and followed the gunsmith trade until 
coming to this county. In 1835-36 he erected a grist-mill on Portage Creek, 
but on account of low water it ran only at intervals. Mr. Burman was a worthy 
citizen of the'county for thirty-three years, and left a family of seven sons and 
two daughters, only one of whom, Adam, resides in this county, he being 
now proprietor of the hotel at Van Buren. 

Christian and Rebecca (Skinner) Barnd, with four sons (Jacob, Adna F., 
Elijah and Gamaliel C.) and four daughters, came from Perry County, Ohio, 
in 1831, and took possession of the cabin in Section 13 previously occupied 
by Isaac Miller. Mr. Barnd was a native of Germany, and his wife of 
Pennsylvania. They were married in Somerset County, Penn. , and subse- 
quently removed to Perry County, Ohio, whence they came to this township. 
On the 27th of June, 1831, he entered the east half of the southeast quarter 
of Section 13, and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 18, 
now mostly owned by his son, John. In 1832 Christian Barnd and family 
removed to Findlay, where he and his wife spent the balance of their lives. 
He was a saddler and tanner, and earned on a tannery in Findlay for many 
years. He also served as sheriff of Hancock County for two terms, and was 
one of the progressive men of his day. Three of his sons have filled county 
ofiices. Jacob was prosecuting attorney a short period, and recorder two terms ; 
Elijah was auditor two terms; while Gamaliel C. served three years as asso- 
ciate judge, and two terms as probate judge. The eldest son, John, has 
filled the office of justice of the peace in Allen Township for thirty years. 



350 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

It will thus be seen that this pioneer family has been pretty well honored 
by their adopted county. 

The year 1832 brought in quite a large number of settlers, among whom 
we find John Barnd, George Ensminger, Michael Ensminger, Charles 
Baker, Hugh Gilchrist and Peter Hockenberry. Mr. Barnd was born in 
Somerset County, Penn., December 30, 1808, removed to Perry Covinty, 
Ohio, with his parents, there grew to manhood and married Miss Sarah 
Garlinger, and in 1832 came to this township. He located on the east half 
of the southeast quarter of Section 13, where he has ever since resided. 
Mr. Barnd was the first justice elected for Allen Township, and served con- 
tinuously in that office fi'om 1850 to 1880. He reared a family of eleven 
childi'en, ten of whom are living. His wife died March 29, 1884, after a 
happy married life of more than half a century. Squire Barnd is one of 
the few living pioneers to whom the writer is indebted for mxich important 
information relating to early events in this portion of the State. 

George Ensminger settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Sec- 
tion 12, while his son, Michael, located on the northwest quarter of Section 7. 
They came from Wayne County, Ohio, in 1832, and the following year the 
former and John Trout laid out Van Buren. In 1836-37 George Ensmin- 
ger built a saw-mill on Portage Creek, which proved a useful appendage to 
the settlement. He reared a large family, and both he and his wife died 
upon the old homestead. None of the childi'en are residents of this county. 
Charles Baker, of Fairfield County, Ohio, built his cabin on the northeast 
quarter of Section "8, in 1832, where he died. The widow and family went 
back to Fairfield County, whence in after years one of the sons, George A. , 
returned and occupied the old farm. Hugh Gilchrist took up his residence 
the same year on the northwest quarter of Section 13, and there resided till 
his death. The family went West soon after this event. Peter Hocken- 
berry was a noted hunter, who located on the northwest quarter of Section 
19, in 1832. He subsequently removed into what is now Portage Township, 
thence to Hemy County, but afterward returned and died in Hancock. He, 
farmed very little, most of his time being devoted to the chase. 

In 1833 Isaac Weisel, David Dorsey, Peter Heller and Henry Rader 
located in the township. The first two mentioned were brothers-in-law, Mr. 
Weisel having married Jane Dorsey, and both were natives of Pennsylvania. 
Weisel settled on the southeast quarter of Section 2, where both he and his 
wife died in 1878 or 1879. They were the parents of ten childi-en, six of 
whom survive. David and Rosanna Dorsey came from Bedford County, 
Penn. , in October, 1833, and located near the site of Van Buren in Section 
18 in what was then Cass Township. Here Allen, now a resident of the 
township, was born in February, 1834, being one of the first births in the 
settlement. In 1835 David was elected justice of Cass Township, and re- 
elected to the same position. He reared a family of seven children, four of 
whom survive, Allen and Cordelia being residents of the township, where 
both the father and mother died. Peter Heller, of Wayne County, Ohio, 
settled on the southeast quarter of Section 25, in 1833, and the same year 
was elected justice of Portage Township, and re-elected in 1836. He finally 
sold his farm, and removed to Indiana. Henry Rader, a native of A'^irginia, 
settled in 1833 on Section 13, where his son, Adam, now lives. Both he 
and his wife died in this township. 

Daniel Warner, John Gilchrist, Christopher Ernsperger, William Dor- 



ALLEN TOWNSHIP. 351 

sey and Isaac Wolf are believed to have settled here in 1833-34. The first 
mentioned located in Section 14, in February, 1834, and there a son, Dan- 
iel C. , was born the following November. Mr. Warner died at the home of 
this son in Portage Township, in 1881. John Gilchrist located per- 
manently near his brother Hugh in 1834, though he was in the county and 
voted in October, 1831. Soon after coming the Gilchrists went out one 
night "coon" hunting, and treed a "coon" about a mile and a half northwest 
of Van Buren. It became necessary to fell the tree, which, in falling, brought 
down another, the latter striking and killing the twelve-year old son of 
John Gilchrist, and injuring the father so badly that he died two days after 
the unfortunate occurrence, leaving a wife and five small children! Chris- 
topher Ernsperger was a son-in-law of George Ensminger, and came about 
two years after the latter. He subsequently removed from the county. 
William Dorsey came to the county about the same time as his brother 
David, or soon afterward. He is still a resident of the township. Isaac 
Wolf settled in Section 25, where he resided until his death. Two of his 
sons, David and John, are living in the county, the former in Findlay. 

James Moorhead, of Stark County, Ohio, built his cabin on the southwest 
quarter of Section 26, in 1835. His wife, Agnes, died there, and he mar- 
ried again. He reared a large family, and now makes his home with his 
daughter in Eagle Township. John Raney settled in Section 23 in 1835, 
but soon moved away. Josiah Moorhead came in 1836, and settled in Sec- 
tion 36. Cyi-us Hart also located here in 1836, and Abraham Kempher, 
John Beeson and Samuel Huntington in 1837. John Hardy moved in from 
Cass Township in 1837, and resided here till his death, in 1860. He was 
one of the pioneer school teachers of the township, and for more than 
twenty-five years taught during the winter seasons. He was a member of 
the Methodist Church after his marriage with Martha Orr, in 1822, and set- 
tled in what is now Cass Township in 1833, whence he removed to Portage 
(now Allen) four years afterward. Mr. Hardy was the father of five chil- 
dren, two of whom are residents of the county. His widow died in 1866. 
Others may have come in i^rior to 1837, but if so, careful research has failed 
to discover their names. 

First Electors. — At the organization of Cass and Portage Townships in 
April, 1833, each embraced half of what is now Allen Township, and Squire 
John Barnd says that the following list includes all of the voters then liv- 
ing inside of the boundaries of the latter subdivision: Elias L. Bryan, John 
Trout, John Burman, John Barnd, Hugh Gilchrist, Charles Baker, Peter 
Hockenberry, George Ensminger, Michael Ensminger, James Wiley and 
James Howard. The last two mentioned never settled in the township, but 
were staying here temporarily at that time, and were allowed to vote. 

Justices.— John Barnd (fi'om 1850 to 1880), W. L. Heller, J. W. Mc- 
Caughey, Philip Burman, Robert Thornburg, G. W. Barnd, John H. Spit- 
ler and Thomas Briggs. The last two mentioned are the present incumbents 
of the office. 

Early Schools. — The first schoolhouse in this township was a small log 
structure built in 1836, on the section line immediately west of the present 
building on the farm of Peter Whetstone. It stood in the center of the 
road now occupying the section line between 13 and 14, and was built of 
round logs, covered with a clapboard roof, had greased paper windows and 
a huge fireplace in one end. The Bryans, Trouts, Burmans, Ensmingers, 



352 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Barnds, Gilchrists, Warners and Raders attended this school, which was 
the only one in the settlement for several years, excepting one on the farm 
of James Moorhead. which was also opened at an early day. The pupils 
attending the latter, however, were principally from what is now Portage 
Township, and the pioneers of Allen scarcely remember it. With the 
growth of population more schoolhonses became a necessity, and from time 
to time districts were organized and schools opened. There are now nine 
good school buildings in Allen, that in Van Buren having two rooms. 

Churches. — The two Presbyterian societies — Pleasant Hill and Ebenezer 
— organized in Portage and Cass Townships, respectively, united Septem- 
ber 1, 1848, as West Union Church of Yan Buren, and put up a frame 
building in Van Buren, about 1855, which was the first church erected in 
the township. The Presbyterians of this vicinity have since generally at- 
tended services here. The old building has been replaced by a substantial 
brick one, more in harmony with the times. Rev. George Van Eman was the 
earliest pastor of this congregation, which embraced many of the pioneers 
previously spoken of in this chapter, besides those in Portage and Cass. 
The old fi-ame is now used as a dwelling. The Baptist Church in Van 
Buren is the lineal successor of the society organized at the cabin of Merri- 
man Price, on Ten Mile Creek, about 1836, though reorganized at Henry 
Rader's in 1855. Meetings were held at the houses of members until the 
erection of the present building in Van Buren, which has since been used. 
The United Brethren erected their church in Van Buren in 1868, while the 
German Lutheran and Reformed denominations purchased and fitted up 
the old frame schoolhouse in Van Buren. These are the only churches in 
the township, and most of them have good-sized congregations. 

Villages. — Van Buren was laid out December 28, 1833, by George Ens- 
minger and John Trout, on Sections 12 and 13, Range 10, and 7 and 18, 
Range 11, and originally comprised fifty-three lots surrounding a public 
square. It was named in honor of Martin Van Buren, who at that time was 
one of the eminent public men of the nation. Several buildings were put up 
at once, and for a time the little village became quite a busy point; but after 
a season of prosperity its growth came to a standstill, and it has never got 
further than a small country town. A postoflfice was established in the 
village in 1837, and the following postmasters have held the office: Dr. 
George Springer, John Zarbaugh, S. M. Heller, C. S. Wilkinson, Lewis 
Michaels, Dr. E. C. Wells, Daniel Friek, L. J. Hissoiig, Solomon Zar- 
baugh, H. C. Hartman, John Lee and Mrs. E. Wells. In June, 1866, 
Van Buren was incorporated, and Daniel Frick elected mayor. His suc- 
cessors have been C. S. Wilkinson, J. H. Loehr, Dr. E. C. Wells, Dr. Ed- 
ward George, Abraham Mummert, L. P. McCune and Abraham Mummert. 
The town lies seven miles north of Findlay, on the Toledo. Columbus & 
Southern Railroad, which was completed through Van Buren in the winter 
of 1882-83. Its business interests consist of two general dry goods and 
gi-ocery stores, a shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, a steam 
saw-mill, a produce dealer, a hotel, a saloon and one physician — Dr. Ed- 
ward George. A steam grist-mill was built in Van Biu'en many years ago, 
but it has been abandoned about seven years, and the deserted building is 
all that is left of its past usefulness. In 1870 Van Buren had a population 
of 157, and in 1880, 130, a falling off of 27 in ten years. No apparent in- 
crease has since taken place, and the village wears an appearance of age 




\ 



xic^, //T" <y%u^e/0 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 355 

and general debility. The town, however, can boast of four churches and 
a good two-storied brick schoolhouse of two rooms. 

Silverwood, better known as Stuartville, -was laid out in March, 1883, 
by Addison J. Silverwood, Nancy A. Silverwood and Anthony Huntington. 
It lies in Sections 24 and 25, Range 10, and Section 19, Range 11, on 
both sides of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. The Toledo, 
Columbus & Southern Railroad passes north and south a short distance 
east of the village, which has therefore good railroad facilities. Two small 
stores, a blacksmith shoj:), a saloon and a grain elevator make up the busi- 
ness interests of Stuartville. In May, 1883, a postoffice named Mortimer 
was established here, with James Huntington as postmaster. He was suc- 
ceeded in 1885 by Mrs. A. V. Myers, the present incumbent. 



CHAPTER X I. 

AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 

roRMATiON, Taxable Lands in 1829, and Changes in Territory— Area, 
Boundaries and Population— Physical Features-Soil— Streams and 
Big Spring— Pioneers— Justices of the Peace— Schools— Churches- 
Early Mills— PosTOFFicES and Villages— The Proposed Town of 
Capernaum— Vanlue, its Postmasters, Early Business Men, and Pres- 
ent Material and Social Interests. 

THIS subdivision dates its erection back to the spring of 1828, Amanda 
and Welfare (now Delaware) being formed from the southeast portion 
of Findlay Township, which since May 28, 1823, had embraced the whole 
county. The entire land tax of Amanda Township in 1829, was $4. 30, and 
only 252 acres were then subject to taxation under the existing law. On the 
7th of December, 1829, Jackson Township was formed from Amanda and Dela- 
ware, and December 6, 1830, a part of Amanda was taken in the erection of 
Marion. Big Lick was cut off fi'om Amanda March 7, 1831, and on the 
same date it was ordered by the commissioners that ' ' the township of 
Amanda shall hereafter consist of the original Township 1 south, in Range 
12, and Sections 34 and 35 in the original surveyed Township 1 noi'th in the 
12th Range." On the 3d of June, 1833, those two sections were attached 
to Big Lick. Upon the erection of Ridge Township, June 5, 1838, Sections 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14, Township 1 south, Range 12, were taken 
from Amanda in the formation of the new township, which existed till 
March 5, 1845, when the previous erection of AVyandot County took forty- 
five sections off the southeast part of Hancock, and made necessary a re- 
formation in the lines of Amanda, Big Lick and Delaware Townships. 
Sections 22, 23. 24, 25, 26. 27, 34, 35 and 36 were cut off the east side of 
Amanda, and became a part of Wyandot County. Ridge Township, as a sub- 
division of Hancock, was abandoned, and its territory remaining in this 
county, attached to Big Lick and Amanda Townships fi'om which it was 
originally formed, Amanda receiving Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Township 1 



356 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

south, Range 12. By act of the commissioners (March 5, 1845), the east- 
ern tier of sections, from 1 to 36 inclusive, in Township 1 south. Range 11, 
previously belonging to Jackson, was attached to Amanda Township, and 
thus its territory has since remained. 

Amanda now contains twenty-seven sections, or an area of 17,280 acres. 
It is one of the southeast townships of the county, and is bounded as follows : 
On the north by Big Lick and Marion Townships, on the east by Wyandot 
County, on the south by Wyandot County and Delaware Township, and on 
the west by Jackson Township. In 1840 Amanda had a population of 490; 
1850, 1,162; 1860, 1,470; 1870, 1,469; 1880, 1,474— a total gain from 1860 
to 1880 of only four inhabitants. 

The surface of this township is generally very level, possessing a distinct 
characteristic sameness throughout its length and breadth. A very heavy for- 
est of the several kinds of timber found in this part of the State originally 
covered the soil. In the northeast portion of Amanda is a tract known as 
' ' the fallen timber, ' ' the forest having been undermined by the peat cover- 
ing the surface taking fire in the fall of 1828, and burning the roots of the 
trees. This tract embraces several hundred acres, which was originally cov- 
ered with water most of the year, the large trees lying upon the ground 
preventing the natural drainage of the surface. The "swamp" lies in the 
southeast part of the township, and is a strip of flat land extending from 
east to west nearly across the township. It also underwent the burning 
process, and was very thinly timbered. 

Along the Blanchard the soil is a rich alluvial deposit, but in the eastern 
section of the township, excepting in the "fallen timber" and " swamp" 
tracts, a clay soil with a sand and gravel mixture prevails. The ' ' fallen 
timber ' ' tract is a mixed soil composed of vegetable mold, derived from the 
rotting trees and decayed vegetation, and the sandy clay natural to the 
township. This combination is highly prized by the agriculturist. Cover- 
ing the "swamp" is a deep muck or loam and decayed vegetation, very light 
and susceptible to droughts. The first settlers regarded this tract as almost 
worthless and totally unfit for cu^ltivation, but judicious di'ainage has re- 
claimed most of these lands; and when the top muck is thoroughly mixed, 
by deep plowing, with the underlying clay a valuable soil is formed, the 
muck itself being too light to retain sufficient moisture for the growing crop 
during the hot season. 

Amanda is favored with plenty of good water and fair natural drainage facil- 
ities. The Blanchard River winds northward through the western tier of sec- 
tions, and thoroughly waters the country contiguous thereto. Buck Run is the 
only important local tributary. It flows northwestward fi-om the southeast 
corner of the township, and empties into the Blanchard on the northeast 
quarter of Section 12. Potato Creek crosses the southwest corner of 
Amanda and strikes the Blanchard just across the line in Jackson Township. 
Northeast of Vanlue, in Section 3, on the farm of William Smith, is the 
celebrated "Big Spring," thus named because it is the largest spring in 
Hancock County. The cool, pure spring water gushes forth in a torrent 
fi'om its sandy bed, and ripples onward in a clear stream, supplying water 
for the stock of the whole neighborhood. This spring furnished power at 
an early day for a carding machine and a small corn-mill, both of which did 
good survice during their existence. Big Spring is invaluable to the farmers 
of that locality, and many a wayfarer has here slaked his thirst and 
watched with delight its pure bubbling waters. 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 357 

Pioneers. — Thomas Thompson, a native of Virginia, was the first settler 
in this township. On the 25th of February, 1822, he entered the east half 
of the northwest quarter, and January 18, 1823, the west half of the north- 
west quarter of Section 3; and in the summer of 1823 built a cabin, cleared 
a patch of ground and planted a crop of potatoes. He remained on his 
land till the crop was gathered and stored, and then returned to Pickaway 
County, Ohio, for his family, which h© brought out early in 1824. In the 
first list of taxable property, taken by Wilson Vance in the spring of 1824, 
Mr. Thompson is assessed for one horse and five head of cattle, and 
marked opposite his name is the note "taken in from lady," a conclusive 
evidence that his wife and family were then here. Mr. Thompson was 
the first justice of Amanda, and a resident of the township imtil his death, 
which occurred at Vanlue, October 26, 1873. He removed from his farm, 
on Section 3, a few years prior to his decease, as increasing age and infirm- 
ities compelled him to retire from the busy cares of life. He was twice 
married, his first wife. Miss Anna Williamson, coming with him fi-om Pick- 
away County. She died in 1850, and in 1852 he married Mrs. Benjamin 
Nigh, nee Lake, who still survives him, and is residing in Findlay. His 
first wife bore him twelve children, six of whom reached maturity, but only 
one, William, is now living. One daughter, Mrs. James Moyer, of Findlay, 
is the fruit of his second marriage. 

Abraham and Sarah A. Huff and family were the next to locate in Amanda 
Township. Mr. Huff came in 1825, and subsequently purchased, with 
Samuel Sargent, 320 acres of land of Henry McWhorter, lying in Big 
Lick and Amanda. In 1829 a division of these lands took place. Huff get- 
ting eighty acres in each subdivision. He settled on the west half of the 
northeast quarter of Section 3, Amanda Township, close to the Big Spring, 
entered by Henry McWhorter, February 27, 1822. In March, 1828, he 
was appointed associate judge of Hancock County, and served seven years. 
Mr. Huff laid out a town named Capernaum on his farm, March 14, 1831, 
but no lots were sold or buildings erected. Judge Huff was an honorable, 
upright man, possessing a large share of strong, common sense. He once 
kept a small store at his house, and is pretty well remembered by the older 
citizens, who patronized the establishment. Soon after the expiration of 
his judgeship he removed with his family to Missouri and never returned. 

One of the oldest pioneers of Hancock County, Major Bright, great- 
grandfather of Nimrod W. Bright, of Amanda Township, located or entered 
3,000 acres of land in this township, and was an extensive stock-raiser. 

John Huff, John Shoemaker, William Hackney and James Beard all 
came to the township in 1826. Huff entered the west half of the southeast 
quarter of Section 3, December 29, 1825, upon which he settled, but in 
1828 he removed to Big Lick Township, where a further mention of him 
will be found. Shoemaker built his cabin on the east half of the northeast 
quarter of Section 18, which he entered December 18, 1826, and here he 
resided till February, 1829, when he also removed to Big Lick, where he 
died in the spring of 1882. ^= Mr. Hackney entered the east half of the north- 
. east quarter of Section 3, November 4, 1824, and early in 1826 settled 
upon it. In April, 1826, he was elected one of the justices of Findlay 
Township, then co-extensive with the county. In April, 1828, he was 
elected county assessor, and auditor the following October. He then 

*See History of Big Lick Township. 



358 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

removed to Findlay, where he resided several years. Mr. Hackney was a 
man of good education, and one of the pioneer school teachers of the county. 
His wife was a sister of Joseph C. Shannon, also of Mrs. John J. Hendricks. 
The family went from here to Springfield, 111. , leaving no descendants in 
this county. James Beard settled close to Shoemaker in Section 18. He 
voted at the first county election in April, 1828. After many years' resi- 
dence he went to Indiana and there died. 

John J. and Eleanor F. Hendricks came late in 1826, and settled on the 
Blanchard, on the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 12, in the 
northwest corner of what is now Amanda Township. In 1830 he sold his 
land to Jesse Gilbert, and removed to Liberty Township. He too was one 
of the seventy-four electors of April, 1828, and the second justice of 
Amanda. The reader will find further mention of him in the sketch of Lib- 
erty Township. 

Thomas Huff was another settler of this period. He was a brother of 
Abraham Huff, and located in the same neighborhood. After a residence 
hei-e of many years he moved to Peoria County, 111. , and is buried in the 
cemetery at Chillicothe. 

Henry George and family were among the next year's settlers. He and 
his wife, Catherine, were natives of Lehigh County, Penn. , whence, with two 
childi-en, Peter and Polly, they removed to Fairfield Co. , Ohio, and thence to 
Pickaway County. In 1827, with a family of three sons and seven daugh- 
ters, they came to this township and located on the southwest qu.arter of 
Section 17, where the parents resided till their death. Henry and Peter, the 
elder sons, were two of the seventy-four voters at the first county election. 
Of the ten children who came to this county, only five are living, viz. : Dan- 
iel and Lu.cy, in Findlay, Joseph and Sarah, in Cary, and Betsy, in Michi- 
gan. The deceased are Peter, Polly, Hannah, Susan and Eva. Peter was 
the best known of the family. Born in Pennsylvania, October 13, 1799, he 
grew to manhood in Ohio, and in November, 1823, visited Hancock County, 
and entered a piece of land in Section 35, Jackson Township, but did not 
settle here permanently until the coming of his parents, in 1827. He then 
took up 160 acres of land on Section 7, Amanda Township, erected a cabin 
and made a clearing. In 1830 he married Miss Mary Woodruff, a native of 
Pickaway County, Ohio, who bore him five sons and four daughters, five of 
whom survive. Throughout the pioneer days Peter George was known far 
and wide as a veteran " land hunter. " He was a noted guide for those look- 
ing up lands in this section of the State, and was familiar with every part 
of Hancock County. He served two consecutive tei-ms as commissioner of 
the county, and was a very highly respected citizen. He died December 
10, 1884; his aged widow still resides in the county whei-e she has spent 
the greater part of her life. 

John and Sarah Beard, of Fairfield County, Ohio, located in the town- 
ship late in 1827, following their sou James, who came in 1826. Their 
sons were Joseph, James, Samuel, Amos, Elijah and Adam. James and 
Amos voted at the first county election in April, 1828, while the father, 
John, was one of the petit jurors in the June session of that year. Some 
of the family settled in Amanda and others in Marion, where Adam now 
lives. The parents died here, and some of the sons went West. 

Jesse and John Hewitt settled in the northeast corner of the township 
in 1827. The former voted at the first county election; but little further is 
remembered of them. 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 359 

Aquilla Gilbert, now a resident of.Vanlue, came to the county with his 
brother-in-law, Mordecai Hammond, in the fall of 1827, though only for 
the purpose of assisting the latter in moving fi'om Pickaway County. Mr. 
Gilbert was born in York County, Penn. , September 18, 1803, there grew 
to manhood, and in 1823 married Catherine Hartman. He subsequently 
removed to Ohio, where she died in 1828, leaving two childi-en. The same 
fall he again came to this county, and June 2, 1829, entered the west half 
of the southeast quarter of Section 24, on the east bank of the Blanchard. 
He spent the winter of 1828-29 at the home of Mr. Hammond, and June 
28, 1829, was married, by Asa M. Lake, J. P. , to Miss Lorain P. Hamlin, 
a daughter of Daniel Hamlin, of Delaware Township, and the same year 
settled on his land. Four children survive this union, his wife dying March 
31, 1841. On the 6th of July, 1841, he married Julia A. Askam, who is 
the mother of four living children. Mr. Gilbert was elected justice of the 
peace of Jackson Township (wherein his home was then located) in 1830, 
and re-elected four times in succession. In 1832 he taught the first 
school opened in his neighborhood, being the second in what is now Amanda 
Township. He served two terms as county commissioner, and after the 
tier of sections in which his home lies was attached to Amanda, he served 
three successive terms as justice of the latter subdivision. Thus for thirty 
years Mr. Gilbert was actively engaged in the transaction of public business, 
and has always taken a deep interest in the progress of his adopted county. 
In 185G he removed to Vanlue, where he has ever since resided, while his 
residence in the township extends back over a period of fifty-seven years. 

The years 1828-29 brought Thomas Cole, David Hagerman, Joseph 
Whiteman, Andrew Bobb, William Ebright, Henry Keel, Samuel Gordon 
and James Gibson. Cole and Hagerman came from Pickaway County, and 
after a residence here of several years the former went to Indiana, while 
Hagerman resided in Amanda until this death. Joseph Whiteman lived in 
several different parts of the township, and finally died in the county. He 
was of a restless disposition and never remained long in any place, so that he is 
but faintly remembered. Andrew Eobb entered the east half of the north- 
west quarter of Section 13, May 7, 1828. His cabin stood not far from the 
home of Aquilla Gilbert, who remembers him as a very worthy man. . He, 
however, died in 1830, soon after settling here. William Ebright and 
family came early in 1829, and in March of the latter year he and his son, 
Philip, were two of the petitioners for a road to Findlay. He settled on the 
Blanchard, in Section 13, but subsequently removed to Eagle Township, 
and assisted in organizing that subdivision. Henry Keel, with his wife 
Catherine and family, removed from Pennsylvania to Fairfield County, Ohio, 
about 1823, and in 1829 located on the Blanchard in this township. In 
1833 Mr. Keel and family moved into Eagle Township, where both he and 
his wife died. Four of their children are residents of the county. Samuel 
Gordon was for many years a leading citizen of the township, where he set- 
tled in 1829. In 1831 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected 
five times in succession. Mr. Gordon is kindly remembered by the few old 
settlers now living who knew him best. 

James Gibson, with his family, settled in Section 1, in what is now the 
northwest corner of Amanda Township, in 1829. His son Charles was a 
young man when the family came to the county. The parents died on the 
old homestead, and were buried in the Vanhorn Cemetery. None of the 
children are living in this county. 



360 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

A large mimber of settlers came to Amanda in 1829 and 1830, all of 
■whom brought families. Among those best remembered are David More- 
hart, Adam Alspach, Lemuel Farthing, David Egbert, Henry Treese, John 
G. Litsenberger, John Dipert, Darius Smith and Sanford Smith. David 
and Elizabeth (Fenstemaker) Morehart were natives of Pennsylvania, who 
first located in Fairfield County, Ohio. In 1829 he entered land in 
Section 5, Amanda Township, and the following year, with his wife and 
daughter, Mary (wife of J. M. Van Horn), settled on the land where his son, 
Jesse D. now lives. They had a family of fourteen children, and a large 
number of their descendants yet reside in the county. The parents died 
upon the old homestead in Section 5. 

Adam Alspach was also a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1788. About 
1808 he came to Fairfield County, Ohio, and served in the war of 1812. 
He married in Fairfield County, Barbara Wyant, a native of the Keystone 
State, and in the spring of 1830, with his wife and six children, took up 
his abode in the forest of Amanda Township. He built his cabin in 
Section 1 9, were one daughter was subsequently born to him. Mr. Alspach 
died in this township, but his sons, Daniel and Aaron, are surviving pioneers 
of Amanda Township. 

Lemuel and Mary (Eiordan) Farthing were natives of Virginia, and 
first located in Gallia County, Ohio, removing to Amanda Township in 1830, 
where both died. They were the parents of nine children, three of whom 
survive. 

David and Mary Egbert were born in New Jersey, thence I'emoved to 
the Susquehanna Kiver, and in 1812 settled in Fairfield County, Ohio. In 
1822 the Egberts left Fairfield and took up their residence in Seneca County, 
and June 1, 1829, entered land in the northwest part of this township, upon 
which the family settled the same or following year. In 1831-32, David re- 
moved to Marion Township, where he was elected justice of the peace in 
the latter year. They had a family of ten children, six of whom are living. 
One of the sons, Uriah W. , may justly be regarded as a pioneer of Amanda, 
having lived in the township for the past fifty-six years. The parents finally 
went to Wood County, and there passed the latter years of their lives. 

Henry and Elizabeth (Hager) Treese, natives of Pennsylvania, located 
on the east bank of the Blanchard in the fall of 1830, where Peter was soon 
afterward born. The family came here from Pickaway County, Ohio, and 
the parents spent the remainder of their days in Hancock County. Peter 
Treese now resides on the old homestead in Section 24, while George, an 
older brother, lives in Jackson Township. 

John G. and Mary Litsenberger, with their sons, George, Daniel, Isaac, 
Henry, John and Jacob, all natives of Pennsylvania, came from Fairfield 
County, Ohio, in 1830, and settled in Section 13, where the father died. 
Jacob, now living in Vanlue, is the only one of John's children residing in 
Hancock. 

Adam Hoy came to the township about this time, or perhaps a little 
earlier. He entered land in Amanda in 1829, and lived in that township 
up to within a few years. His name appears among the voters at the Oc- 
tober election of 1831, and he was one of the organizers of the Pioneer As- 
sociation in 1874. 

John Dipert and wife Sarah (Fenstemaker) emigrated from Fairfield 
County, Ohio, in 1830, and settled in Section 20. He died upon the old 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 361 

homestead. Mrs. Andi-ew S. Beck, of Amanda, is the only one of his 
children living in the county. 

Darius and Sanford Smith settled in the southwest corner of the town- 
ship in 1830. The former served one term as county commissioner, and 
both died upon their farms. 

Michael and Mary (Hager) Misamore and family were, perhaps, the next 
to settle in Amanda: the former was a native of Virginia, and the latter of 
Pennsylvania. They had a family of eleven children, when in 1831 they 
removed fi'om Pickaway County, and settled in a small log-cabin on the east 
bank of the Blanchard in Section 13. In 1835, Mr. Misamore built a frame 
grist-mill, which supplied a very material want to the settlers of this lo- 
cality. These mills were afterward run by his son John, who also rebuilt 
them after they were burnt down. The parents died here, and of their 
children three sons and two daughters survive. John resides in Section 24, 
immediately south of where the family settled about fifty-five years ago. 

The same year (1831) John Fenstemaker, Lemuel Roberts, Arthur Stotts 
and Jesse Cherry settled in the township. The first mentioned, with his 
wife Catherine, came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and settled in Section 
21, where he died. His son George is a resident of the township. Jacob 
and Jonas Fenstemaker, brothers of John, came to the township somewhat 
later, and both spent their lives in the county. Lemuel and Elizabeth Rob- 
erts were natives of Maryland, who located in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 
1824, and seven years later took up their residence in Section 2, cut off in 
the erection of Wyandot County in 1845. Arthur Stotts was from Picka- 
way County, Ohio, and settled in Section 15. He and his wife subsequently 
removed to Lima. Jesse Cherry, also fi'om Pickaway County, located close 
to Stotts, and both he and his wife died upon the old homestead. Andi'ew 
Beck and family came from Fairfield County, Ohio, with his brother-in-law, 
John Fenstemaker, and located on land in this township previously entered by 
his father, Andi-ew Beck, Sr. , who had taken up several hundi-ed acres. His 
brother Daniel came out about two years later, and afterward their brothers, 
Henry, Peter and John, joined the settlement, all locating in what is now 
Amanda, except Henry whose farm was in Ridge, and included in the terri- 
tory taken in the erection of Wyandot County. The parents, Andrew and 
Catherine, did not settle here until some time after the sons, and both died 
in the township. Andrew, Jr., died near Wharton; Daniel removed to Mis- 
souri and there died; Henry died on his farm in Wyandot County; Peter 
died in this township; Joha resides in Indiana, and the two daughters, 
Mrs. John Fenstemaker and Mrs. Jacob Bacher, live on their respective 
homesteads in Hancock and Wyandot Counties. 

In 1832, Andrew and George Morehart, Elisha Brown and John Moore 
took up their residence in the forest of Amanda. The Moreharts, na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1817, whence 
they came to this township. Andi-ew had a family of thirteen childi-en, six of 
whom are living. Both he and George died in this covmty. Elisha Brown 
and family came from Pickaway County in the fall of the year and settled 
in Section 9. He served one term as Sheriff of Hancock County, and died 
in Vanlue. Two of his daughters are residents of the county. John and 
Annie Moore were natives of Maryland, and removed first to Fairfield 
Co., Ohio, thence to Hancock, settling in the vicinity of the Big Spring, where 
both died. Three of theh children are yet livmg. Amos, who now resides 



362 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

near Vanlue, was a man of twenty-five when his parents came to the town- 
ship. He carried on the manufacture of spinning wheels at the old farm till 
sometime after the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. 

In 1888 Gershom Plotts, Charles Van Horn and David H. Harshbarger 
came into the township. Mr. Plotts, a native of Pennsylvania, had a fam- 
ily of ten children. In the spring of 1838 he removed from Fairfield 
County, Ohio and took up his residence in Section 16. In 1854 he and 
wife went to Michigan, where both died, but three of the sons — John, W. 
L. anji Ira — are residents of Vanlue. Mr. Van Horn was born in Bucks 
County, Penn., April 18, 1801, and in 1826 married Sarah Twining, who 
bore him ten children, all but one of whom survive. He removed from 
Pennsylvania to Jefferson County, Ohio, and in 1833 to Amanda Town- 
ship, purchasing forty acres of land, of which about five acres had been 
cleared. Here he began life in Hancock County, and here he passed the 
balance of his days, adding, through the fleeting years, other acres to his 
original purchase. His children are George W., James M. , Robert, Mary, 
Martha, Phoebe, Sarah, Charles E. and John. Very little is remembered of 
David H. Harshbarger, only that he settled on ' the Blanchard, in Section 
36, where he died at an early day, of "milk-sickness." 

Another family of the Moreharts settled in Amanda Township in the spring 
of 1884, viz. : Washington, William Josiah, Sarah and Maria Morehart, natives 
of Faii'field County, Ohio. They located on the southwest quarter of Section 
15, entered by Washington, July 29, 1838, and now the property of George 
Huff. Washington is the best known of this family. Born in Fairfield 
County, in 1817, he had not reached manhood when his mother came to 
this township. In 1889 he married Elizabeth Breiner, who bore him three 
daughters. In 1874 he removed from his farm in Section 9 to Vanlue, 
where his wife died, in December, 1884. Mr. Morehart is one of the most 
intelligent and progressive farmers of the township. 

Jacob Starr, Samuel Ewing, John McLeod and Richard M. Lee, all came 
in or about 1834. Jacob Starr was a native of Virginia, married in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, and in the spring of 1884 located in Amanda. Mr. and Mrs. 
Starr were the parents of seven children, some of whom are residents of the 
township. Mr. Ewing was born in Maryland, and married Rebecca 
Alspach, of Fairfield County, Ohio, whence, in 1834, he removed to Han- 
cock. He died in this township. John and Elizabeth McLeod raised a 
family of eleven children, several of whom are yet residents of the county. 
Richard and Lydia (Wyant) Lee came from Fairfield County, Ohio, about 
the same time as the foregoing pioneers, settling in Section 20, where 
former died in 1854, latter in 1882. They were parents of seven sons and 
one daughter, all living but one. 

The following year (1835) Joseph C. Carver and Lowman Pratt located 
in the township. Mr. Carver was born in Bucks County, Penn. , October 
10, 1808, and on coming to Amanda the family lived for a brief period in a 
building where salts and pearl ash had been manufactxired, locally called 
the " ashery," which stood in the northwest part of the township. He sub- 
sequently entered eighty acres of land in Section 6, to which he added forty 
acres more, and has ever since resided on this farm. He is the father of 
eight childi-en, five now living. Mr. Pratt, also a native of the Keystone 
State, settled in Section 29, where his son Lewis now resides. His wife, 
Rachel (Kelly), bore him three sons and five daughters, of whom two sons 







5f^ IfcEV '^^ 








AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 365 

and three daughters survive. Mr. Pratt died in 1865, and his widow in 
1872. The first twelve years of the township's settlement have now been 
run through; and though thera maybe others besides those given who settled 
m Amanda from 1823 to 1835, yet the ones mentioned are best known and 
remembered. It must not be supposed that all of these pioneers were men 
and women of unblemished character and indomitable energy, but taking 
them as a whole they will bear comparison with those who have taken their 
places. This is readily and freely admitted by their descendants, and if 
the future generations but cling firmly to the precepts and principles of the 
pioneers, Amanda will have good cause to be proud of her record. 

Justices of the Peace. — Frior to the erection of Amanda Township, in 
1828, William Hackney, who lived in this section of the county, was one of 
the two justices of Findlay Township, but since that event the following 
citizens have filled the office: Thomas Thompson, John J. Hendricks, Sam 
uel Gordon, Abraham Kern, John Thompson, William Vanlue, Aquil'la Gil- 
bert, B. A. Etherton, John Crawford (yet serving), T. B Gilbert Ira 
Plotts, B. F. Burnap and E. M. Lee. 

Sc/ioofe.— The first school in Amanda Township was taught by George 
Smith in the winter of 1830-31. It was held in a small log building 
on the farm of Uriah Egbert, and the Georges, Beards, Shoemakers, More 
harts and others were the pupils in attendance. In 1831 a locr school- 
house was erected near the center of the township, which was patronized 
by all the families then living in that locality who had children old enough 
to attend school. The second school building was put up in Section 13 
I'^S^'oo^^^ ""^ ^^'^^' ^^^"^^^ Gilbert opened a school here in the winter of 
1832-33, and says his pupils were the Misamores, Treeses, Gibsons, Egberts 
and his own children. He received $1.50 per quarter for each scholar, 
and he says: "I did not board at the homes of my patrons, as stated in a 
recent publication, but ate and slept at my own cabin on the Blanchard." 
It IS noticeable that the pioneers of this township early began to foster and 
support schools, which as the population increased became more plentiful and 
of greater efficiency. There are now eight good schoolhouses outside of 
Vanlue, the latter being a special district. 

Churches. —The &rst sermon ever preached in this locality was by the 
Rev. Thomas Thompson, a Methodist Episcopal itinerant, at the cabin of 
Henry George. He subsequently preached at other cabins in the township 
but It IS not known that any class or organization of Methodists was efPected! 
The German Lutherans organized the first society in Amanda, and in 1831 
erected a hewed-log church on the southeast corner of Section 18, where 
the United Brethren meeting-house now stands. Among the orcrau'izers of 
this society were Fredenck Banner and wife. Adam Alspach and wife John 
Fenstemaker and wife, John Dipert and wife. David Morehart and wife and 
several of the Becks. This church went down many years ago. Amanda 
now contains eight churches, viz. : One English Lutheran, "one Method- 
ist Episcopal, one Methodist Protestant, two United Brethren, one Bap- 
tist, one German Reformed and one Disciples, all of which have good con- 
gregations and regular services. 

Earlu Mills. —In 1835 Michael Misamore erected a grist-mill in Section 
13, on the east bank of the Blanchard. This was the first mill in what is 
now Amanda, as well as the first frame structure built in the township It 
was run by water power, and the grinding was therefore uncertain, throuo-h 



366 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

freezing in winter and low water in the summer season. Nevertheless, it 
was a great boon to the pioneers of the surrounding country, who often had 
to travel long distances through the forest, with a small grist, ere the little 
ones could taste the luxuiy of a wheat cake. This mill was biu'ned down 
and afterward rebuilt by John Misamore, who also erected a saw-mill close 
to it. He ran these mills some twenty years and then sold the property, bat 
they have ever since been in operation, whenever there was sutlficient water 
to furnish power. 

Another early mill, if it could be dignified by that title, was put up at the 
Big Spring, in Section 3. It was built for a carding mill, but buhrs were 
subsequently added, and considerable corn meal ground. The power was 
furnished by the water from the spring. Of course many temporary saw- 
mills have been in operation from time to time, and though serving a good 
purpose were removed so soon as the timber in their respective localities be- 
came scarce. The next mill of importance was built at Vanlue in 1855-56, 
and will be spoken of in the sketch of that village. No other grist-mills 
have been operated in the township. 

Postoffices and Villages. — Blanchard Bridge postoffice was established 
at the house of Aquilla Gilbert, in Section 24, in 1841. Mr. Gilbert was 
the first and only postmaster, and the office was discontinued in 1861. Soon 
after the establishment of Blanchard Bridge, another office, called "Ashery, " 
was opened at the house of Joseph Twining in Section 12. Mr. Twining 
was the first and only postmaster of "Ashery, " which lasted till about 1 856. 

On the 14th of March, 1831, Abraham Huff laid out a town of sixteen 
lots on the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 3, which he re- 
corded as Capernaum, in honor of the bible city of that name. Nothing ever 
came of the enterprise, and no lots were ever sold or houses erected. Its 
site is now a part of the Sheridan farm and its location almost forgotten. 

Vanlue, the only village in the township, had its inception May 5, 1847, 
when William Vanlue laid out a town of 44 lots in the north part of the 
north half of the northeast quarter of Section {), and named it after himself. 
Four additions have been made to the original plat. Vanlue postoffice was 
established in 1849, and has had the following postmasters: Dr. W. P. Wilson, 
JohnWescott, Dr.W. P. Wilson, Ira Plotts,W. A. Sponsler, Daniel Gilbert and 
William Alspach. The first business commenced in the village was a tannery in 
1847, by Thompson & Barnhart. Clawer & Green opened a general dry goods 
and grocery store the same year. Hiram and W. L. Plotts were the first carpen- 
ters, afterward carrying on a cabinet shop and carding-mill run by steam power. 
In 1847-48, S. N. Beach opened a general store, Peter Shuck a grocery and 
Isaac Van Horn a blacksmith shop. The earliest physicians were Drs. A. Bell, 
Abraham Brown, W. P. Wilson, Stover, Igert, Todd and Myers. Dr. Wil- 
son is yet in active practice at Vanlue. The town grew considerably dur- 
ing the first few years of its existence, and, being located on the branch 
railroad fi-om Carey to Findlay, became the great shipping point for the sur- 
rounding county. About 1851-52 a shingle factory was built, and oper- 
ated a few years. In 1855-56 a grist-mill was put up by Hiram Eiissell, of 
which the present Centennial Mills is the successor. A foundry was opened 
in 1859, by James B. Freeman, which lasted about five years. The fore- 
going embrace the principal business interests of early Vanlue ; but its loca- 
tion made it impossible for Vanlue ever to be anything more than a small 
country town, and after a certain stage of growth was reached its progress 
slackened up. 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 367 

In September, 1866, Vanlue was incorporated for special purposes, and 
tlie first election for officers held April 13, 1867, resulting as follows : Elisha 
Brown, mayor; Abraham Brown, recorder; Hiram Pratt, Ira Plotts B A 
Etherton, Charles H. Hatch and A. S. Koberts, council. The mayoralty 
has smce been filled by Aquilla Gilbert, Frederick Shuler, J. H. Brown B 
F. Burnap, T. B. Gilbert, Henry T. Lee, John Ward, Charles H. Hatch 
(appomted to fill vacancy), Henry T. Lee, Calvin Clark, George W. Snook 
and E. L. E. Mumma. After its incorporation prosperity once more visited 
the town, and a new impetus was given to business. On December 3, 1877, 
Vanlue was incorporated for general purposes. The census of 1880 gave it 
a population of 364, though its citizens now claim about 500. 
_ Vanlue is situated on the Findlay branch of the Indianapolis, Bloom 
mgton & Western Kailroad, about ten miles southeast of the county seat. 
It contams two general diy goods and grocery stores, one grocery, one drug 
store and grocery, one hardware store, one harness shop, one furniture 
store, one bakery, one tin shop, one boot and shoe shop, one barber shop 
two blacksmith shops, four physicians, one hotel, and two saloons. In 1855- 
56 a steam flouring-mill was built in Vanlue by Hiram Russell, and after 
passing through several ownerships was bought by Frederick Shuler in 
1862. He ran it some ten years and then sold it to Jacob Wall, who in 
turn disposed of the property to Homer Vansant, and it was soon afterward 
burned to the ground. In 1876 Mr. Shuler erected the "Centennial Mills " 
a two and a half story frame building, which he has ever since operated 
In the winter of 1884-85 Mr. Shuler put in the roller process, and now 
turns out a grade of flour second to none in northwestern Ohio. Two saw 
and planing mills are in operation in the village, and an extensive tile and 
brickyard, which has been very successful since its establishment in 1884, 
IS also located here. A large grain elevator and warehouse stands near the 
track of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad. It was built 
soon after the road was completed, and handles, annually, thousands of 
bushels of wheat, corn and oats raised upon the rich lands of this vicinity. 
The United Brethren denomination built the first church at Vanlue in 
1851-52; the English Lutherans, the second, and the Methodist Episcopals 
the third. The United Brethren have abandoned the old structure and 
erected a new one. All are comfortable frame buildings, and accommodate 
good congregations. A good frame schoolhouse of four rooms furnishes 
educational facilities. R. E. Diehl is principal, and there are two assistant 
teachers. 

Fountain Lodge No. 353, L O. O. F., was instituted July 28, 1859 the 
charter members being John Wescott, Aquilla Gilbert, Abraham Brown 
Harmon Pratt, Joshua Myers, Oliver Gordon, Henry Watkins and Benjamin 
bcott. The lodge erected a fine two-stoiy brick building in 1883 at a cost 
of over $6,000, selling their old building to Ira Plotts. It now contains 
over 100 members, and is in a very prosperous condition. 

T^/r ^^iTh^'r-^F ^''- ^^' ^' ^- ^- ^^ I^^ugtters of Rebekah, was organized 
May 10, 1870. ^ 

Ladonia Lodge No. 82, L O. G. T., was organized November 24, 1884 
and has a very large membership, numbering at present 110. Thus it will 
be seen that the cause of temperance in Vanlue is in a flom-ishing condition. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XII. 
BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 

Events Leading to the Erection of this Township— Subsequent Changes 
IN ITS Territory and Present Area— Boundaries, and Derivation of 
Name — A Hunters' Resort — Topography and Streams — Prairie 
Marsh, Soil and Original Appearance— First Election and Popula- 
tion byDecades— First Settlers— Justices of the Peace— Schools- 
Churches— Villages AND POSTOFFICES. 

"I TPON the organization of Hancock County in 1828, the commissioners 
V^ erected fi'om Findlay Township, which then embraced the whole 
county, the townships of Amanda and Welfare, the name of the latter being 
subsequently changed to Delaware. In 1829 Jackson was formed from 
Delaware and Amanda, and the following year Marion was cut off from 
Amanda and Findlay. Thus it stood till March 7, 1831, when Big Lick 
was erected from territory previously embraced in Amanda, and then con- 
tained all of the lands, lying in Township 1 north, Range 12 east, except 
Sections 34 and 35, which remained attached to Amanda till June 3, 1833, 
on which date the commissioners transferred them to Big Lick. On the 5th 
of June, 1838, Peter Kiser, Andrew Thompson, Samuel Lininger and other 
citizens, of Big Lick and Amanda Townships, petitioned the board of com- 
missioners for a new township named Ridge, to be formed from parts of 
Amanda and Big Lick. The petition was granted, and the two southern 
tiers of sections in Township 1 north. Range 12, were taken from Big Lick 
in the erection of Ridge. The first election in the latter subdivision was 
held at the house of Samuel Sargent, on Section 34, in July, 1838. The 
territory taken from Big Lick remained a part of Ridge until March 5, 
1845, when the erection of Wyandot County took forty-five sections off the 
southeast corner of Hancock, making a new formation of township lines a 
necessity. Ridge Township, as a subdivision of this county, was abolished, 
and its sixteen sections remaining in Hancock were attached to Big Lick 
and Amanda, this township receiving back the twelve sections from 25 to 
36 inclusive — taken in the formation of Ridge seven years before. Big Lick 
has ever since been a full Congressional township, with an area of 23,040 
acres. 

This township lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded on 
the north by Washington Township, on the east by Seneca County, on the 
south by Wyandot County and Amanda Township, and on the west by 
Marion Township. Big Lick received its name from the sulphur springs, 
or Deer Lick, on the farm of Robert Long, in Section 21, a noted resort of 
hunters throughout the pioneer days, and familiarly known as * ' The Big 
Lick. ' ' Here the hunter, perched in one of the trees close by, patiently 
awaited until the shades of evening brought forth his unsuspecting game. 
The deer would then leave" their hiding places and steal through the forest 
to the lick, and while quietly enjoying the feast would be shot down by the 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 369 

hidden foe. Many deer were killed at this lick by Mr. Long and other 
well-known hunters during the earlier years of the county's history, while 
from time immemorial the Indian sportsman pitched his wigwam in the 
vicinity of this celebrated spot, where his stock of venison could be replen- 
ished without much exertion. 

The physical topography of Big Lick Township is generally level, 
though in some places flat, and in others slightly rolling, with a perceptible 
tip toward the northwest. This may be especially noticed in the sluggish 
outlet of the prairie, which rises in Seneca County, winds northwestward 
across Big Lick, and discharges its waters into the Blanchard near the 
northeast corner of Section 23, Marion Township. The outlet receives sev- 
eral small runs in its route, the largest flowing in a general southwest course 
from the north line of the township, and striking the main branch in the 
southeast corner of Section 18. Fostoria Creek, or the East Branch of 
Portage Kiver, rises in the northeast corner of the township, and drains 
that portion northward into the main stream. 

In the southern portion of the township, lying on each side of the out- 
let, is a marsh, or flat, wet prairie containing between 1,500 and 2,000 acres 
of land, composed of a deep silt and vegetable deposit of inexhaustible fer- 
tility. In pioneer days this prairie was a famous cattle range, but much of 
it has been reclaimed by judicious drainage, and ere many years it will all 
be brought under cultivation. South of the prairie is a limestone ridge — 
a sand and clay formation underlaid with limestone. Old settlers tell us 
that when the first cabins were built in the township the sui-face of this 
ridge was pretty thickly covered with flakes of limestone ; hence the name. 
Excepting on the prairie and ridge, a clay loam is the prevailing soil 
throughout the township. The surface of Big Lick, except the prairie, 
originally bore up a splendid forest indigenous to this secton of the State. 
But with the passing years the scene changed rapidly ; the stately trees gave 
way to well-tilled farms, and the Indian wigwams to comfortable homes. 
Very little of the more valuable timber now remains, but what does is 
highly prized by the judicious owner, and is carefully preserved from de- 
struction. 

First Election and Population. — Big Lick was erected in March, 1831, 
and the following month an election was held and the township regularly 
organized. The voting place was at the house of John Long, in Section 21, 
and the following pioneers cast their votes at that election: John Long, 
Robert Long, John HufP, John Shoemaker, Philip Essex, Levi Poulson, 
Moses Saylor and Amos Dunken, a total of eight electors. The day was 
spent in backwoods sport and recreation, Mrs. John Long treating the com- 
pany to a good, old-fashioned dinner, in which wild game occupied a prom- 
inent place. From that time forward the township increased in population, 
and in 1840 contained 431 inhabitants. In 1850 it had 1,008; 1860, 1,256; 
1870, 1,179, and 1880, 1,261. 

First Settlers. — The land hunter found his way into this township earlier 
than any other portion of the county, except Findlay and Delaware Town- 
ships, for on record is an entry of the west half of the southeast quarter of 
Section 34, by Henry McWhorter, in September, 1821. The same gentleman 
entered, Februaiy 27, 1822, the west half of the northeast quarter of Sec- 
tion 3, Amanda Township, lying immediately south of his first entry. It is 
believed that Mr. McWhorter and wife, Margaret, located on his land 



370 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

in Big Lick in 1823. In the first assessment made by Wilson Vance, lister of 
Findlay Township, in 1824, Henry McWhorter is assessed for two horses 
and ten head of cattle. It will be remembered that the whole of Hancock 
was then embraced in Findlay Township, and under the jurisdiction of 
Wood County. Mr. Vance was elected lister of Findlay Township April 5, 
1824, and the same spring made a list of all horses and cattle in the town- 
ship, over three years old. McWhorter was then living in Section 34, and 
was therefore the first settler in what is now Big Lick Township. He 
owned 320 acres of laud in Big Lick and Amanda, which he su.bsequently 
sold to Samuel Sargent and Abraham Huff. These gentlemen made a joint 
division of this tract in the spring of 1829, Huff retaining eighty acres in 
each township, all of Sargent's land lying in Big Lick. In April, 1830, 
McWhorter brought suit against the purchasers to recover the face of a note 
of $237.83 and damages. He recovered the amount of his note, and dam- 
ages were assessed at one cent. After selling his lands McWhorter removed 
from the county and is not very well remembered. 

Samuel Sargent, a native of Hampshire County, Va. , took up his abode in 
Crawford County (now Wyandot), Ohio, in 1825, and in 1827 settled on Lime- 
stone Ridge in Section 34, and was the second settler of Big Lick. Mr. Sar- 
gent voted at the fijfst county election in April, 1828. He married Eliza, 
daughter of Judge Jacob Smith of Crawford (now Wyandot) County, Ohio, 
who bore him nine children, two of whom — ^Mrs. Adam Nigh and Mrs. David 
Chambers — are residents of this township. Mr. Sargent was a public- 
spirited man and resided upon the same farm till his death, which occurred 
November 6, 1849, in his fifty- first year. His widow who was born in Vir- 
ginia, August 9, 1807, subsequently remarried and moved to Putnam Coun- 
ty, but returned and died at her daughter' s (Mrs. Chambers, ) home, July 
10, 1885, in her seventy-eighth year. 

The family of John Long was the third to locate here, coming to the 
county in the fall of 1826. They first "squatted" in Amanda Township, 
thence removed to the south part of Big Lick, and subsequently settled on 
the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 21, which was entered by 
John Long, in November, 1829. John and Isabella Long were natives 
of Pennsylvania, and removed to Kentucky, where Robert was born in Feb- 
ruary, 1801. From Kentucky they came to Fairfield County, Ohio, and thence 
finally to this township. John and Robert voted at the first election for 
township officers in April, 1831. The parents died in this township many 
years ago, the father in 1835, and Robert and Jephtha are the only survivors 
of their nine children. Robert Long was in his twenty-sixth year when 
his father came to this county, and, in 1832, married Polly, daughter of 
Philip Essex, and she bore him four children, one of whom survives. Mrs. 
Long died in 1 840, and he was afterward married to Mary Graham, a daugh- 
ter of John Graham, who came to the township in 1833. Of this union seven 
children were born, five of whom are living. The mother died August 6, 
1879. Mr. Long was a noted hunter during his more youthful days, and 
he loves yet to recount stories of the chase, when Indians roamed the forest, 
and the larger wild animals were more plentiful than domestic stock. Upon 
his farm was located the celebrated "Big Lick," from which the township 
derives its name. In a tree close by, a part of which is yet standing, Mr, 
Long constructed a seat where he comfortably waited the coming of the 
deer to enjoy their nightly feast, when he easily secured a choice venison. 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 371 

During one of those silent watches a negro pitched his camp close to the 
lick, and, supposing that he too had come to secure a deer, Mr. Long con- 
cluded to try and scare him away. He began imitating the Indian whoop, 
and the negro at once fled through the forest toward Findlay, where he after- 
ward died from the effects of his overexertion. Mr. Long did not expect 
such a serious result from his ruse to protect his game preserve, and very 
much regretted the poor fellow's death. He is now (July, 1885) in his 
eighty-fifth year, and shows the ravages time has made on his once rugged 
frame. 

John Huff first located in the north part of Amanda Township in 1826, 
entering the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 3, May 2nd of 
that year; but in the fall of 1828 he removed to the west half of the south- 
east quarter of Section 17, Big Lick, which he did not enter, however, un- 
til 1829. Huff was a son-in-law of John Long, having married his daugh- 
ter, Sibbie, in Fairfield County, Ohio, ere coming to Hancock. He voted 
at the first county election in April, 1828. They reared a large family, 
none of whom now reside in the county. In 1866, Mr. Huff sold his farm 
to John Moore, and went to Missouri, where both he and his wife died. 

John Shoemaker, of Fairfield County, also a son-in-law of John Long, 
came to the county in 1826. He entered land in Amanda Township that 
year, and at once settled upon it. He voted at the first county election in 
April, 1828, and, December 15, 1828, entered the east half of the southeast 
quarter of Section 17, Big Lick Township, and removed there in February, 
1829. His wife, Sarah, was the mother of a large family, Mrs. Henry 
Thomas being the only one of the number now living in Big Lick. Mrs. 
Shoemaker died upon the old homestead in 1879, Mr. Shoemaker in May, 
1882, while on a visit to Indiana. He was always regarded as an upright, 
honest man, and a kind, hospitable neighbor. 

In 1830 Philip Essex and family located in the township, and in Septem- 
ber of that year entered land in Section 21. Both he and his wife. Hxnnah, 
are buried in Big Lick Township. Their daughter, Polly, married llobert 
Long, and died in 1810. None of their childi-en are now residents of the 
county. 

Andrew Poulson and family came here from Pickaway County in 1830. 
The eldest son, Levi, had come to the county two years before, as his name 
is found among the electors of Amanda Township in October, 1828. He 
was the second justice of Big Lick, and resided in the township till his 
death, as did also his father, Andi'ew, and brother, Cornelius, while his 
brother James removed to Indiana. 

Amos Dunken settled in the south part of the township in 1830. He was 
the first justice of the peace of Big Lick, elected in April, 1831. After a 
residence here of several years he removed to Van AVert County, and there 
died. 

Owen and Letitia Roberts and family settled in the southwest part of 
the township in 1832 or 1833. Both have been dead many years, but David, 
one of their childi-en, is a substantial farmer of Big Lick. He resides in 
Section 29. and is regarded as one of the pioneers. 

John and Sarah Graham, natives of Kentucky, and pioneers of Madison 
County, Ohio, came to the township in the fall of 1832, and built their 
cabin in the southwest quarter of Section 15. Here a son, George W., 
now a resident of Findlay, was born the following year. John was the son 



372 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of James and Mary Graham, who reared a family of nine children. The 
father died in Madison County, and in 1833 the widow, with her sons James 
and George W., joined the settlement in Big Lick Township, locating in 
Section 14. John Graham served twenty-four consecutive years as justice 
of the peace, and six as commissioner of Hancock County. He died in 
Findlay in the fall of 1885. George W. died upon the old homestead, and 
James in Minnesota, whither he had removed. 

Baldsworth and Mary Baringer came about the same time as the Gra- 
hams. They were natives of Germany, and immigrated to Maryland, thence 
came west to Stark County, Ohio, in 1823 or 1824, and some eight years 
afterward settled in the southeast quarter of Section 2, Big Lick Township, 
entered May 22, 1833, where both resided till their death. They had a 
family of ten children. Joseph, the eldest son, now occupies the old home- 
stead, and is one of the substantial farmers of the township. 

In the fall of 1833 two pioneers came here together and put up cabins in 
the forest of Big Lick. These men were William Roller and his son-in-law, 
John Moore. Both were natives of Pennsylvania, and came to Hancock 
from Richland (now Ashland) County, Ohio. Mr. Roller erected his cabin 
on Section 15, and, in the spring of 1834, brought out his family, consisting 
of his wife, Nancy, and eight childi-en. Soon after coming to Big Lick he 
was elected justice of the peace, and the General Assembly of 1836 appointed 
him associate judge of Hancock County, which position he held thirteen 
years. He entered 1,120 acres of land'^in the fall of 1833, most of which 
was inherited by his children; he and his wife died in this township. Of 
their children, Michael, the eldest son, resides on Section 7, and two of 
the daughters, Mrs. John Moore and Mrs. Moses McAnelly, are also liv- 
ing in the township. Mr. Roller won and retained many fi-iends during his 
residence in the county. 

John Moore built his cabin in the northwest quarter of Section 15, 
now the farm of his son-in-law, A. J. Moore. He married Agnes W. Rol- 
ler in the fall of 1833, and removed to this township the following spring. 
Their first-born, Nancy, the wife of A. J. Moore, was rocked in a sugar 
trough, which Mr. Moore says was made by the Wyandot chief Big River, 
For more than half a century Mr. Moore and his wife have borne the trials and 
burdens of life together. They reared a family of ten children, all of whom 
are living in Hancock County, and seven in the vicinity of the old home- 
stead, only one now remaining at home. Mr. Moore purchased his present 
farm of John Huff, in 1866, who removed to Missouri. He is one of the 
substantial pioneer farmers of Big Lick, where he settled over fifty years 
ago, comparatively penniless. Few men of his times can point to a more 
honorable life than this successful old settler, who is highly respected* by 
young and old throughout this portion of the county. 

Jesse Wiseley, a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, built his cabin on 
the southeast quarter of Section 7, in 1835. Mr. Wiseley brought with 
him his wife, Keziah, and son, John, and thus began life in the wildneress. 
He claims to have erected the first frame house in the township, which is 
yet standing. Mr. Wiseley has lived upon the same farm since coming to 
the county. 

Henry and Jane Thomas, natives of Ireland, immigrated to Virginia, in 
1816, thence removed to Pennsylvania, and about 1827, to Wayne County, 
Ohio. In October, 1833, Mr. Thomas entered 320 acres of land in the 



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BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 375 

north part of Big Lick in Sections 5 and 9, upon which they located in 
1885. They reared a large family, two sons, Henry and Samuel L. being 
still residents of the township, where the parents spent the balance of their 
lives. 

Moses McAnelly was one of the most prominent citizens of Hancock 
County up to his death in 1852. He married Mary, daughter of William 
Roller, and in 1836-37 settled in the northeast quarter of Section 17. Mr. 
McAnelly possessed a good education and considerable force of character, 
and soon took a leading place in public affairs. He served four successive 
terms as justice of the peace, and in 1839 was elected to the Legislature 
and re-elected in 1840, and elected to the State Senate in 1842, serving with 
honor in each body. Mr. McAnelly was a pioneer school teacher and a local 
politician of considerable influence, and a man of upright character and un- 
swerving integrity. His widow and some of the children are residing upon 
the old homestead in Big Lick. 

Among other settlers of this period were John P. Ebersole, Jacob Bar- 
ger, William and Henry Deibly, Charles Henderson, James Wright, Robert 
L. Mai-tin, W'illiam Wilson, Uriah E. Drake, Jackson Stall, Leonard Baum- 
gartner, Samuel B., Silas, William K. and Abner Leonard, William 
Brown, John Sheridan, John A. Metzger, James Ruckman and Richard 
Bayliss, all of whom came between 1835 and 1838. Some of these are long 
since dead, while others are yet residing in the township, and among its 
worthy citizens. 

Justices of the Peace. — The following citizens have filled the office of jus- 
tice in Big Lick Township, some of them serving several terms : Amos Dun- 
ken, Levi Poulson, W^illiam Roller, James Wright, Robert L. Martin, 
William Wilson, Leonard Baumgartner, Moses McAnelly, Charles Hender- 
son, John Graham, JerRniah Ricketts. James Ruckman, Frederick Roamer, 
J. P. Edwards, Abraham Mumma, W^illiam K. Leonard, George W. Gra- 
ham, J. W. Gibson, John Newhouse, George W. Brown, David E. Neely, 
Andrew J. Moore and A. M. Jacobs. 

Schools. — Five years after the organization of the township, the first log 
schoolhouse was erected in Section 14, on the farm of George W. Graham, 
Sr. Here most of the school youth were taught for a few years. The 
Rollers, Moores, Martins, Hendersons, Grahams, W^ilsons, Leonards and 
others attended this school. The second school building, also a log struc- 
ture, was erected in Section 8, on the land now owned by J. D. Ewing. 
The Thomases, Wiseleys, McAnellys and other families of the neighborhood 
sent children to this school. Among the first teachers of Big Lick, we find 
the names of Moses McAnelly, Susan Roller, Robert L. Martin and W' illiam 
K. Leonard. With the growth in population the number of schoolhouses 
also increased, and better buildings began to make their appearance, until 
to-day the township contains ten good schoolhouses, which are in full opera- 
tion throughout the school year. 

Churches. — The Methodist Episcopal denomination organized a class at 
the house of Leonard Baumgartner, in Section 29, as early as 1837-38. 
The Robertses, Baumgartners and Bakers were perhaps its principal members, 
and Rev. Thomas Thompson was the minister who accomplished the good 
work. Some of its members lived in Marion Township, and after several 
years a frame building was put up on the farm of Jacob Baker in Section 24 
of that subdivision. In the course of time the society became extinct, and 



376 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the church was sold to Mr. Corbin, who removed it to his farm in this town- 
ship, where it has since done service as an outbuilding. The Methodists 
also organized a society quite early in the old log schoolhouse in the eastern 
part of the township, to which some of the Poulsons, Grahams, Sheridans 
and Hendersons belonged. Soon after 1840 they erected a log building on 
Section 13, which served the congregation until their present fi'ame struc- 
ture was built, in the northeast corner of Section 23, southwest of the old 
site. The Methodist Episcopal denomination has now two churches in the 
township, where regular services are held. 

Enon Valley Presbyterian Chiu'ch was organized November 13, 1841, with 
the following membership: Robert Leonard, Francis Leonard, Richard 
Bayliss, Nancy Bayliss, William Moore, Anna Moore, John Moffitt, James 
Thomas, Mary Ann Thomas, Jane Thomas, Elizabeth Leonard and Silas 
Leonard. Richard Bayliss, John Moffitt and Robert Leonard were chosen 
elders of the new society, and the pastor of the Findlay church attended 
this charge at intervals. Ground for a church and cemetery were donated 
to the society by Jacob Weamer. In 1844 work was commenced toward the 
erection of a hewed- log building farther west than the site given by Weamer 
on Section 4, to which the logs were afterward removed. The structure 
was erected early in 1845, and the first services held therein in May of that 
year. This old church served the congregation for several years, and was 
then replaced by the present frame. 

Big Lick also contains two United Brethren, two Evangelical, one Chris- 
tian Union and one German Baptist Church, and is therefore well supplied 
with houses of worship. Six different denominations teach the doctrines of 
their respective sects, and the weary wayfarer may here take his choice of 
these several roads to salvation. 

Villages and Postoffices. — The first attempt to ♦start a village in Big 
Lick was made September 20, 1830, when a town called Freedom was laid 
out by Uriah E. Drake, on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 
19 ; but no lots were sold or buildings erected. 

In December, 1849, George and Peter Wyant and Henry M. Grose laid 
out West Independence. It contained sixty lots on the east half of the 
northeast quarter of Section 2. A few lots were sold and some buildings 
erected, and, because of its location on the road from Findlay to Tiffin, the 
proprietors hoped that a prosperous village might spring up. In this, how- 
ever, they were disappointed, as it has never made much progress, and yet 
remains a small country hamlet. The business of West Independence 
consists of two small grocery stores, a hotel, a shoe shop, a saw-mill, a 
blacksmith and wagon shop, and two physicians. The United Brethren 
and Evangelical denominations have each a church here, and it also con- 
tains a good schoolhouse. A neat little cemetery lies immediately west of 
the village. In 1856 a postoffice was established in West Independence, 
which has been successively filled by Frederick Roamer, J. L. Kenower, 
Jacob Ruth, John Peters, William Blinn, A. J. Maurer and J. W. Wynkoop. 
Big Lick Lodge No. 744, I. O. O. F., was organized in the village October 
7, 1885, with the following charter members: J. G. Wiseman, J. W. Wyn- 
koop, A. J. Maurer, J. W. Gibson, R. R. Wiseman, H. M. Wiseman, 
George Ruch, A. Gleckner, J. M. Green, William Green, S. S. Ward, 
Fremont Gibson, S. E. Crawford, N. C. Miller and A. J. Thomas. The 
society has fitted up a lodge-room, where they hold their meetings regularly. 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 



377 



A postoffice named "Big Lick" was established at the house of A. J. 
Moore, on Section 22, in 1852. It continued in operation until 1864, and 
Mr. Moore was postmaster during its existence. The office was a great ac- 
commodation to that part of the township, and never cost the Government 
one cent to establish and keep in operation. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 



Its Historic Name— Erection, Area, Location and Population by Dec- 
ides—Streams AND Runs— Destruction of the Timber— Soil and 
ToPOGRVPiiY- Tile Factory and avhat it has Accomplished— Pio- 
neers— First Deaths and Marriage— Samuel Edwards, the Noted 
Hunter and Subsequent Author— Justices— Churches— Education— 
Villages— Oak Kidge Postoffice— Cemeteries. 

THIS subdivision was named Blanchard at the suggestion of Richard 
Dukes, one of its pioneers, in honor of the stream which crosses it from 
east to west. Col. John Johnston, for about half a century an Indian agent, 
says, in Howe's " Historical Collections," the Shawnees called this stream <S/ia- 
po-qua-te sepe, or " Tailor's River," while by the Wyandots it was called Quegh- 
tu-iva, or " claws in the water. " According to Col. Johnston, a Frenchman, 
named Blanchard, a tailor by trade, married a Shawnee squaw and lived upon 
the river, before the occupation of the country by the whites, and the real mean- 
ing of its Shawnee name is "one who sewed garments. " When the whites 
took possession of Ohio the sui'veyors named the stream Blanchard' s Fork 
of the Auglaize, in memory of this Frenchman, and so it has since remained. 
Thus Blanchard Township has an historic name, one that goes back into the 
fading traditions of the past. 

It was erected March 7, 1831, fi'om territory previously included in 
Liberty Township, and has always embraced the full Congressional Town- 
ship 1 north. Range 9, or 23,040 acres. March 4, 1834, Township 2 north. 
Range 9, was attached to Blanchard for judicial purposes, but March 2, 
1835, it was erected into a new township named Pleasant, leaving Blanchard 
as originally formed. It lies in the western range of townships, with Pleas- 
ant Township on the north. Liberty on the east, Union on the south and 
Putnam County on the west. In 1840 Blanchard had a population of 629; 
1850, 1,051; 1860, 1,161; 1870, 1,304, and 1880, 1,286. 

This is one of the best watered portions of Hancock County. The Blanch- 
ard River enters the township in the northeast corner of Section 13, and 
winding in a southwest course across the township strikes the Putnam 
County^line near the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of Section 
19. It is here a very crooked stream, and in its marked sinuosity much re- 
sembles a huge snake. Though often becoming very low diu-ing dry weather, 
it sometimes leaps its banks and spreads over the adjacent lands. There is 
always sufficient water in its bed, even in the driest season, for stock pur- 
poses. Several small runs di-ain the north part of Blanchard into the river, 



378 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

while the main branch of Pickens Run heads on Section 3, whence it takes 
a northwest course into Pleasant. From the south the Blanchard is fed by- 
two or three tributaries, Ottawa Creek being the most important. The head- 
waters of this stream are located in Van Buren Township, and consist of 
two main forks, which unite on Section 36, Union Township; thence pass- 
ing in a general northerly direction through Union and the southeastern 
portion of this township discharges its waters into the Blanchard in the 
southwest corner of Section 14. These streams and runs have been of great 
utility to the inhabitants of Blanchard, furnishing good drainage facilities 
and an abundant water supply. In early days fish were very plentiful in the 
Blanchard and Ottawa Creek. 

When the first settlers built their cabins along the Blanchard a heavy 
forest covered the land. But the clearing up process, as a matter of stern 
necessity, went on so ruthlessly that very little of the most valuable woods, 
such as walnut and poplar, now remain. What was not cut down and 
burned, or converted into rails and lumber, has nearly all been sold long 
ago to dealers and manufacturers. But the fertility of the lands has largely 
repaid their owners for the mistake made in the destruction of the valuable 
timber which grew thereon, as those gigantic trees were evidences of the 
strength of the virgin soil. Along each side of the Blanchard we find a 
deep sandy vegetable loam that cannot be excelled in the production of corn. 
South of the river, except on Ottawa Creek, where the lands are somewhat 
diversified, the country is generally very level and requires considerable 
ditching, but the soil is also a vegetable loam with here and there a mixture 
of clay and sand, which properly drained is very rich and productive. 
Upon reaching the rolling uplands north of the Blanchard a strong clay 
soil predominates, though mixed in places with sandy deposits, the soil on 
the flatter lands being locally termed a muck. A sand ridge crosses the 
southeast corner of the township, along which the lands are highly prized. 
Benton lies upon this ridge. West of Benton to the county line the country 
is exceedingly level, and much of it was originally very wet. Prudent 
ditching and tiling, however, soon render these lands among the most valu- 
able in the county. 

There is perhaps no enterprise in the township that has done so much 
toward its prosi^erity as the tile factoiy established some twelve or fifteen 
years ago by Lewis Dukes, Sr. , on his farm in Section 10. He subsequently 
sold the ground and buildings, and this factory has ever since supplied the 
whole sm-rounding country with draining tile. The greater portion of the 
flat lands has been brought under a high state of cultivation by a plentiful 
use of the tile made in this factory, and thus the wealth of the township has 
been annually increased and multiplied. No portion of Hancock County 
can compare in improvements with the Dukes, Davis and Moffitt settlement, 
and we very much doubt that it is excelled by any country neighborhood 
in Ohio. The productiveness of the lands here is largely due to the judic- 
ious use of tiles, and this factory has therefore been of inestimable value to 
the farmers of Blanchard Township. 

Pioneers. — The first settlers of Blanchard came principally from the 
older counties of Ohio, though most of the heads of families were natives of 
other States or countries. In the spring of 1823 John Hunter and Benja- 
min Chandler came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and built their cabins in 
the southwest quarter of Section 15. Hunter's stood on the south bank of 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 



379 



the Blancliard, and Chandler's immediately north of the former and on the 
same side of the river. They were brothers-in-law and about 60 acres of 
land were here entered by Hunter in September, 1825. At the first election 
held in Findlay Township, July 1, 1823, Chandler was one of the judges of 
election: and at the second election, April 5, 1824, Hunter was elected one 
of the two fence viewers of Findlay Township. On the first tax levy, taken 
bv Wilson Vance in 1824, Hunter is assessed with one horse and eight head 
of cattle. In April, 1831, they sold out to George Shaw and Selden 
Blodget, and removed to Michigan. They were the first settlers to locate 
in this township, but left the county at such an early day that few remem- 
ber them only by tradition, though their names are frequently met with m 
the early records. • a .• ia 

George Shaw was the next settler of Blanchard, locating in Section lb, 
south of the river, in the spring of 1827. The following autumn he re- 
turned to Stark County, Ohio, and brought out his wife, Dorcas, and eight 
children He could not then enter or buy the site of his settlement, as that 
section was school land, but he lived there till April, 1831, whe_n te pur- 
chased John Hunter's improvement of about 42 acres m Section lo. When 
the school lands were sold, in 1837, he bought 200 acres on Section 1^, and 
thus became the owner of his first settlement. Two of his children died, 
one in 1828 and the other in 1829, which were the first deaths m the town- 
ship. Mr. Shaw voted at the first county election in April, 1828. In 1839 
he was elected commissioner, and re-elected to the same office. He died 
February 1, 1861, in his seventy-eighth year, his widow surviving him till 
Au<^ust 16, 1875, and dying at McComb, in the eighty-fourth year of her 
age* Mrs. William Shafer, of this township, is the only one of their four 
surviving childi-en residing in the county. , „ ^o^^ -rr 

Lewis Dukes, Sr.,came to the township in the fall of 1827. He was born 
in Franklin County, Ohio, in 1811, and his parents, John and Mary Dukes 
were natives of Virginia. His father died when Lewis was quite small, and 
the widow married William Powell, who, with his wife and two children, 
Asa and William H. , and also Dillard R. Dukes, accompanied Lewis from 
Franklin County, Ohio, to the Blanchard. Mr. Powell returned on busi- 
ness to Franklin County the same fall, and there died. In the spring of 
1828 the widow and her two younger children went back to Frankhn County, 
and remained there several years before again coming to Hancock; but 
Lewis Dukes has been a resident of the county since first settling here, 
more than fifty-eight years ago, and is to-day the oldest settler m the town- 
ship In a few years he had saved enough from his daily labor to enter his 
first piece of land, and from time to time added thereto until he became 
one of the largest land owners in the township. In 1838 he married Miss 
Laura W. Bean, who died in 1874. His second wife was Mrs. Harriet Al- 
ward dauc^hter of James Caton, a pioneer of Liberty Township, who now 
watches over his household. Early in life he joined the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and is still a consistent adherent of that faith. In his younger 
days he was noted for his vigorous, forcible character, economical habits 
and untiring industry, which enabled him to amass a respectable fortune 
from agricultural pursuits. Quiet and unassuming in his every-day life, he 
is passing his declining years on a finely improved farm, surrounded by the 
many comforts that wealth enables its possessors to enjoy. 

In November, 1828, Richard and John Dukes joined the settlement. 



380 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Both were natives of Virginia, and elder brothers of Lewis, Sr. Eichard 
was married in Franklin County, Ohio, to Mary Blue, who had borne him 
one son, Lewis, ere the family settled north of the Blanchard in Section 
15, where thirteen childi-en were afterward born, nine of whom grew to 
maturity. Mrs. Dukes died on the old homestead. Mr. Dukes was subse- 
quently married twice, but no children were born to these two unions. He 
died in Findlay in 1876, whither he removed from the old farm, April 
1, 1873. Lewis, Jr., and Eli, of Blanchard Township, and W. E., of 
McComb, are the only members of his family living in this county. Lewis, 
Jr. , is regarded as the most successful farmer that Hancock County has 
ever possessed. He was an infant when his parents came to the Blanchard, 
and, excepting his uncle Lewis, is the oldest resident of the township. 
John Dukes was a single man when he came here, but the same fall he was 
married to Hannah Howchings, by Eev. Thomas Thompson, this being the 
first marriage in the settlement. She died April 15, 1829, which was the 
first death of a grown person in this part of the county. He was afterward 
thrice married, his second wife, Jane, dying in 1841, and his third wife, 
Mary, in 1862. After clearing up a farm in Section 15, north of the river, 
and spending the greater part of his life in this township, he sold his prop- 
erty, and in his old age removed, with his fourth wife, to Wood County, 
where he passed the few remaining years of his earthly existence, leaving 
no descendants to perpetuate his name and memory. 

Thomas and Adaline Groves also settled north of the Blanchard in the 
fall of 1828. Mr. Groves was a native of Eockingham County, Va., 
whence he removed to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he married Adaline 
Choate, a native of Vermont, who was the mother of two children when 
her husband came from Pickaway County and took up his abode on Section 
14, Blanchard Township. Ten children were born after coming, making a 
family of six sons and six daughters, eight of whom siu'vive, three sons 
living in Hancock County. Mrs. Groves died upon the old homestead 
December 21, 1875, in her seventy-fifth year, and here too her venerable 
husband passed away July 31, 1881, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. 

In the fall of 1828 Jeremiah Colclo, with his mother and son, William 
M. , came from the central part of the State and settled north of the Blanch- 
ard, on Section 17. After building a cabin and commencing an improve- 
ment, Mr. Colclo went back for his wife and balance of his family, whom 
he brought out in the spring of 1829. He entered a large tract of land, 
and was a very hard-working, industrious man. The parents died on the 
home farm; William M. went to Indiana, and the other children also died 
or removed from the county. The family are kindly remembered in the 
neighborhood where they settled and lived. 

In the spring of 1829 George Epley and Joseph Bowen, brothers-in- 
law, came from Eoss County, Ohio, and located on land in Section 18, en- 
tered by Henry Epley in 1827. They were sent out by the latter to make 
an improvement on his land, and prepare for his coming. Both resided 
here for many years, Epley dying in the township, but we were unable to 
learn whether Bowen died here or removed fi'om the county. 

The year 1830 brought into the township Thomas Moffitt, Mordecai, 
Enoch and Eli Haddox, Henry Epley and William Downing, all of whom 
settled permanently at that time. Thomas Moffitt and family came from 
Eoss County, Ohio, in the spring of the year, and located in Section 17, 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 381 

north of the Blanchard. In 1831 he was elected justice of the peace, being 
the first citizen of Blanchard Township who filled that office. He was 
again elected in 1841, and re-elected in 1814 After residing here till about 
1850 he sold out to his brothers, William and John, and went to Iowa. 
The Haddox brothers were natives of Virginia, and first settled in Frank- 
lin County, Ohio, whence they removed to Section 17, this township. Their 
mother, Hannah, came with them and died in 1835. Mordecai and Margaret 
Haddox reared a family of five children. Mrs. Haddox was a native of Ger- 
many, and died in 1855, Mr. Haddox surviving her till 1879. John, their 
eldest son, resides in Section 18, on a part of the old farm. Enoch and his 
wife, Anna M., also died here, the latter in 1856 and the former in 1863. Eli 
was a single man, and after his marriage moved into Putnam County. 
Henry Epley was from Ross County, Ohio, and in 1827 entered the east 
half of the southeast quarter of Section 18, upon which his brother, George, 
settled in 1829, and he in 1830. Henry resided on the Blanchard till his 
death in 1846, his widow, Elizabeth, surviving him thirty years and dying 
in 1876. William Downing was born in Maryland in 1797, his parents re- 
moving to Pike County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He there en- 
listed and served in the war of 1812, being then but a boy of sixteen. In 
1830, with his wife, Elizabeth, he came to this township, and built his 
cabin in the southwest quarter of Section 12, where his wife died in 1851. 
He was again married, and in 1863 was laid beside his first wife in the 
Dukes Cemetery. The old homestead is still occupied by his widow. 

Selden Blodget came from the Tymochtee as early as 1827, and voted at 
the first county election in April, 1828. In April, 1831, he bought of John 
Hunter about twenty acres of land in Section 15, Blanchard Township, 
upon which he located with his family of two sons and one daughter. In 
July, 1832, he gave a power of attorney to Squire Carlin and Charles 
McKinnis to dispose of his land, and removed to Michigan. His first wife 
died on the Tymochtee, and he married Mrs. Lydia Davis, of Franklin 
County, but they separated ere his removal to Hancock. After he went to 
Michigan, his wife, with the children of her first marriage, settled on the 
Blanchard, where she resided till her death in 1877. 

Solomon Foglesong, William and John Mires, and Richard and John L. 
Carson all settled in the southeast corner of the township in 1831. Mr. 
Foglesong entered the southwest quarter of Section 36, April 23, 1831, and 
with his wife, Catherine, at once settled upon it, erecting his cabin on the east 
bank of Ottawa Creek. Here he resided for more than half a century. 
His wife died February 20, 1872, and he survived her till January 9, 1883, 
leaving no descendants to perpetuate his name. William and John Mires 
located on the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 35 in the sum- 
mer of 1831. In November, 1835, William laid out the village of Benton, 
and in June, 1836, they sold their land to David M. Baldwin, afterward 
purchasing land southwest of Benton in Union Township, but after some 
years they again disposed of their property, and went West. The Carsons 
came from Franklin County, Ohio, in the fall of 1831, and also located on 
Section 35. In 1834 John L. was elected county commissioner and justice 
of the peace in 1836. Dick Carson was known as the champion fighter of 
the township. He was a large muscular man, and, though for the times 
rather peaceably inclined, was ever ready to resent an insult or accept a 
challenge to a ' 'rough-and-tumble" encounter. An old settler in speaking 



382 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of him to the writer said, "Dick, when a little full, would fight at the drop 
of a hat, and never found his match in this county." Fighting was not 
then frowned upon as it is to-day, in fact such pleasures ( ?) were rather en- 
couraged, and thus became a part of the festivities at nearly every public 
gathering. Many years ago the Carsons removed with their families to the 
West. 

John Downing came here in the spring of 1832, from Pike County, Ohio, 
cleared a small patch on Section 13, south of the river, and put in a crop. 
The following autumn he brought out his family, consisting of his wife and 
eight children; the sons being David, George, William, Isaac and John. 
One son, Timothy, was born on the Blanchard after settlement. In 1849 
George and William went to California, and in 1850 David followed them, 
but after a few years spent in the gold regions, all returned to this ' county. 
About twenty-five years ago William removed to Kansas, whither he was 
soon afterward followed by his father and brothers, Isaac and Timothy. 
George subsequently went to Iowa, and David, now a resident of Findlay, 
is the only one of John Downing' s children living in Hancock County. 

David Millham and Nimrod Smith both located on Section 14, in 1832. 
The former was an Englishman, who in the spring of 1832 came from one 
of the older settled counties of Ohio, made a small clearing, put in a crop 
and built a cabin north of the Blanchard. The following autumn he brought 
his family. His house soon became known as the most filthy in the whole 
settlement, and none of the neighbors cared to visit the Millhams. In 1851 
he assisted in laying out Lewisville, and subsequently moved with his family 
to Indiana. Nimrod and Polly Smith settled south of the river, but in 1835 
sold his land to John Spreaker, and moved to a farm near the home of 
Thomas Moffitt, where he accidentally shot himself some years after. 

John C. Wickham and family came from Ross County, Ohio, to Findlay, 
in 1827, and he taught the second school in that town. He was clerk of the 
first county election held in April, 1828 (at which he and his son Minor T. 
voted), and also the second postmaster of Findlay. In October, 1828, he 
was elected sheriff of Hancock County and served one term. In 1832 his 
son William removed h'Qm Findlay to Section 13, Blanchard Township, and 
in 1833 the parents and son. Minor T., also settled on the same section. Mr. 
Wickham taught the second school in the township and, in 1835, was elected 
as its second justice of the peace. He died soon afterward while on a 
business trip to Wayne County, Ohio, but some of his decendants yet reside 
in the county. 

In October, 1829, Philip Powell, a native of Pennsylvania, and a pre- 
vious settler of Fairfield County, Ohio, came to Hancock County, and en- 
tered two quarters of land on Ottawa Creek, lying in Section 35, Blanchard 
Township, and Section 2, Union. The following year, with his sons, Will- 
iam and Jacob, he again visited this county and began an improvement on 
his land, immediately east of the site of Benton. For the succeeding three 
years the Powells continued to visit and clear up their lands preparatory to 
settling permanently thereon, and in 1830-31-32 and 33 the father entered 
560 acres more in this township in Sections 25, 26, and 35. In 1834 William, 
with his young wife, took up his residence in Section 35, where he has 
ever since resided. Jacob afterward married, and settled in Section 25, 
where he died April 20, 1870. John and Daniel did not settle here for 
several years after William and Jacob, and both still reside upon their farms 





^e^y^ 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 385 

southeast of Benton, Daniel's home being across the line in Union Town- 
ship. All of the sons were born and reared in Fairfield County, Ohio, and 
the parents resided there till death. 

Michael Fishel, John Knepper and Owen Hughes all settled near the 
site of Benton in 1883-34 and 35. The Fishel family located in Liberty 
Township in March, 1828, whence Michael removed in 1833, to the south- 
east quarter of Section 34, Blanchard Township. In 1876 he took up his 
residence in McComb, where he is now living. John Knepper was a brother- 
in-law of Solomon Foglesong, and, August 16, 1831, entered the east half of 
the northwest quarter and the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 
36, upon which he settled three years after. He spent the balance of his 
life on this farm. Two sons and one daughter of Mr. Knepper are resi- 
dents of Blanchard. Owen Hughes and wife, Elizabeth, and family, came 
here from Fairfield County, Ohio, and located on the west half of the 
southwest quarter of Section 35, which he entered in 1831 and settled upon 
in 1834 or 1835. Mr. Hughes was twice married and reared quite a large 
family, most of whom are residents of Hancock. His first wife died in 
1856, and his second, whose name was also Elizabeth, in 1868. Mr. Hughes 
died upon his farm, where he had lived nearly half a century, January 1 1, 
1879, in his eighty-fourth year. 

In 1834 Mrs. Lydia Davis nee Dukes (sister of Lewis Dukes, Sr.), with 
her sons John, Alfred, James and Newton, settled on the Blanchard. Her 
first husband's name was Ishmael Davis, who died in Franklin County, 
Ohio, and the widow afterward married Selden Blodget, but they soon 
parted, and Blodget came to this county in 1827, where he resided till 1832, 
leaving before the coming of the Davis family. Alfred has been the most 
prosperous of any of the sons, and is to-day one of the largest land owners 
and wealthiest farmers in Hancock County. Newton is also a resident of 
the township, and the mother died here January 16, 1877, in the eighty- 
eighth year of her age. 

Samuel Edwards settled north of the river in the Moffitt neighborhood, in 
January, 1834. He was a native of Pennsylvania, but was married in Picka- 
way County, Ohio, whence he removed to Hancock County. Edwards was 
known far and wide as the most expert hunter in northwestern Ohio, and in 
1850 sold out and moved to Henry County, where game was more plentiful. 
In 1880 he published in book form the history of his life. He claimed that 
Robert Bonner of the New York Ledger offered him .$1,000 for his sketch, but 
Edwards regarded the amount as too small, believing he had a fortune 
within his grasp. Like many other authors poor Sam's high hopes were des- 
tined to be blasted. His little book "fell flat" upon the reading public, had a 
very limited sale, and his expected "mountain of gold" dwindled away to 
nothingness. Edwards sold a few copies of his book to his old neighbors 
on the Blanchard, who took it "for the sake of auld lang syne." 

Two other settlers of 1834 were Seymour Hastings and John Mathews. 
The former located in Section 14, south of the Blanchard; in June, 1836, he 
sold his farm to William Smeltzer, and moved to Section 19, where he re- 
sided till death. Mathews came from Pike County, Ohio, and settled north 
of the river. It is said that he never owned any land here, and died in the 
township. 

In the fall of 1835 Charles, William and John Moffitt, Joel Pendleton, 
John Spreaker and Thomas Downing came into the township. The Moffitt 



386 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

brothers, with their mother, Sarah, located south of the Blanchard on a part 
of their brother Thomas' land, who had preceded them several years. Charles 
married a sister of Alfred Davis and died in Union Township. William 
and John also married here, bought out Thomas and became quite wealthy. 
The former died Jtme 30, 1884, but John is still one of the active farmers 
of Blanchard. Three of William's sons reside in the township. Joel Pen- 
dleton settled in Section 23, but after living here nearly four years sold out 
and moved into Findlay Township, were he is yet living. Mr. Pendleton was 
surveyor of Hancock County for nearly thirty-five years, and is a very in- 
telligent man. John Spreaker was a Pennsylvanian, who bought the farm 
of Nimrod Smith in Section 14, south of the river. After living here about 
twenty years he went to Illinois. Thomas Downing was a brother of Will- 
iam, who came in 1830. He, too, removed to Illinois. 

A large number of settlers came to the township in 1835-36 among 
whom were Alpheus Edwards, Joseph Horner, David Braucht, David 
M. Baldwin, William Smeltzer, Phineas Mapes, Stephen Smith and James 
McClish. Mr. Edwards was born in Connecticut in 1808, immigrated to 
Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1819, there married Leah Shriner, and in March, 
1835, with his wife and four children, settled on the east half of the north- 
west quarter of Section 32, where he has ever since resided. He reared 
nine children, eight of whom are living. His wife died in 1879, and per 
haps before this meets the reader's eye he, too, shall have passed away, as he 
is now quite old and feeble. Joseph Horner and family came the same time 
as Mr. Edwards and settled in Section 31, where he lived until his removal 
to Indiana a few years ago. David Braucht and family were from Stark 
County, Ohio. He entered a large tract of land south of the Blanchard, 
May 17, 1834, and, doubtless, settled in Section 13, the following year. 
Both he and his wife died on the old homestead, and Mrs. L. C. Groves is the 
only one of their children now living in the county. David M. Baldwin, 
of Fairfield County, Ohio, purchased the farm of John and William Mires, 
in Section 35, June 13, 1836, and; with his wife, Sarah, and family, at once 
took possession. Mr. Baldwin afterward opened a tavern, which he carried 
on for many years. He died on his farm near Benton, February 20, 1875, 
and his widow still occupies the old home, while five sons and three daugh- 
ters reside in the neighborhood. William Smeltzer was a Pennsylvanian, 
who had lived in the county previous to his purchase, in June, 1836, of 
Seymour Hastings' farm^ in Section 14, where he resided until his death. 
Phineas Mapes located in Section 19, and here both he and his wife died. 
Stephen Smith settled in the southeast quarter of section 28, whence he 
moved into Union Township, and there spent the balance of his life. 

James McClish, a native of Maryland, married Patience Bishop, 
of New Jersey. She bore him eleven children, ten of whom grew to 
maturity. He settled on the farm now owned by his son N. B. , where he 
died a few days after reaching his destination. While the headstone over 
his grave says he died October 6, 1835, the family now claim that his death 
occurred in 1836, and that the date on the stone is incorrect. Seven children 
came with the parents to this township, but N. B. is the only one now living 
here, the mother having died January 21, 1867, in her eighty-first year. 

Of other settlers, Peter Foltz and Jacob Engle are kindly remembered. 
Mr. Foltz and his wife, Elizabeth, came fi'om Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1836, 
and settled on Ottawa Creek in Section 25, where both died, Mrs. Foltz 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 387 

died August 9, 1850, and he was again married, and reared a large family 
by his second wife. On the 11th of March, 1874, he, too, passed away and 
was laid beside his first wife in a little private cemetery southeast of Ben^ 
ton, on the west bank of Ottawa Creek. Several of his children are resi- 
dents of the county. Jacob Engle was a German, who came here from 
Somerset County, Penn., about 1837, and settled near the site of Benton, 
where he died in 1859, his family afterward removing to Iowa. Others 
might be mentioned who came into Blanchard Township about this period, 
among whom were John M. Kadebaugh, Charles Frost and Samuel Rudesill; 
but the names of the real j)ioneers have been given, the only object in view. 

Justices. — Upon the organization of the township in 1831, Thomas 
Moffitt was elected justice of the peace, and his successors have been John 
C. Wickham, John L. Carson, John M. Radebaugh, Charles Frost, Henry 
Cook, Eli Dunning, John Boylan, William H. Conine, Mathew E. Hopkins, 
Philip Ballard, W. H. Kilpatrick, George Downing, Robert Marshall, John 
Wortman, Ephraim Mathias, Hiram W. Hughes, Joseph Thompson, W. 
P. Dukes, Amos Wittemeyer, John Bergman, John C. Wickham, John 
Wortman, Samuel G. Robinson and Amos Wittemeyer. 

Churches. — The Methodist Episcopals organized the first society in the 
township, at the house of John Dukes, as early as 1831. Rev. Thomas 
Thompson was the minister present, and Richard Dukes and wife, John 
Dukes and wife, Thomas Mofiitt and wife, and Mrs. William Downing, were 
about all that took an active interest in the organization. Several other 
Methodist families came to the township soon afterward, some of whom 
joined the class. Among these were William Wickham and wife, Mrs. 
William Powell, Mrs. David Millham, IVlrs. John Mathews and Mrs. James 
McClish. Services were first held at the houses of John Dukes, Richard 
Dukes and Thomas Mofiitt. About 1836 or 1837 a hewed-log building was 
erected on the farm of Richard Dukes, which is yet standing. With the 
growth of the society, this structure became too small and primitive, and a 
frame building was put up farther west. This served the congregation until 
the erection of the present brick church in 1880. In 1871 the Methodists 
built another chiirch at Benton, and it, too, is a brick building. The United 
Brethren and Evangelical denominations held meetings and organized 
societies quite early in this part of the county. The former has three 
churches in Blanchard; one in Section 36, which was the first church built 
in the vicinity of Benton; one in Section 32, and one in Section 18, north 
of the river. This denomination has perhaps the most numerous following 
in the township. The Evangelical Association erected its present church 
in 1858-59, one-half mile west of Benton, in Section 34, but in 1868 it was 
moved into the village and is still used by the society. 

Education. — In 1832 a school was taught in one end of John Dukes' 
cabin by Amanda Kilpatrick. The Dukeses, Shaws, Groves and Millhams 
were the pupils. The next year a small log schoolhouse was built on the 
farm of Thomas Groves in Section 14, which was opened and taught by John 
C. Wickham in the winter of 1833-34. It was attended by the Shaws, 
Dukeses, Groves, Downings, Millhams, Wickhams, Hastings and others who 
then lived in the township. Frederick Ballard was the next teacher, and 
then came Joel Pendleton and Mr. Choate. Another early school was taught 
in a cabin on the farm of Enoch Haddox, and attended by the Haddoxes, 
Epleys and others of that vicinity. As the country settled up the little log 



380 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

schoolhoiise made its appearance in other sections of the township until 
all were siipplied. Blanchard can now boast of ten schoolhouses, wherein 
school is held during the full legal year. 

Villages. — Benton was laid out November 5, 1835, on the east half of 
the northwest quarter of Section 35, by William Mires, and named in honor 
of Hon. Thomas Benton, the great Democratic statesman of Missouri. It 
originally contained thirty-six lots, but several additions have since been 
laid out. Benton lies about nine miles southwest of Findlay, on the same 
ridge which here crosses the county, and has always been a small country town 
with a limited local business. In 1840 a postoffice, named Benton Ridge, was 
established here, with David M. Baldwin as postmaster. His successors 
have been William Miller, Philip Ballard, Isaac Sperow, Michael Merchant, 
David M. Baldwin, T. J. Saunders, J. G. Saunders, J. H. Saunders, J. 
G. Saunders, H. W. Hughes, John C. Wickham, T. J. Saunders and R. N. 
Cherry. In March, 1875, the village was incorporated for special purposes, 
and has since had two mayors: R. S. Palmer and Amos Wittemeyer. Its 
present business interests consist of one diy goods and grocery store, a dry 
goods, grocery and hardware store, a grocery store, a druggist, a steam grist- 
mill, a steam saw-mill, two general blacksmith shops, one of which manu- 
factures plows, a cabinet-maker and iindertaker, a shoe shop, a saloon, a 
good hotel and one physician. Benton Lodge, No. 418, F. & A. M. , was 
instituted October 21, 1868, with twenty-one charter members. This lodge 
has recently been removed to Rawson. The Methodist Ej)iscopals and Evan- 
gelical Association have each a chui'ch in the village, and there is also a 
schoolhouse located here. In 1880 the town had a population of 179, and 
now claims over 200, which indicates a slight growth. 

Lewisville was laid out by William H. Powell, David Millham and 
Michael Shearer, in April, 1851, on the north pai-t of the northeast quarter 
of Section 14, and the southeast quarter of Section 11. A general country 
store was opened, a schoolhouse built, and three or four residences erected, 
but that is as far as its growth ever reached. The store was carried on by 
John Boylan for a few years, and then abandoned, and the village site was 
gradually returned to the uses of agricultui'e. 

Oak Ridge Postoffice was established in 1848 at the house of William 
Downing, with Mr. Downing as postmaster. The office has always been in 
the same neighborhood, and Mr. Downing' s successors have been as follows: 
Robert Marshall, Daniel Morris, Mrs. William Downing, Rezin Cook, David 
Downing, Eli Dukes, L. C. Groves and Thomas McKinnis. Oak Ridge, 
though of little importance, has nevertheless been a great accommodation to 
the people in this section of the county, and is therefore regarded with 
much favor. 

Cemeteries. — The Dukes Cemetery north of the Blanchard is the oldest 
in the township, as two of George Shaw' s childi-en were interred there in 
1828 and 1829, and also the wife of John Dukes in the latter year. George 
Shaw, Richard Dukes, Mordecai and Enoch Haddox, Henry Epley, William 
Downing, William Moffitt and James McClish, with their wives, also Mrs. 
Lydia Davis and many other pioneers are buried in this graveyard. It is 
located on a sand hill in Sections 15 and 16, lying partly in both, is decor- 
ated with evergreens, and contains quite a number of nice monuments. 
The Benton Ridge Cemetery is also a neat little ground, and was opened at 
an early day. It lies immediately west of that village on the Sand Ridge, 



CASS TOWNSHIP. 389 

and is naturally well adapted for a cemetery. Here Thomas Groves, Jacob 
Powell, Owen Hughes, David M. Baldwin, Jacob Engle and others of the 
pioneer fathers were laid to rest. The Braucht Cemetery, in Section 13, 
is quite an early public bui'ial place, not at present much used. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CASS TOWNSHIP. 

Ekeotion, Organization, Changes in Territory, Area. Boundaries and 
Population— Derivation of Name, Topography, Wildcat Thicket, 
Soil and Water Privileges— First Land Entries and Pioneers— 
Mills— Schools— Religious Societies— Justices— Cass and Wineland 
postoffices— f rankford. 

THIS political subdivision lies in the northern range of townships, and 
was erected March 4, 1833. It then embraced the whole of Town- 
ship 2, north. Range 11, the four eastern tiers of sections being taken from 
Marion, and the two western tiers from Findlay Township, the latter sub- 
division, previous to the erection of Cass and Portage, embracing all of 
what is now Allen Township. The first election for township officers was 
held the first Monday in April, 1833, at which time less than a dozen votes 
were cast. Upon the erection of Allen Township, in June, 1850, twelve 
sections were taken ofP the west side of Cass in the formation of the new 
township. Since that date Cass has contained an area of twenty-four square 
miles, or 15,360 acres, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Wood 
County, on the east by W^ashington Township, on the south by Marion 
Township, and on the west by Allen Township. Its population by decades 
has been as follows: 1840, 588; 1850, 621; 1860, 860; 1870, 759, and 
1880, 829. 

The township was named in honor of Gen. Lewis Cass, the celebrated 
Democratic leader of Michigan, and was originally covered with a heavy 
growth of the several kinds of timber indigenous to northwestern Ohio. The 
surface is slightly rolling, being sufficiently interspersed with ridges to afford 
good natural drainage. ' ' Wildcat Thicket " was a windfall about half a 
mile in width, that during pioneer days ran across the township a little south 
of the center, the trees all lying with their tops toward the east, indicating 
that the storm came from the opposite direction. A rank vegetation and a 
heavy growth of underbrush covered the fallen timber, and afPorded a safe 
lair for the many wild animals then infesting the country. Wild-cats were 
numerous in this thicket: hence the name. Along the Wood County line 
the soil is a vegetable loam, except upon the ridges which are composed of 
a sand and gravel formation, ' A sand and gravel ridge crosses the north 
part of the township from east to west. South of this ridge a clay and 
loam soil prevails, mixed in places with deposits of sand and gravel. The 
southern and central portions of Cass are drained by the Middle Branch of 
Portage River, the headwaters of which may be said to have their source in 
the south part of the township. Two forks meander northward, one from 



390 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the southeast corner and the other from the soiithwest corner of the town 
ship, and, after uniting near the east line of Section 15, the stream flows 
westward into Allen, thence onward into Wood County. Two small tribu- 
taries of the same river flow northward from the ridge, and assist in drain- 
ing that part of the township. Good water is readily found by sinking 
wells, and sulphur water exists in considerable quantities. 

First Land Entries and Pioneers. — The first settlements in this township 
were made upon the ridge, the earliest entries being made in the north part 
of the township. In March, 1832, David P. Day entered the northeast 
quarter of Section 11, and John Franks, the north half of Section 10 and 
the southwest quarter of Section 1. The following May Kev. Elam Day 
entered the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 12, and the same 
month Eleazer C. Fairchild took up the southwest quarter of the southeast 
quarter of Section 2, and the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 
12. 

The Days and Fairchilds were the first families to settle in the town- 
ship. David P. and Elam Day came here respectively from Wayne and 
Wood Counties, Ohio, in the summer of 1832, the former settling in Section 

11 and the latter in Section 12. Elam was a regular minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and David P., a local preacher of the same 
denomination. Both families went to Iowa many years ago. Daniel and 
Eleazer C. Fairchild, of Trumbull County, Ohio, settled in Sections 1 and 

12 respectively, in the fall of 1832. Daniel was the second justice of Cass 
Township, served one term as county commissioner, and resided on his farm 
till death. Eleazer C. , better known as Curtis, removed to Iowa. None of 
their descendants are now living in the county. 

During the fall of 1832 Gibson McDaniels, Hiram Hulburt, James 
Wood, Charles W. Goldsborough and Nicholas Helmick all came into 
the township. McDaniels soon after arriving here married a daugh- 
ter of Eleazer C. Fairchild, and settled in Section 15, whence he re- 
moved to the West. Hiram Hulburt and family located in Section 11, 
where he carried on a small ashery. He sold out to James Vickers, and 
moved away at an early day. James Wood and family came from Wayne 
County, Ohio, and also settled in Section 11. He afterward removed into 
Marion Township, and there died. Charles W. Goldsborough and family 
settled in the southeast quarter of Section 1, and in October, 1832, sold 
fifty acres off his farm to Francis Redfern. In a few years the Golds- 
boroughs left the county. They were Methodists, and among the organizers 
of the first Methodist Episcopal class in the township. Nicholas Helmick 
was a native of Virginia, who had served in the Revolutionary war. He 
first settled in Section 14, but soon afterward removed to Section 10. He 
sold his land in Section 14 to Moses Hudson in 1837, and removed to Port- 
age Township, where he spent the remaining years of his life. 

It is not easy to determine the year when Jasper and John Franks, 
Jr. , came into this township, for though the latter claims to have settled 
here in 1829, there was no land entered by any member of the family till 
March 12, 1832, when John Franks, of Wayne County, Ohio, took up the 
north half of Section 10, and the southwest quarter of Section 1, Township 
2 north. Range 11. The same spring John Franks, Jr., entered the east 
half of the southwest quarter of Section 4. Mr. Franks says: "In moving 
out from Wayne County we came through what is now Fostoria and stopped 



CASS TOWNSHIP. 391 

to assist Charles W. Foster to raise a log house — the first one built in that 
town. ' ' Mrs. Foster, yet a resident of Fostoria, says : ' ' Our house was 
built in October, 1832, and we moved into it on the 15th of November fol- 
lowing." The parents, John and Rachel Franks, their son, Michael, and 
daughters, Mrs. David Hoyle, Mrs. Jonas Brown and Mrs. Samuel F.Harry, 
came from Wayne County somewhat later. All of the living pioneers of 
Cass Township agree in saying that the Franks family did not settle in this 
county before the fall of 1832, and we believe that to be the correct date of 
their coming. A village named Frankford was laid out by John Franks, 
Sr., in July, 1833, on the northwest quarter of Section 10. IVIi's. John 
Franks, Sr. , died on the old homestead, and Mr. Franks moved into Seneca 
County and again married. He subsequently settled in Washington Town- 
ship, whence he removed to Michigan. Jasper and family went to Iowa; 
Michael married here and died on his farm in Washington Township. 
John, Jr. , married Sarah Musgrove, of Wayne County, who bore him eight 
children. His second wife was Elizabeth Fast, by whom there are five chil- 
dren. Mr. Franks, who now resides in Wood County, has accumulated a 
large estate, much of which he still owns. All of the elder Franks were 
Pennsylvanians. 

James and Sarah (Madison) Vickers were natives of England, and im- 
migrated to the United States about 1818, settling near Pittsburg, Penn., 
whence they removed to Wayne County, Ohio. In the fall of 1832, Mr. 
Vickers came to this township and erected a cabin on the northwest quarter 
of Section 11, on a piece of land previously purchased from its owner, who 
lived in Wayne County. In April, 1833, with his wife and four children, he 
journeyed from Wayne County and took possession of his cabin on the ridge 
which stood on the site of his son James' handsome residence. Mr. 
Vickers was an enterprising man, and as early as 1838 or 1839 built a saw- 
mill on the run near his home, which did considerable sawing for the neigh- 
borhood. The first Methodist society organized in the township held services 
for many years at his home, and he was one of its most earnest supporters. 
Mr. Vickers died in 1866, aged seventy-two, his widow surviving him till 
1881, and dying in her eighty-fifth year. Of their four childi-en who came 
with them from Wayne County, and the two born after coming, but three 
are living, James A. , a leading farmer of Cass, being the only one residing 
in Hancock County. 

John Hardy was born in Philadelphia, Penn., July 15, 1797, there mar- 
ried Martha Orr, in August, 1822, and removed to Stark County, Ohio, the 
same month. On the 31st of May. 1833, he arrived with his family in Cass 
Township, and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 10. After about 
four years' residence here he removed to a farm near the west line of what is 
now Allen Township, where he died October 30, 1860, his widow surviving 
till 1866. Mr. Hardy was a man of fair education, and taught school for 
many years. He was also one of the pioneer Methodists of the township 
and altogether a very worthy citizen. 

Other Settlers of 1833 were John Payne, Charles Eckels, John Welch, 
Frederick Wagner and George and Thomas Elliott. Payne, with his wife 
and three daughters, located in the southeast quarter of Section 4, and was 
the first justice elected in the township. After a few years trial the family 
went back to Medina County. Charles and Magdalene (Karns) Eckels, na- 
tives of eastern Ohio, settled in the southeast corner of Section 12, where he 



392 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

resided till his death, which occurred many years ago. Mr. Eckels was a son of 
William Eckels, of Washington Township, and left a family of four sons and 
two daughters. His widow survived him till 1(S(84, and his son Joel now 
occupies the old homestead. John Welch, a brother-in-law of William 
Eckels, settled on the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, 
entered by him June 5, 1888. He died on this farm, leaving several chil- 
dren, residents of the county, one of whom, John, lives on the home place. 
Frederick Wagner located on the east half of the southwest quarter of 
Section 14, where both he and his wife died. Thomas Elliott also built his 
cabin on the northeast quarter of Section 14. George Elliott, a brother of 
Thomas, was a single man, but subsequently married a daughter of William 
Eckels, and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 12. The Elliotts 
were from Coshocton County, Ohio, and entered these tracts April 2, 1833. 
Both sold out at an early day and went to Iowa. 

In 1884 George Albertson, John Chaf3S.n and George Rhamy joined the 
settlement. Mr. Albertson, wife, and several children came from New Jer- 
sey and settled on Section 22. His wife died on the farm, and he removed 
to Arcadia and there died. None of the children are living in this county. 
John and Margaret Chaffin, natives of Virginia, located in Section 24. In 
1838 Mr. Chaffin was elected justice of the peace, and served one term. He 
died on the home farm, and the family afterward went to Iowa. George 
Rhamy was fi'om Carroll County, Ohio, and after coming here married 
Barbara, daughter of Frederick Wagner. He settled in Section 14, 
where his son, G. W. , now lives, and died upon that farm. His widow is 
still a resident of the township. 

The Brandeberrys located in Section 9, in 1835. The father, Rudolph, 
sons Andrew, Jacob, Isaac and John, and six daughters, came from Ash- 
land County, Ohio. Each son had a farm of eighty acres given to him by 
the father, who took up a large tract of land. The latter died here, and 
none of the children are living in this part of the State. 

Jacob Shaffer, of Trumbull County, Ohio, entered the southwest quarter 
and the south half of the northAvest quarter of Section 27, October 29, 1833, 
and in 1835 settled on his land. His wife, Elizabeth, reared a family of 
one son and three daughters, all of whom are yet living. Andrew resides 
upon the old homestead, where the parents passed the remaining years of 
their lives. 

John Eckels was born in Westmoreland County, Penn. , April 25, 1795, 
and in 1819 married Esther Booth. In 188(3 the parents and four sons, 
Charles J. , James M. , Cyrus L. and William H. , emigrated from Pennsyl- 
vania and settled in Section 10, on land principally purchased of John 
Franks. Three children were born after coming, and of the seven, four 
survive. His wife died in 1862, and the following year he married Mrs. 
Mary McClintock. In 1865 he removed to Findlay, where he died in the 
fall of 1883. His widow resides with her step-son, Charles J. , in North 
Findlay. Mr. Eckels was of Irish descent, and a man of strong will and 
decided opinions. He was one of the principal organizers of the Ebenezer 
Presbyterian Society, of Cass Township, which afterward united with the 
Portage Society. This organization took place in a log cabin on his farm, 
in 1837. and he remained a Presbyterian until his removal to Findlay, when 
he united with the Congregationalists, and died in that faith. 

Valentine and Elizabeth Karns emigrated from Maryland to Holmes 



f" 



I^MSf*'"*'' 




AiL^oi^^ 




CASS TOWNSHIP. 395 

County, Ohio, in 1817, and in the fall of 1836 came to Cass Township and 
settled on Section 10. Four sons and three daughters came with them, 
some of whom were full grown. The parents died on the old homestead! 
Ezra is perhaps the best remembered of the family. He was born in Mary- 
land in 1815. In 1839 he maiTied Elizabeth Albertson. of Cass Township, 
who bore him eight children, and died in 1880. Mr. Karns survived his 
wife about two years. He was a very enterprising citizen, and assisted in 
organizing the Hancock County Agricultural Society, in the success of 
which he always took the deepest interest. Mr. Karns was long recognized 
as one of the solid, substantial farmers of the county. 

L. D. Shippy and family, of Seneca County, located in Section 13, about 
1836, and the parents died here. IVIi-s. David Fowler, one of his daughters, 
resides in Findlay. ^ 

Moses and Lydia Hudson came from Wayne County, Ohio, in 1837, and 
bought a farm in Section 14. of Nicholas Helmick. Four children came 
with them, and four were afterward born in this township. Six of these are 
living, and four are residents of the county, Mrs. James Vickers and James 
E., living in Cass Township. Mrs. Hudson died upon the home place, and 
Mr. Hudson is now living with his son. John W. , in Allen Township. Sev- 
eral others came into the township in 1837 and 1838. Mr. Canfield settled 
in Section 16, where his son now lives, and Solomon Bollman, of Wayne 
County, Ohio, on the farm yet owned by his widow. Both of these pioneers 
died in the township, but are still pretty well remembered. 

Mills.— The pioneer mill of this township was put up by James Vickers, 
Sr., on Section 11, about 1838. It did a good deal of sawing for the early 
settlers, and therefore proved a great benefit. Saw-mills have existed in other 
parts of the township at diflPerent periods. The only grist-mill that has 
ever been in Cass was built by James Anderson, about 1840, on the south- 
east quarter of Section 2. It was a fi-ame building, and was operated by steam, 
but after running several years was burned down. He rebuilt the mills' 
and they were afterward operated by John Halsey and Alva French, though 
very little grinding was done, the mills being principally devoted to sawing 
lumber. 

Schools.— The pioneer school of Cass Township was opened about 1835, by 
Richard Wade, in a vacated cabin on the farm of John Hardy. It Was attended 
by the Vickers, Hardys, Wagners, Hulburts, Woods, Elliotts, Albertsons, 
Wards and George W. Montgomery, grandson of Nicholas Helmick. About 
1836 a small log schoolhouse was built in the northeast corner of Section 
11, south of the road, immediately southwest of the present schoolhouse 
on Section 2. The Fairchilds, Days, Vickers, Hulburts, Woods, Welches 
and Eckels went to school here; and Daniel Fairchild, Eichard Wade and 
William Thomas were the pioneer teachers of this part of the coimty. Cass 
now boasts of six good schoolhouses, and all the youth of the township are 
fi-eely admitted to the advantages which the common schools possess. 

Religious Societies. — In 1834 a class of the Methodist Episcopal denom- 
ination was organized at the house of Rev. Elam Day, the Days, Hardys, 
Redferns, Goldsboroughs and James Vickers and wife being the principai 
organizers. The Hudsons, Albertsons and BrandebeiTys were also among 
its earliest members. The society first met at the house of Bev. 
Elam Day, and afterward at his brother's, David P. Day. Subse- 
quently a room in the house of James Vickers was used for several years 



396 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

before a church was built. In 1844 a frame building was erected on the 
farm of James Vickers, which was replaced in 1871 by the present brick 
structure. This is familiarly known as the "Vickers Church." Another 
Methodist Church stands on the southwest quarter of Section 27, which 
was organized, and a building erected at a much later day. 

Ebenezer Society of the Presbyterian Church was organized by Eev. 
George Van Eman, at a log house on the farm of John Eckels in 1837. 
John Eckels and wife, James McMurry and wife, William Campbell and 
wife (of Wood County), and other pioneer families, were among the organ- 
izers. John Eckels and William Campbell were elected elders. This 
society, in September, 1843, united with Pleasant Hill Society, of Portage 
Township, and as West Union Church they afterward erected a building in 
Van Buren, where the society has worshiped from the date of its amalgama- 
tion. The United Presbyterians built a church quite early near the south 
line of Section 12, but it has not been used for many years. 

Justices. — John Payne, Daniel Fairchild, David Dorsey, John Chaffin, 
Andrew R. Brandeberry, Alonzo H. Cobb, Joseph Wineland, Samuel 
Creighton, Joseph Lash, Abner Crawford, Gideon Smith, Addison Hardy, 
Enoch Ross, Jacob Stecker, John L. McKee, Henry Stough, J. S. Overholt 
and John Baker. 

Cass and Wineland Postoffices. — Cass was the first postoffice the town- 
ship possessed. It was established in 1837, at the house of Daniel Fair- 
child, who was succeeded as postmaster by James Vickers, Sr. , upon whose 
death, in 1866, the office was discontinued, having existed for nearly thirty 
years. 

Wineland, the only postoffice in the township, was established January 
2, 1883, at the house of Cyrus Stacy, in the northeast corner of Section 28. 
Mr. Stacy was appointed postmaster, and still holds that position. 

The township has never contained a village or hamlet, but July 10, 1833, 
John Franks, Sr., laid out a town of seventy-two lots, on the northwest 
quarter of Section 10, which he named Frankford. No lots were sold or 
buildings erected in the proposed village, and nothing but the recorded 
plat remains to show that such a place was ever contemplated. 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 397 



CHAPTER XV. 
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 

Erection, Subsequent Changes and Area— Location, Boundaries and 
Population— Timber, Streams and Soil— Pioneers— A Noted Hunter 
—First Marriages and Pirtiis— Early Mills— Churches-Schools— 
Justices of the Peace— Mt. Blanchard— Its First Business Men— 
Postmasters— Mayors— Railroad and Telegraph Facilities— Pres- 
ent Material and Social Interests of the Village. 

SOON after the first election of county officers was held, April 7, 1828, 
two new townships, called Amanda and Welfare, were erected from 
Findlay Township, which previously embraced the whole county. As the 
minutes of the commissioners' journal from the organization of the county 
up to April, 1829, have been missing for some years from the record book 
in the auditor' s office, it is not possible to give the original boundaries of 
these townships; but old settlers have stated that Amanda and Welfare then 
embraced the whole southeast portion of the county. On the 1st of June, 
1829, in compliance with a petition presented by the citizens of Welfare 
Township, the board of commissioners changed the name of that subdivis- 
ion to Delaware. Upon the erection of Jackson Township December 7, 
1829, a part of Delaware was taken into that township, leaving the latter 
composed of the full congressional Township 2 south. Range 11 east. On 
March 4, 1834, Township 2 south. Range 12, was attached to Delaware, 
where it remained till its erection as Richland Township, March 2, 1835. 
The next change in the boundaries of Delaware occurred June 1, 1840, 
when the two western tiers of sections were taken in the formation of Mad- 
ison Township. Wyandot County was erected February 3, 1845, and the 
five eastern tiers or thirty sections of Richland Township became a part of 
the new county, thus wiping out Richland as a subdivision of Hancock. 
The remaining tier of sections was attached by the commissioners to Dela- 
ware Township, March 5, 1845, and no change has since occurred in the 
territory of this subdivision. It contains thirty full sections of land — 
twenty-four in Township 2, Range 11, and six in Range 12, or an area of 19, - 
200 acres. 

Delaware is the southeastern township of Hancock County, and is 
bounded on the north by Jackson and Amanda Townships, on the east by 
Wyandot County, on the south by Hardin County, and on the west by Mad- 
ison Township. In 1840, it contained a population of 532; 1850, 1,035; 
1860, 1,231; 1870, 1,280; 1880, 1,455. 

The lands of Delaware Township were originally densely covered with 
oak, elm, ash, maple, walnut, beech, hickory, sycamore, Cottonwood, linn, 
buckeye, hackberry and several other kinds of timber, most of which has 
long ago disappeared before the ringing blows of the woodman' s ax. The 
Blanchard River enters the township in Section 36, and meandering north- 
ward through the central sections thereof strikes the northern boundarj 



398 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

line in Section 2, half a mile northwest of Mt. Blanchard. It receives, in its 
course through Delaware, Potato Creek and Hancock Run from the south- 
east, and fi'om the southwest, Wolford's Run and Ripley's Run. Along 
the Blanchard the surface is rolling, while back from that stream it is gen- 
erally more level. The prevailing soil is a black, sandy loam, very rich and 
productive, but on the higher lands a clay mixture predominates, which, 
however, does not lessen its fertility or value. 

Pioneers. — Late in 1821, or early in the following year, Asa Lake and his 
wife, Cloe, with their son, Asa M. , and daughters, Lydia and Martha, re- 
moved to this township, and built their cabin on the west half of the north- 
west quarter of Section 1, which was afterward entered by Asa M., Decem- 
ber 12, 1822. This was the first settlement made in Hancock County south 
of " Chamberlin' s Hill. " The Lakes, natives of Kentucky, removed 
from that State to Ohio and settled near the salt works east of the Scioto 
River, in what is now Jackson County, whence they came to Hancock. In 
1824 the father was assessed by Wilson Vance, assessor of Findlay Town- 
ship, for two horses and eleven head of cattle. Findlay Township then 
embraced the whole county and was under the jurisdiction of Wood County; 
and this was the first assessment made within its limits. The parents were 
aged when they died at the old homestead on the Blanchard. On the 14th of 
September, 1826, Asa M. Lake was married to Miss Charlotte Greer, daugh- 
ter of William J. Greer, Sr. The ceremony was performed by Joshua 
Hedges, a pioneer justice of the peace, who resided about two miles north- 
west of Findlay. This was the first marriage in the township. Lydia 
Lake was subsequently married to George W. Wolford, and Martha became 
the wife of Jesse Rose. Both Asa and Asa M. Lake voted at the first 
county election held April 7, 1828; and upon the organization of Welfare 
(now Delaware) Township, in 1828, the latter was chosen justice of the 
peace, and twice re-elected to the same ofiice. In October, 1830, Asa M. 
Lake laid out the village of Mt. Blanchard, upon the farm which he settled 
and improved. The family of Asa M. Lake removed to Logan County, but 
returned to this township, where he died. His widow is said to be still living 
in Illinois, and all of the children have removed to the West excepting 
William, who is yet a resident of Delaware Township. 

Michael Burke entered the west half of the northeast qiTarter of Sec- 
tion 2, January 22, 1823, and settled upon it the same year. In 1824 he 
was assessed for two horses and two head of cattle. His name would in- 
dicate that he was an Irishman or of Irish parentage, but where he lived 
ere coming to this county is not known. Burke was a noted wolf hunter 
and spent the most of his time in the piu'suit of game. On the 13th of 
November, 182G, he sold his land to Don Alonzo Hamlin, and with his 
family soon afterward left the county. 

Daniel Hamlin and family were the next to locate in this township. 
He was a native of Maine, and removed to New York where he married, and 
about 1818 immigrated to Crawford (now Wyandot) County, Ohio. In 1824, 
with his wife Keziah, sons Don Alonzo and Daniel, and daughters Lorain P. 
and xVzuba, he removed to this township and built his cabin on the Blanch- 
ard, in Section 2. Miss Lorain P. Hamlin married Aquilla Gilbert, now of 
Vanlue, and Azuba married David H. Edgar, a pioneer of Hardin County, 
whose school she was attending at the time of her marriage in March, 
1831. Daniel and his son, Don Alonzo, voted at the first county election in 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 399 

April, 1828, at which time the latter was elected sheriff of Hancock County, 
defeating Reuben Hale, of Findlay, by thirty-nine to thirty- four. He served 
till the following October election, when he was chosen county assessor, 
which position he filled several years. In 1828 or 1829 Daniel Hamlin gave 
the old homestead in Section 2, to Don Alonzo, and removed to land which 
he had previously entered in Jackson Township, Hardin County, where 
both he and his son Daniel died in the summer of 1831. His widow, who 
survived him several years, also died on the homestead in Hardin County. 
Don Alonzo married Miss Elizabeth Slight, daughter of Thomas Slight, a 
pioneer of Findlay, who bore him several children. About 1840, he went 
to Iowa, where he passed the balance of his days. After his death some of 
his children returned to Hancock County. Don Alonzo possessed a better 
education than the average pioneer, and therefore wielded quite an influ- 
ence among his neighbors. Many of the first settlers could neither read nor 
write, and a man of even limited education was the exception, and there- 
fore looked upon by his less fortunate neighbors as a scholar. Such men 
as Don Alonzo Hamlin were great blessings to the scattered settlements in 
molding the sentiments of the people and encoui-aging the early establish- 
ment of schools. 

The Greer family were the next to cast their fortunes with the Blanch- 
ard settlement. In the spring of 1825 William J. Greer and his wife, 
Sarah, natives of Maryland, located on the east half of the northwest quar- 
ter of Section 1, immediately east of the Lakes, entered by him December 
10, 1823. They had eight children when they came to this township, viz • 
William J., John H., Charlotte, James, Fielder D., Henry and Samuel. 
Charlotte was married to Asa M. Lake September 14, 1826, this being the 
first marriage in the settlement. William J. was subsequently married to 
Miss Rosannah Elder, daughter of Robert Elder, which was the second 
marriage in Delaware. Joshua Hedges, a justice of the peace, then residing 
northwest of Findlay about two miles, married both couples. A recent local 
publication tells an amusing story about the marriage of IMi-. Greer and 
Miss Elder, giving an account of their trip through the forest to Findlay for 
the license, thence to Squire Hedges, where they were married, and thence 
back to their home in Delaware Township, both riding the whole distance 
upon one horse. Hemy Greer (a brother of the groom), now a resi- 
dent of Mt. Blanchard, says: "There is not a word of truth in this story. 
Squire Hedges came to Robert Elder's house, and it was there the mamage 
occurred. Our family and some of the Hamlins were at the wedding." Such 
seems to be the fate of many similar pioneer yarns. In the summer of 
1827 another daughter, Maria, was born to William J. Greer, Sr. , she being 
the first white female born in the township. The parents were Methodists 
and the first class of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this section was 
organized at their cabin on Potato Creek, by the Revs. Thompson and 
Gavit. Both died in this township, and here, too, the four eldest sons 
passed away. Hemy is the only one of the children now residing in the 
county. 

Reuben W. Hamlin comes next in the order of time. He was a native 
of Maine, removed to New York with his parents, where he grew to 
manhood, served through the war of 1812, and subsequently married Lovisa 
Earl, a native of the Empire State. In 1818 he and his wife settled in Cleve- 
land, Ohio, then a small hamlet, where he carried on a little store, and here 



400 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

his first child, M. S., now a resident of Mt. Blanchard, was born. In 1824, 
with his wife and three children, he left Cleveland and took up his residence 
in what is now Crawford Township, Wyandot Co. , Ohio, and in the spring 
of 1825, arrived at the settlement on the Blanchard, and at once began the 
erection of a cabin in Section 2, near the improvement of Daniel Hamlin. 
He soon became familiar with the lands of Hancock County, and through- 
out the pioneer days was one of the popular land hunters of this region. He 
sold the first goods in Delaware Township, carrying on a small store at his 
house for the Carlin Bros. , of Findlay, about five years. His name is found 
among the seventy-four electors who voted at the first county election April 7, 
1828. At the general October election, held that year, he and Thomas Slight 
were opposing candidates for coroner, but Slight was elected. Eeuben W. 
Hamlin was the father of eight children, six of whom are living, but only 
one, M. S. , is a resident of this county, the others having removed to the 
West. The mother died in 1837, and in 1838 Mr. Hamlin went to 
Indiana where he lived several years. Returning to Ohio he settled in 
Wyandot County, there remarried, and died in 1854. 

Godfrey Wolford also came in 1825, and settled in Section 11. He was 
a native of Pennsylvania, and was married in Coshocton County, Ohio, to 
Miss Elizabeth Elder, daughter of Robert Elder, and she bore him five sons 
and three daughters, viz.: Gideon, Robert E., John F., Mayor C. , Will- 
iam, Catherine, Elizabeth and Phoebe. In April, 1828, Mr. Wolford was 
one of the three commissioners elected to serve until the succeeding Octo- 
ber election, when he was again a candidate for the same position, but was 
defeated. He was afterward a justice of the peace of Delaware Township 
from 1834 to 1851, inclusive. In 1826 he built a hand-mill, which was 
used by the struggling settlers until 1829-30, when he erected a grist-mill 
on the Blanchard, which he operated for several years, and then sold to 
John Hanley. It was the first mill built south of Findlay in this county, 
and was of inestimable value to the pioneers of the southern part of Han- 
cock. Mr. Wolford was a very useful citizen, and exerted a good influ- 
ence in the township. He and his wife removed to Indiana, and there died, 
but two of his sons, Robert E. and John F. , reside in Madison Township. 

In the fall of 1825 Robert and Catherine Elder and five children, viz. : 
Ephraim, John, Joseph, Jeremiah and Rosannah, natives of Pennsylvania, 
who had previously settled in Coshocton County, Ohio, located near the site 
of Mt. Blanchard. Ephraim and John were married, while Elizabeth, 
the wife of Godfrey Wolford, had come out the previous spring. The 
other three were single. Rosannah subsequently married William J. 
Greer, Jr. In March, 1826, Mrs. Ephraim Elder, who is a daughter of 
John Wolford, gave birth to a son. From the fact that the little 
stranger was the first white child born in the settlement, some one suggest- 
ed " Blanchard " as an appropriate name for the boy, but the mother 
stoutly refused, and named him John B. Three of the Elders — Ephraim, 
Josiah and John— cast their votes at the April election in 1828. The first 
case on the civil docket of the court of common pleas was brought by Rob- 
ert Elder and wife, in November, 1828, against Asa M. Lake and wife for 
slander. The suit was decided in favor of the defendants, the plaintiffs 
being ordered to pay the costs, which were $2. 22, truly not a very heavy 
bill; but the case goes to prove that the pioneers did not dwell in such 
Christian harmony as some of the few yet living would have us believe. 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 401 

Robert Elder und wife and their four sons spent the balance of their lives 
in Delaware Township, where the widows of Ephraim and Josiah still re- 
side. Mrs. Wolford removed £rom the county, and Rosannah, upon the 
death of Mr. Greer, married Simeon Ransbottom, and, for her third hus- 
band, Joseph Helms, and died in Findlay. Josiah was perhaps the most 
prominent and best known member of the family, though all of them are 
well remembered in this township. 

No more settlers came into the township for the next three years, but in 
the summer of 1828 John Wolford and sons — Absalom W. , George W. and 
Andrew — located on the Blanchard in Section 23, where he entered 160 
acres of land June 17 of that year. They soon afterward erected a saw- 
mill, and subsequently began the erection of a grist-mill, but ere the latter 
was completed John Wolford died; and in August, 1832. Felix Miller 
purchased the property and finished the mill. Mrs. Ephraim Elder, of Mt. 
Blanchard, is a daughter of Mr. Wolford, and at this writing the only sur- 
viving member of his family. 

Among other pioneers of this period were John Rose, Nathan Williams, 
Warren and Van R. Hancock and Harvey Smith. Mr. Rose entered 
the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 23, December 10, 1823, 
but did not locate upon his land till 1828. He was one of the first town- 
ship trustees, and in 1832 was elected county commissioner, and in 1855 
justice of the peace. His wife, Margaret, died January 6, 1863, and March 
21, 1883, he too passed away. Both were natives of Maryland. One of 
his sons, Aaron F. B. , yet resides in the township. Nathan Williams and wife, 
Nancy, who came in the summer of 1828, are not so well remembered by 
the present generation. Mrs. Williams died soon after coming here, this 
being the first death in the settlement. Nathan afterward married Annie 
Hamlin, sister of Reuben W. Hamlin, and removed to Michigan. The 
Hancocks settled in the northeast quarter of Section 14 in the summer of 
1828, and lived in the township for many years. Harvey Smith came the 
same summer, and settled in Section 1. He resided in this part of the 
county until after the close of the Rebellion, when he followed his brother, 
Cephas, to the West. All of the foregoing, except John Rose, voted at the 
general. election in October, 1828. 

The year 1829 ushered in Michael Casner, William Davis and Ayers 
Stradley. Casner settled in Section 10, where he resided till his death, his 
family afterward removing to the West. Davis entered the east half of the 
northwest quarter of Section 14 in 1823, though he did not settle upon it 
for some six years after that date. He and his wife died in the township, 
and their son, Asariah, is now residing on the old homestead. Stradley built 
his cabin on Potato Creek, and after a residence of several years here died, 
and the widow removed with the family to Indiana. 

Samuel F. Treece and wife, Maria, natives of Pennsylvania, re- 
moved with their parents to Pickaway County, Ohio, where they were 
married. In the fall of 1830 they came to Hancock County, and settled in 
the northwest corner of this township. After a residence here of some 
twenty years they removed to Jackson Township, and in the spring of 1882 
to Arlington, where they are now living. 

In 1830-31 Felix Miller, Josiah Smith and Cephas Smith, located in the 
township. Miller, in August, 1832, became owner of the saw-mill erected 
by John Wolford, in Section 23, and completed the grist-mill begun by the 



402 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

latter. Josiah Smith, who is now living at Forest, Hardin County, settled 
in Section 1, while his brother Darius, who came with him, built his cabin 
in Amanda Township. Cephas Smith settled in Section 7, whence he 
removed West about 1850-51. 

The township was now pretty well settled; large clearings had been made 
in the forest, and those who came later found a hearty welcome and willing 
hands ready to render any assistance needed. From 1831 to 1835 Dr. A. F, 
Burson, John Laffei*ty, William Musgrave, James Taylor, John P. Gor- 
don, Abner Bell, Joshua Brown, Abijah Smith, Michael Shafer, Job Phil- 
lips, Samuel R. Phillips, Robert Wilson, George Sebastian, John Treece and 
a few others came into the township. But more than a decade had then 
passed by since the first cabin was erected in Delaware Township, and these 
later comers can scarcely be regarded as pioneers in the true sense of that 
term, though many of them did their full share toward building up and 
improving their adopted county. 

Early Mills. — A small hand-mill, built by Godfrey Wolford, in 1826, was 
the first mill of any kind in this portion of the county, and the pioneers 
came long distances to do their grinding. Mr. Wolford was a black- 
smith and therefore a very useful man. For the convenience of the settlers 
he set up the mill in the open space between the double log-cabin of 
Ephraim Elder, where each man did his own grinding, and no charges were 
made. This rude mill served the purpose till 1829-30, when Mr. Wolford 
erected a grist-mill on theBlanchard in Section 11, which was the first flour- 
ing-mill operated in the county outside of Findlay. It was a godsend to 
the pioneers of this portion of Hancock, as the difficulty of procuring bread- 
stuffs was one of the greatest hardships they had to undergo. In 1834 this 
mill was appraised by the assessor at $500. It ran constantly during the mill- 
ing seasons, and though it was often frozen up in winter, and stopped in sum- 
mer by low water, the judicious farmer tried to keep sufficient fiour on hand 
to bridge over these stoppages. Mr. Wolford ran the mill for several years, 
then sold it to John Hanley. A saw-mill was subsequently added thereto. 
These mills finally became the property of George S. Fahl, who carried them 
on till 1862, when he turned them over to his son Silas, who, in 1872, added 
thereto a steam planing-mill, shingle-mill and lath factory, all of which are 
still in full operation. 

About 1831-32, John Wolford built a saw-mill on the Blanchard in Sec- 
tion 23. After getting it in running order he began the construction of a 
grist-mill, but he died before its completion; Felix Miller bought the 
property in August, 1832, and finished the mill. In 1834 these mills were 
in full operation, and wei"e appraised at $600. Steam was finally sub- 
stituted for water-power, but after some years the machinery was taken out 
and the buildings allowed to rot down. 

Churches. — The first religious society in this township was organized in 
1828-29, at the cabin of William J. Greer, Sr. . by Revs. Thomas Thompson 
and Elnathan C. Gavit, itinerants of the Methodist Episcopal Church then 
stationed with the Indians at Upper Sandusky. William J. Greer, Sr., 
and wife, Robert Elder and wife, Mrs. Mordecai Hammond, Mrs. Godfi-ey 
Wolford, Mrs. Ephraim Elder, Mrs. John Elder and George Swigart and wife, 
of Hardin County, were the organizers of this class. Mr. Greer lived im- 
mediately east of the site of Mount Blanchard, on Potato Creek, and the so- 
ciety continued to meet at his house till the erection of a hewed-log school- 





^^iiTf <2/^ (cU^/yOp'^ 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 405 

house, in the fall of 1833, on the corner of his son's (William J.) farm. 
This was used some five years, when the society, in 1838, built a frame 
church in Mt. Blanchard. It was the first church erected in the village, 
and served the congregation about twenty years, at which time the erection 
of the present frame structure near the southern limits of the town became 
a necessity. Delaware Township can boast of six church buildings, three 
of which are in Mt. Blanchard, viz. : the Methodist Episcopal, Methodist 
Protestant and Presbyterian, all of which have good buildings and flom-ish- 
ing congregations. Outside the town the Methodist Protestants have two 
churches and the Baptists one, though the latter organization is almost extinct. 
Schools. — The pioneer school of Delaware Township was opened about 
1829, in a cabin erected by Eobert Elder, on Section 11, and subsequent- 
ly fixed up for school pm-poses. It was taught by John Wolford, and the 
Hamlins, Greers, Lakes, Hammonds, Wolfords and Elders were the pupils. 
In 1830 a small log schoolhouse was erected on the farm of John Rose in 
Section 14, which was opened and taught that year by Joshua Coi'bin. 
This was the first building erected for school purposes. In the fall of 1833 
a hewed-log schoolhouse was put up on the farm of William J. Greer, Jr. , 
being the second one built in the township. With the increase of popula- 
tion schoolhouses made their appearance in every portion of the township, 
and these were, from time to time, succeeded by buildings more in harmony 
with the age. The township now contains seven good schoolhouses out- 
side of Mt. Blanchard, while the one in the village is a two-storied brick 
structure of three rooms, and under the graded system. 

Justices of the Peace. — The following is a complete list of the justices 
of Delaware Township from its erection, as Welfare, in 1828, up to the 
present: Asa M. Lake, Godfi-ey Wolford, John LafFerty, Harvey Smith, 
Benjamin Corbiu, Robert Taylor, John Rose, Thomas Miller, Robert Park, 
E. A. Sheffield, Jacob Bridinger, Jacob Harris, George W. Beard, Josiah 
Fahl, Balser Hauman, Elias Wilson and James C. Ti'eece. Messrs. Fahl 
and Treece are the present justices of the township. 

3It. Blanchard. — This is the only village in the township, and was 
laid out on Sections 1 and 2 by Asa M. Lake, October 19, 1830, and origin- 
ally embraced 53 lots ; but several additions have been made to the plat. It 
is believed to be the site of a Wyandot village, and lies on the high lands 
immediately east of the Blanchard River, from which stream the town de- 
rived its name. James Taylor was the first business man of the village, 
soon followed by John P. Gordon, James Greer, Abner Bell, Elijah Strad- 
ley and Samuel K. Thompson. Dr. A. F. Burson came to Mt. Blanchard 
in 1832. He was the first physician to locate here, where he followed his 
profession about thirty years. Other early physicians were Drs. C. R. 
Fairchild, Peter Stephens and Mansfield. Dr. Burson is still a resident of 
the village, though retired fi'om practice for many years. 

In 1834 a postoffice was established at Mt. Blanchard, and John P. 
Gordon appointed postmaster. His successors have been Elijah Stradley, 
Chester Cook, W. W. Smith, John Lafferty, Joseph Patterson, L. A. Bald- 
win, Henry Greer, C. H. Stewart and J. C. Treece. 

Mt. Blanchard grew slowly with the passing years, and on the 5th of 
December, 1865, was incorporated. The following citizens have filled the 
mayoralty, in the order named: Dr. John Foster, H. C. Pickett, J. W. 



406 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Turnpaugli, J. W. Wingate, W. W. Hughes, A. F. Naus, J. W. Pickett, 
Jacob Harris, R. W. McVay, Isaiah Bell and R. W. McVay. 

The town possessed no railroad facilities until the construction of the 
Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Gauge. This road was commenced 
in the summer of 1881, reached Mt. Blanchard in December, 1882, and 
the first through train passed over the line fi'om Delphos to Mt. Blanch- 
ard January 1, 1883. It crosses the northern part of the township east to 
Mt. Blanchard, thence diverges northeastward to Carey, and affords a 
shipping outlet for this portion of the county. Its construction infused 
considerable new life into Mt. Blanchard, but some of the citizens of the 
village now claim that the road is of very little advantage to them. The 
Cleveland, Delphos & Western Telegraph Company opened a line from Del- 
phos to Mt. Blanchard on the same day the road was opened, and this is 
also finished to Carey, and has been a great convenience to the town and 
surrounding country. 

The town now contains two dry goods stores, two general grocery stores, two 
drug stores, one boot and shoe store, two wagon shops, three blacksmith shops, 
a good steam floiu'ing-mill, a steam saw and planing mill, a meat market, a 
hotel and a saloon, and has five physicians. The Odd Fellows, Masons and 
Grand Army of the Republic have each a lodge in the village. Comet Lodge, 
No. 344, I. O. O. F. . was instituted in 1858, and now contains nearly sixty 
members. The lodge owns a hall which was erected many years ago. 
Mt. Blanchard Lodge, No. 519, F. & A. M., was instituted in 1878, and 
has a membership of about thirty. It meets in a rented hall. Stoughton 
Post, No. 386, was organized October 13, 1883, has between foi'ty and fifty 
members, and meets in the council room of the village. The Methodist 
Episcopal, Methodist Protestant and Presbyterian (organized in 1850) de- 
nominations have each a church in Mt. Blanchard. The people of the 
town are particularly fond of referring to their efficient graded union 
school, organized in 1868. The present commodious two-story brick build- 
ing was erected in 1873, at a total cost of about $8,000, succeeding the 
more modest frame, whose predecessor was the old-fashioned log structure 
of " ye olden time, " built when scholars were few and money scarce. It 
contains three comfortable school-rooms, fitted up with such modern con- 
veniences as are found in all the graded schools of Ohio, while a competent 
teacher has charge of each room. The official census of 1880 gives Mt. 
Blanchard a population of 285, but its citizens now claim nearly 400. It is 
a healthy, bustling little place, possessing many nice homes and a well 
shaded street. The handsome residence of M. S. Hamlin, in the south 
part of the town, will compare favorably with the finer residences of metro- 
politan cities. 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 407 



CHAPTER XVI. 

EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 

Erection, Name and Area— Location. and Population by Decades— Topog- 
raphy AND Water Privilege.s— Timbeh and Soil— Milk Sickness- 
Pioneers Prior to 1839— Grist and Saav Mills— Early Education- Re- 
ligious Societies— Justices— Towns and Postoffice.s— Railroad Facil- 
ities and Present Appearance of the Country. 

ALL of the territory now composing Eagle Township, belonged to Find- 
lay up to December 6, 1880, but on that date Liberty was erected, and 
the four western tiers of sections in Township 1 south. Range 10, became a 
part of the latter subdivision. The two eastern tiers of the same township 
and range still remained in Findlay Township, until March 7, 1831, when 
Townships 1 and 2 south in Range 10 were set off by the commissioners fi'om 
Liberty and Findlay "to be known and designated by the name of Van 
Buren." On the 3d of December, 1832, in compliance with a j)etition of 
certain citizens residing therein. Township 1 south, Range 10, was taken 
from Van Buren and erected as Eagle Township, receiving its name from 
the stream which flows through it. No change has since occurred in its ter- 
ritory, which covers a full congressional township of thirty-six sections, or 
an area of 23,040 acres. 

Eagle lies south of Liberty and Findlay Townships, west of Jackson, 
north of Madison and Van Buren, and east of Union. In 1840 it contained 
a population of 524; 1850, 950; ISGO, 1,371; 1870, 1,330 and 1880, 1,284, 
showing a gradual decrease since 1S()0. Between 1860 and 1870 the fall- 
ing off in population was forty-one, and between 1870 and 1880 it was 
foi-ty-six, or a total decrease since 1860 of eighty-seven inhabitants. This 
would indicate that the farms are increasing in size or that marriage is less 
prolilic than in former years, both of which, perhaps, are true. 

A general sameness prevails in the topography of Eagle Township, 
showing a gentle dip toward the north, the streams flowing in that direc- 
tion. The surface is level, except along Eagle Creek, where low bluffs are 
found at intervals. This stream comes in from Madison Township near the 
southeast corner of Section 35, and, winding northeastward, traverses the 
whole eastern part of Eagle, leaving it near the northeast corner of Section 
1; thence pursues the same course through Findlay Township, and empties 
into the Blanchard in the east suburb of Findlay. Eagle Creek has been 
of incalculable benefit to the country through which it flows, not only as a 
source of di-ainage, but as a fm-nishing power for mill purposes during the 
past fifty-three years. It receives two small runs in this township fi-om the 
west line of Jackson. Tiderishi Creek has its source in the northeast part of 
Van Buren Township. It flows northward into Eagle about a mile and a half, 
then sweeps around toward the west, and after flowing some two and a half 
miles in that direction, through Sections 27, 28 and 29, makes a sharp turn 
northeastward, and descrilnng a half circle passes into Union Township. 



408 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

near the northwest corner of Eagle, and discharges its waters into Ottawa 
Creek in the southwest quarter of Section 1, Union Township. Tiderishi 
receives three small tributaries in its route; one from the south near its 
source, one from the east near the center of the township, and a third from 
the southeast a short distance from its mouth. Ottawa Creek crosses the 
southwest corner of the township, while Comer's Run takes its rise in the 
northeast portion. It can thus be seen that the entire township is thoroughly 
siipplied with good water privileges and surface drainage. Pure water may 
be found at a slight depth in every part of Eagle, the wells generally rang- 
ing from fifteen to twenty-five feet. 

The original timber consisted of the finest quality of oak, walnut, ash, 
maple, elm, beech, linn, buckeye, cherry, sycamore and other less valuable 
kinds found in other sections of the county. A rank vegetation covered the 
rich soil, forming a dense thicket almost impassable. A sandy vegetable 
loam is the predominating soil in this township, interspersed with strips of 
heavier clay and gravel lands^ all of which are very fertile. 

From the earliest settlement some portions of Eagle Township have been 
affected by that di-ead disease commonly known as "milk- sickness." The 
best medical authorities disagree as to the producing cause of the disease, 
some attributing it to mineral and others to vegetable poisoning. The writer 
has seen its unfortunate effects, both on man and beast, in diff'erent counties 
of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and has noticed in nearly every case that the 
cattle were allowed to x'oam at will and feed upon the rank vegetation nat- 
tiral to the country. Dr. A. F. Burson, of Mt. Blanchard, who has had 
a long and successful ex])erience in the treatment of " milk-sickness," gives 
it as his opinion that the disease comes from the cattle eating the three- 
leafed poisonous ivy. It is, however, evident that wherever the country affected 
has been under cultivation, and a good drainage system prevails, ' ' milk- 
sickness" soon disappears. 

Pioneers. — Early in the summer of 1829 John Woodruff and wife and their 
sons, Adam, Elijah and William Y. , came to Eagle Township, and were the 
first white settlers who took up their residence within its boundaries. John 
entered lands in Sections 25, 20 and 35, June 1, 1829; Adam in Sections 25 
and 20, on same date, and Elijah in Section 13, five days afterward. The par- 
ents built their cabin on the east bank of Eagle Creek, in Section 26, where 
Mrs. Isaac i^mith and family now reside, and here both spent the balance of 
their lives. Adam Woodruff and his wife located on the section imme- 
diately north of the parents. Their cabin stood close to Eagle Creek on the 
farm now occupied by Mrs. Nicholas Rinehart. Adam died on this place. 
One of his children, John, is a wealthy citizen of Dunkirk, Ohio. Elijah 
and "William Y. were single when they came to this township. Upon his 
marriage. Elijah settled on his farm in Section 13, where he resided till his 
death. Five of his childi-en are residents of the township. William Y. 
remained a bachelor till late in life, and finally settled in the northwest 
part of the county. The Woodruff's took a prominent part in the organiza- 
tion of Eagle Township, and were among its first officials. 

The next settlers were John Decker and Coonrad Line, both of whom 
came in 1830. The former was sent out by George Bishop to make a set- 
tlement on his land in Section 24, Mr. Bishop's son, John D., assisting the 
Decker family to move here in the spring of that year. Mr. Decker was 
one of the first trustees of the township. His sons, Elias and Elijah, were 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 409 

young men at that time, and helped the father to erect a cabin and make a 
clearing on the Bishop farm. After several years' residence in this town- 
ship the family went West. Mr. Line, a native of Pennsylvania, first 
settled in Fairfield County, Ohio. On the 1st of February, 1830, he 
entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 24, and began 
improving it the same year, which work he continued throughout the fol- 
lowing spring and summer. In the fall of 1831 Mr. Line retiirned to 
Fairfield County, and on the 22d of September married Miss Catherine 
Cross, a native of Maryland, and toward the close of November arrived with 
his young wife at his rude log-cabin in the forest of Eagle Township. 
About one year passed away when an event occurred which somewhat re- 
lieved the monotony of forest life. This was the birth of their son — Peter — 
on the 11th of October, 1 832, who is yet a resident of the township. Mr. Line 
assisted in organizing the township, and filled the ofiice of township treas- 
urer about fifteen years. In 1861 he was elected commissioner, and served 
one term. The parents spent the balance of their days here, and two of 
their children, Peter an.d Elijah C, are worthy farmers of the township. 

In 1831 Benjamin O. Whitman and William Williamson took up their resi- 
dence in Eagle Township. Mr. Whitman was a native of New York, there 
married Deborah, the eldest daughter of Job Chamberlin, Sr. , who settled on 
" Chamberlin' s Hill " in the spring of 1822. Upon the death of Mrs. Cham- 
berlin, January 8* 1829, Mr. Whitman and wife came to Hancock County, 
and went to live at the home of Mr. Chamberlin. In 1831 Mr. Whitman 
settled on a piece of land in Section 20, Eagle Township, previously pur- 
chased by his father-in-law. In the spring of 1833 he was elected justice 
of the peace and filled the office one term. His house stood on the west 
bank of Eagle Creek, and here he resided till his death, his widow surviv- 
ing him a few years and dying in 1854. Mr. Williamson was a half brother 
of Aaron Williamson, who first settled in Jackson Township. He came 
from Pickaway County, Ohio, and located in the southcuLit quarter of Sec- 
tion 1, where he lived till a short time before the war, when he went to 
Illinois. He served as justice of this township from 1839 to 1841 inclusive. 

William Ebright removed to this township from the Blanchard River 
about 1832, settling in Section 13. He had located on that stream, in what 
is now Amanda Township, some three or foui' years prior to coming to Eagle 
Township. He removed from the township at quite an early day. 

John D. Bishop was the next permanent settler. In 1829 his father, 
George Bishop, came from his home in Franklin County, Ohio, and on Nov- 
ember 9, at the first sale of lots, purchased lot 17 in Findlay for the 
small sum of |12. On the 12th of the same month he entered the northwest 
quarter of Section 24, Eagle Township, and in 1830 sent out his son John 
D. , with John Decker and family, to settle the latter on his entry. In 1832 
he and his son again came to the township, and built a saw-mill on the west 
bank of Eagle Creek. The following year they erected' a grist-mill, and 
John D. settled permanently upon this land, which his father had always 
intended he should do in du.e time. He married Miss Sidney A. William- 
son, of Pickaway County, Ohio. The mills were burned down in 1837 or 
1838, but were immediately rebuilt, and have been in operation ever since. 
Mr. Bishop served two terms as commissioner of Hancock County, and was 
always one of the township's most progressive citizens. He died May 9, 
1884, after a residence in the county of more than half a century. 



410 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

The Powells, Jacob, John aud Philip, came in 1833. They were born in 
Pennsylvania, whence they removed with their parents to Fairfield County, 
Ohio. In the fall of 1831 they each entered land in Eagle Township, 
Jacob in Section 5, John in Section 9, and Philip in Section 8. Jacob 
married Miss Mary M. Hai-t, in 1831, and in June, 1833, removed to this 
county, settling permanently the following month where he now lives. Mr. 
Powell has been justice of the peace twenty-four years, a -fair evidence of 
his standing in the community where he has lived so long. His wife is the 
mother of fourteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity and nine are 
yet living. John Powell, with his wife, Polly (Fellers), came in the fall of 
1833, and located in Section 9. He was twice married, and died in Findlay 
March 2, 1885. Philip Powell married Elizabeth Fellers; he did not settle 
permanently on his land till 1834. His wife died here, and he was after- 
ward twice 'married, dying upon the old homestead, where his son, Peter, 
now lives. August 29, 1SC6. The parents of these three pioneers came to 
the county at a later day and passed their declining years among their 
children. 

About the same time that the Powells came to the township, Jacob 
Sharp, Henry Keel and Amos Crum settled here. Mr. Sharp was a native 
of Fairfield County, Ohio, and the pioneer blacksmith of this part of the 
county. He came here a single man about 1832, and soon afterward built a 
cabin and opened a blacksmith shop in Section 23, which he carried on 
manv vears. In 1835 he married Julia A. Whitman, a niece of Benjamin 
O. AVliitman, who died in 1854. Mr. Sharp remarried and went to live in 
Hardin County, but in 1806 removed to Michigan, where he died in 1871. 
Rev. Lyman Sharp, born on the old homestead in 1836, is a resident of the 
township. Henry and Catherine Keel, natives of Pennsylvania, set- 
tled in Fairfield County, Ohio, about 1823, and some six years afterward 
located in the northwest corner of what is now Amanda Township. On the 
31st of May, 1833, Mr. Keel entered the northwest quarter of Section 14, 
Eagle Township, to which he soon removed, and here he died in 1854, his 
widow surviving him about four years. They reared a family of seven sons 
and two daughters, four of whom are living and reside in this county. John 
and Samuel live in Benton, Mrs. Eobert Barnhill in Liberty Township, 
and Abraham is one of the few surviving pioneers of Eagle Township. 
Amos and Rebecca Crum settled in Section 13, on the east line of the town- 
ship, in 1833; he died upon the home farm, his widow in Allen County. In 
1845 " Clements " postotfice was established at his house, and Mr. Crum was 
postmaster imtil his death, being succeeded by his widow. One of his sons 
is a business man of Dunkirk, Hardin County. 

In 1834 Moses Elsea, Peter Oman, Jacob Zoll, Henry Stiner, Daniel 
Feller and George W. Alspach came into the township. Mr. Elsea was 
fi'om Pickaway County, and in the spring of 1834 built his cabin on the 
west half of the northwest quarter of Section 11, which land he had pre- 
viously entered. He raised a family of six sons and four daughters, and 
accumulated a large estate, which his descendants are now enjoying. A 
few years ago he removed to Findlay, where his wife, Mary A. , died, April 
11. i8S4. and he March 30, 1885. 'Peter Oman came with Mr. Elsea fi'om 
Pickaway County, and settled in the east part of Section 10, immediately 
west of the latter. Both he and his wife are still living upon the old farm. 
Jacob Zoll came in 1833, but did not settle here till the following year, 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 411 

when, with his family, he located in Section 15. He died in 1861, and one 
of his sons, David, lives near the old homestead. Henry Stiner settled in 
the southwest part of the township, in Section 82, early in 1834. He after- 
ward sold his farm to Peter Arras, and removed to Williamstown. Daniel 
Feller, of Fairfield County, located in Section 17, in the spring of 1834. 
His wife died the following spring, and he soon afterward sold his land to 
Jacob Cogley, and returned to Fairfield County. He again married, and 
in the fall of 1839 came back to this township, and settled in Section 20, 
where he has ever since resided. Of his family of twelve childi-en, 
five are yet living. George W. Alspach also came"^ from Fairfield Coun- 
ty, in the spring of 1834, and entered the employ of John Powell. He 
was then a single man, and the same fall he went back to Fairfield County, 
but again returned and began work for Jacob Zoll, whose daughter, Eli^- 
beth, he married February 15, 1835. He settled in Section 22, in a rude 
log cabin, without door or window, and began life in the wilderness. After 
a short trial of pioneer life Mr. Alspach and wife, in 1836, returned to Fair- 
field County, but in 1838 came back again and located on their farm, where 
he resided till his removal to Findlay in 1883. 

During the years 1833-34 a number of other families came into the 
township. James Smith, a Yankee, familiarly called "Yankee Smith," 
came fi-om Delaware County, Ohio, and located in Section 15, in 1833, 
whence he removed to Michigan. William Farmer, of Virginia, came fi'om 
Fairfield County, ^Ohio, the same year, and died here. William Greenlee 
also settled in Eagle Township in 1833. His cabin stood in the north- 
west part of the township, but in a few years he moved away. Charles 
Phillips, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in the northwest corner of 
the township in 1834, where he resided till his death. Jonathan Alspach, 
also a Pennsylvanian, located in Section 15 in 1834, whence he removed to 
Indiana. Peter Feller, a native of the Keystone State, came fi-om Fairfield 
County, Ohio, in the fall of 1834, with his wife, Catherine, and eleven chil- 
dren. He settled in Section 8, where both he and his wife passed the re- 
mainder of their days, the former dying in 1856, and the latter in 1859. 
Their son Joseph resides upon the old homestead. 

In 1835 David Cogley, Samuel Yates, Peter Swisher, John McNeal, Lower 
Walter, Isaac Lanning, J acob Yeider and Martin Hollabaugh took iij) their resi- 
dence in Eagle Township. In 1834 Mr. Cogley, his wife, Elizabeth, and three 
children, all natives of Pennsylvania, came to Findlay, and the following year 
purchased the farm of Daniel Feller in Section 17, Eagle Township, where 
both he and his wife died, the latter in 1850, the former in 1853. Jacob, 
Jr., lives on the old farm. Samuel Yates, a native of Virginia, married 
Margaret Swisher in Franklin County, Penn., and in 1830 removed to Rich- 
land County, Ohio. In the fall of 1835 he came to this township, settling 
on Section 3, where his wife died in 1876, and he the following year. Their 
eldest son. Samuel, lives on a part of the old homestead. Peter Swisher 
and John McNeal were brothers-in-law of Samuel Yates, Sr., and came 
about the same time. The former is still a resident of the township, but 
McNeal died in Findlay. Lower Walter still lives on the farm settled by 
him in 1835; while Isaac Lanning who came with him from Fairfield 
County, Ohio, died on his farm, which adjoined Walter's. Jacob Yeider, 
a German, came from Richland County, Ohio, about 1835, and settled 
in Section 11, where he spent the balance of his life. Martin Hollabaugh 



412 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

was a native of Maryland, there married Delia Grate, and in June, 1835, 
with his wife and two children, settled on Section 36, in the southeast corner 
of the township. He built a large frame house, and the following year laid 
out Martins Town on his land and opened a general store, which he carried 
on till his death, caused by milk-sickness, July 21, 1837. The widow re- 
moved to Findlay, subsequently married Jacob Rosenberg, and is now the 
wife of Jacob Carr. 

John Crist and Daniel Tiffany came in 1836. The former was from 
Fairfield County, Ohio, and settled in Section 22, where both he and his 
wife died — latter in 1841 and former in 1845. Tiffany, with his sons — 
George, Richard, Daniel and Luther — also two daughters, was from the 
Western Reserve, and located northwest of Martin Hollabaugh. John, 
Amasa, Watson and Reuben Fabun came with the Tiffanys and settled in 
the same neighborhood. 

In the spring of 1836 David, John, Alexander and James McClelland 
came from Beaver County, Penn., the first mentioned settling with his wife 
in Section 34. The others entered lands, but did not settle permanently 
till the fall of 1836. In the spring of 1837 their parents, Robert M. and 
Rebecca McClelland, with three more children, Thomas, George W. 
and Nancy, left Beaver County, and traveling across Ohio settled on the 
land previously entered in Section 27. The parents died on the old home- 
stead, where Mrs. James McClelland now lives, and George W. is the only 
one of their children now residing in the county. 

Ami Nunemaker and Adi'iel Gilberson settled on Section 31 in 1836. 
The former came from Fairfield County, Ohio, but was a native of Germany. 
He entered his land in 1832, and four years later with his family and David 
Houdeshell, now of Arlington, located permanently. Mr. Nunemaker died ■ 
at Mt. Cory in 1 884. Gilberson sold his land to George Bormouth, and left 
the county many years ago. Samuel Povenmire, of Pennsylvania, came 
from Pickaway County, Ohio, about 1836 and still resides in the township. 
William Foreman also settled in Eagle in 1836. 

Joseph D. Keller and Henry Oman, natives of Pennsylvania, located in 
the township in the spring of 1837. The former was born October 12, 
1812; man-ied Sarah A., daughter of Henry Oman, in 1836, and the fol- 
lowing sprifig accompanied his father-in-law to Hancock County. In the 
fall of 1837 he settled on his present farm in Section 33, where he and his wife 
have ever since resided. Seven children have been born to them, five of 
whom survive. Mr. Oman, with his wife, Eleanor, and family, settled on 
the northwest quarter of Section 9, where the parents resided till their death, 
the mother dying in 1849 and the father in 1859, in his eightieth year. 
Six of their children are living, all residents of Hancock County. 

George C. and Magdalene Schmidt and family emigrated fi'om Germany, 
and a few years afterward entered land in Section 18, Eagle Township, 
and in 1838 settled near the west line of that subdivision. The parents 
died here in 1864 and 1865, respectively, and their sons. Christian and 
Michael, and daughters, Mrs. Jacob Cogley and Mrs. Joseph Feller, are 
residents of the township. 

The same year (1838) Jacob Gorby, with his mother and brother-in-law, 
Joshua Garte and wife, came here from Portage County, Ohio. His mother 
died in 1841 and his sister (Mrs. Garte) in 1845. In 1852 he located on 
Section 7, where he lived until his removal to Rawson. 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 415 

The foregoinor list of pioneers embraces the first ten years of settlement, 
though a few others no doubt came in during that period. Many later com- 
ers did more toward the development of the township than some of those 
mentioned, but the object of this article is to name the pioneers. 

Grist and Saw mills. — John Decker's hand-mill was the first one used in 
this township, but the process was so slow and required so much labor to 
grind a small amount of corn that it was only patronized fi-om stern neces- 
sity. In 1832 a saw-mill was built on Eagle Creek on the northwest quarter 
of Section 24, by George and John D. Bishop. As soon as the mill could - 
be got in running order, they began getting out material for a frame grist- 
mill, which was erected in 1833. These mills were burned down in 1837 or 
1838, but John D. Bishop, with commendable enterprise, at once rebuilt 
them. The mill was remodeled in the spring of 1865 and has ever since 
been in successful operation. In 1854 Mr. Bishop put in steam power, 
but after a few years' trial steam was abandoned, and the water power again 
adopted. This old mill was of incalculable benefit to that portion of the 
county throughout the years when flour was scarce and a mill a blessing to 
the struggling settlers. 

In 1835 Jacob Powell put up a saw-mill on Tiderishi Creek on the site of 
Willow Creek Station in Section 5. It was operated for many years. Isaac 
Smith built a saw-mill on Eagle Creek, close to his residence, in 1852, which 
was running till 1876, his sons taking charge of it at his death in 1869. 
Some three years ago Jacob B. Smith put up a steam saw-mill a short dis- 
tance southwest of the old site, which he now operates. A steam saw-mill 
was built by the Blymyers on the Lima road in Section 8, many years ao-o, 
and is still carried on by one of that family. In 1860 Henry and Albert 
Shank and Augustus Sheffield erected a steam saw-mill on the corner of 
Mr. Shank's farm in Section 1, which ran till a couple of years ago. G. W. 
Rinehai-t had a saw-mill on his farm, but it, too, has ceased'^operations. 
Doubtless other small saw-mills have been owned and operated in this town- 
ship, but the foregoing are those best known and remembered. 

Early Education. — In 1834 the first schoolhouse in the township, a small 
log building, was put up near Eagle Creek, John D. Bishop, Benjamin O. 
Whitman, Coonrad Line, Jacob Sharp, Amos Crum and some of the 
Woodi-uflPs being the principal movers in the enterprise. They engaged 
Miss Rachel McBride to teach, and throughout the winter of • 1834-35, the 
few children of this locality tramped through the snow-covered forest to' this 
primitive building. In 1838 another small schoolhouse was built on the cor- 
ner of Jacob Powell's farm; and a year or two afterward a school building 
was erected on Section 15. The township had now three' schoolhouses, and 
in a few years others made their appearance. These rude log structures 
soon gave way to frames, and to-day Eagle Township contains nine first 
class brick schoolhouses, not surpassed by those in any other township of the 
county, while the standing of the schools is excellent. 

^ Religious Societies. — Though religious services were held quite early in 
this township, no organization was effected for about ten years after the first 
settler built his cabin on Eagle Creek. A society of the Evangelical Associa- 
tion was then organized in the Powell Settlement by Jacob, John, Hemy and 
Samuel Powell and their wives, Peter and Jacob Feller and wives, and per- 
haps a few others. They erected a church on the farm of Jacob Powell. It 
was constructed of planks placed upright, and then weather- boarded. In 



416 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

1875 it was saparseded by the present brick building. The old structure is 
now doing service as an outhouse on the farm of Mr. Jacob Powell. A class 
of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized at the house of 
Joseph D. Keller, by Rev. Wesley J. AY ells, about 1845. The seven organ- 
izers were Joseph D. Keller and wife, Joseph Oman and wife, Polly Houde- 
shell, Margaret Harris and Ara Rinehart. In 1851 a frame church was 
built on the farm of Mi". Keller, which served the congregation until the 
erection of the present handsome brick structure in 1872. The third church 
building was erected by the United Brethren society on Section 26, in 1854, 
on the farm of Adam Woodruff. This society was organized a few years be- 
fore, Mrs. Coonrad Line, Isaac Decker and wife and some of the Woodruffs 
being among its principal supporters. Their first church was a small 
hewed-log building, which after about ten years was succeeded by " Pleasant 
Grove " Church, erected on Section 13. The Lutherans also organized a 
society and put up a church about the same time as the Methodists and 
United Brethren. Two other societies have been organized and build- 
ings erected, viz. : the German Reformed and Methodist Episcopal Churches, 
near the center of the township, but neither has been used for some time, 
and both societies are doubtless extinct. 

Jm^tices. — The following justices of the peace have served the people of 
Eagle Township since its organization: Benjamin O. Whitman, Jacob 
Powell William Williamson, Jacob Miller, W. W. Hughes, John Miller, 
Henry Bishop, John Swank, Peter Bender, John Wise, John Croft, Abra- 
ham Keel, Peter H. Powell, L. W. Scothorn and Jacob B. Smith. The 
last mentioned and Peter H. Powell are the i^reseni incumbents of the o£fice. 

Towns and Postoffices. — This is purely an agricultural township, pos- 
sessing neither village nor hamlet, though an attempt at "town making" 
was undertaken nearly fifty years ago. On the 30th of September, 1836, 
Martin Hollabaugh, who had settled in the southeast corner of Eagle the 
year previous, laid out a village on the southeast quarter of Section 36, 
Eagle Township, and the southwest quarter of Section 31, Jackson Town- 
ship, which he recorded as Martins Town. He opened a general store, 
which he carried on till his death in 1837. If he had lived, a small town 
might have sprung up here, but his death destroyed all such prospects, and 
Martins Town never emerged fi'om its shell. 

Clements postofiice was established at the house of Amos Crum, on Sec- 
tion 13, in 1845, with Mr. Crum as i^ostmaster. Upon his death Mrs. 
Crum attended to the office, and she was succeeded by John Crossly, of 
Jackson Township, to whose house the office was removed. Noah Sherrick, 
of Jackson, succeeded Crossly, and in 1858, John Swank, of Eagle, became 
postmaster. In 1862 he moved across the road into Jackson Township and 
held the office until its discontinuance in 1866. 

The Lake Erie (& Western Railroad crosses the northeast corner of the 
township, and Willow Creek is a flag station located on Section 5, for the 
accommodation of that neighborhood. The township possesses no other 
railroad facilities, though Find! ay, Rawson, Mt. Cory, Jenera and Arlington 
are within easy communication for shipping piu-poses. There is, perhaps, no 
township in Hancock County that excels Eagle in improvements and gen- 
eral appearances. Fine houses and barns greet the eye on every section, 
while there is not a foot of land but what is rich and subject to cultivation. 
Nature has done much for this part of the county, but the energy and en- 
terprise of its citizens have in a great measure improved nature' s handiwork. 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 417 



CHAPTER XVII. 
JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 

Erection of the Township and Origin of its Name— Area, Boundaries 
AND PoprLATioN— Drainage AND Soil— First Settlers— Going to Mill 
—J usTiCEs— Schools— Churches— Towns and Tostoffices. 

JACKSON was one of the earliest settled townships of Hancock County, 
and the tifth erected and organized. On the 7th of December, 1829, 
certain residents of Amanda and Delaware Townships petitioned the board 
of commissioners to erect Township 1 south, Range 11, into a new politi- 
cal subdivision to be named Jackson, which request was accordingly granted. 
The name was chosen in honor of Gen. Andrew Jackson, elected the pre- 
vious year to the Presidency, who had many warm admirers in this part of 
the county. No change occurred in its territory till March 5, 1845, when 
the commissioners ordered the eastern tier of sections, from 1 to 36 inclu- 
sive, to be attached to Amanda. Since that time Jackson has contained thirty 
sections, or an area of 19,200 acres. It is bounded on the north by Find- 
lay and Marion Townships, on the east by Amanda, on the south by Dela- 
ware and Madison, and on the west by Eagle. In 1840 its population was 
^631; 1850, 880; 1800, 1,272; 1870, 1,209, and 1880, 1,338, or more than 
44 inhabitants to the square mile. 

The Blanchard River enters the southeast corner of the township on 
vSection 35, thence passes northeastward into Amanda, and meandering up 
the western side of that subdivision, crosses back into Jackson near its north- 
east corner. It thus assists in di'aining the eastern side of this township. 
Lye Creek rises in Madison Township, enters Jackson on Section 32, and, 
winding in a general northeast direction, strikes the northern line on Sec- 
tion 3; thence turns to the northwest, and passing onward empties into the 
Blanchard a short distance east of Findlay. A small run flows into Lye 
Creek from the southeast, affording good surface drainage between that 
stream and the Blanchard. The western part of Jackson di-ains mainly into 
Eagle Creek, which flows northward along the eastern side of Eagle Town- 
ship. Good water is readily found in every part of this subdivision. The 
timber in Jackson is generally the same as found in other poi-tions of the 
county, differing only as to the amount of each particular kind. Along the 
streams the soil is a vegetable loam, mixed with alluvial deposits; while 
away from the water courses it is a clay and sandy loam soil, with a gravel 
mixture in some places. Taking it as a whole, the soil of Jackson will com- 
pare favorably with the surrounding townships. 

First Settlers. — On the 21st of November, 1823, Peter George, the "pio- 
neer land hunter, ' ' entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 
35. which was the first entry made in the township. He, however, became 
a settler of Amanda. William J. Greer entered the east half of the south- 
east quarter of the same section, adjoining George's entry on the south, 



418 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

December 10, 1828, but he subsequently settled in Delaware Township. 
The next entry was made by Mordecai Hammond May 80, 1827. He took 
up the west half of the northeast quarter and the west half of the southeast 
quarter of Section 85, upon which he located the following autumn, and was 
therefore the first settler of Jackson Township. Mr. Hammond was born in 
Maryland April 27, 1791, removed to York County, Penn., and there mar- 
ried Zilla Gilbert, a native of that State, and in 1826 located in Pickaway 
Coimty, Ohio. In the fall of 1827, with his brother-in-law, Aquilla Gilbert, 
he left Pickaway County and took up his abode on the east bank of the 
Blanchard, in Section 35. In April, 1828, he took part in the first county 
election of Hancock, and in October, 1829, was elected county commissioner, 
and served one term. In 1842 Mr. Hammond was appointed associate 
judge, which position he filled seven years. Nine children were born to 
him, of whom six survive, and four reside in this county. Judge Hammond 
died on the old homestead in Section 85, February 25, 1855, his widow sur- 
viving him nearly twenty-two years, dying February 4, 1877, in the eightieth 
year of her age. Throughout his residence in this township, Judge Ham- 
mond was regarded as an upright, worthy man, and one of the leading citi- 
zens of his adopted county. 

Alpheus Ralston is believed to have been the next to locate in this sub- 
division. In September, 1829, he entered the southwest quarter of Section 
7, upon which he settled permanently in October, 1880, where he has ever 
since resided. He is a native of Rockingham County, Va. , born in June, 
1801, whence he removed with his parents to Wood County of that State. 
In 1826 he came to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he soon afterward mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Williamson, sister of Mrs. Thomas Thompson, whose 
hvisband was the first settler of Amanda Township. After a residence of some 
four years in Pickaway County, Mr. Ralston, with his wife and two children, 
removed to the farm, upon which he has spent fifty- five years of his life. 
His cabin was at that time in the heart of a wilderness; a rude wagon track 
led through the forest to Findlay, and his nearest neighbors were about 
three miles distant. His first wife dying he married her sister, Julia A. 
Williamson, who yet survives. Eight childi-en were born to him, four of 
whom are living. Mr. Ralston is now the oldest surviving pioneer of Jack- 
son Township. 

In 1831 Henry and Jacob Cooper, with their mother and one sister, came 
from Fairfield County, Ohio, and built a cabin in Section 14. Henry was 
but fourteen years old, when his father died and the care of the family 
largely devolved upon him. As an illustration of some of the hardships 
undergone by the pioneers, the following was often related by Mr. Cooper 
during his life-time. Soon after settling in this county, he started one 
morning on a trip to Findlay, with William Ebright and son,. Philip. The 
ground was covered with snow, and the journey was made in a sled. They 
had to cut out a road with their axes as they went along, and by hard work 
were thus enabled to reach the cabin of Michael Myers, in Section 28, Mar- 
ion Township, about dark. Here they spent the night sleeping on the clay 
floor of Myers' cabin, and the next morning resumed then* joiu'ney to 
Findlay, where they arrived before noon, the whole distance traveled being 
only about seven miles. Henry Cooper married a sister of Nutter Powell, 
and both died on the old homstead. Jacob removed to Indiana. 

The \Mlliamsons came to the township in 1881, from Pickaway County, 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 419 

Ohio. Aaron settled in Section 0, where both he and his wife, Margaret, re- 
sided till death. Five of their childi-en are residents of the county. Levi 
and his mother located in Section 18. immediately south of Mr. Ralston, his 
brother-in-law, but subsequently removed across the road into Eagle Town- 
ship. The mother died here, and in 1857 he sold out and went to Iowa. 

During the succeeding four years Jackson Township received several fami- 
lies, viz. : the Tisdalls, Hemrys, Petermans, Hoys, Biblers. Newells and Bears. 
Mrs. Tisdall, with her sons, James and Lucian, settled in Section 18 in 1882- 
33, but in a few years removed from the county. He my Hemry, with his wife, 
Sarah, and eight children, some of whom were full grown, settled in Section 3 
in the spring of 1834. He was a native of Virginia, and removed to Carroll 
County, Ohio, where he married and lived until his coming to Hancock. 
He accumulated a large amount of land in this county, though he died about 
five years after settling on Lye Creek. Six of his children are residents of 
Hancock County. John and Mary A. Peterman came fi-om Holmes County, 
Ohio, in 1834, and built their cabin in the soiithwest quarter of Section 8, 
where he died in 1802. Three of his sons live in this township. Abraham 
Hoy settled in Section 21, but died in Findlay. Abraham and Elizabeth 
Bibler cam.e here from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1835, their son, David, 
having preceded them the previous year. They settled in Section 17, where 
the parents died. Two of the sons, John and David, are leading citizens of 
Jackson. William Newell, a son-in-law of Abraham Bibler, came the same 
time, and also settled in Section 17. The family removed to Putnam 
County, Ohio, some years ago. "William was an elder brother of Joseph and 
James Newell, who came later. Samuel Bear, of York County, Penn. , lo- 
cated east of the Biblers, and both he and his wife died upon the farm, which 
they settled. Mi-s. John C. Hayes, of Jackson, is one of their children. 
Other settlers of this period were Rufus Bennett in Section 10, in 1834; 
Simeon Butler in the same section, in 1835; and the Maphets in Section 9 
during the latter year, all of whom are well remembered. 

In the spring of 1830, Levi and Eli Sampson, natives of Baltimore County, 
Md. , came from Richland County, Ohio, and settled in Sections 22 and 23, re- 
spectively, erecting their cabins across the road from each other. In 1851 Levi 
was appointed associate judge, which position he held until the spring of 1852, 
when, under the operation of the new constitution, the office was abolished. 
Judge Sampson possessed a very limited education, but he had a great deal 
of strong common sense and practical experience. He was a genial, whole- 
souled man, familiarly called ' 'Sunny' ' Sampson, synonymous with that warm 
fi-iendly good-natm-e, which he always exhibited. At the time of his death, 
March 13, 1879, Judge Sampson was regarded as one of the wealthy farm- 
ers of the county. Eli resided on his farm till 1870, when he removed to 
Mt. Blanchard, where he is at present living. 

James Newell, with his mother, Barbara, and three sisters, Sarah, Eliza- 
beth and Salome, settled in the township in 1835. The parents removed 
fi'om Shenandoah County, Va. , to Fairfield County, Ohio, when the sons 
were quite small, where both grew to manhood. Joseph and his wife came to 
the township a short time after James and the rest of the family, William 
having also settled here in 1835. James and Joseph located on adjoining 
farms in Section 8. The Newells were among the first Methodists of this 
part of the county, and were prominent in organizing the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church of their neighborhood, the first building being erected on 



420 HlSTOllV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

laud donated by Joseph for that purpose. The mother died here and 
James and family left the county prior to the late war. Joseph married Bar- 
bara, a daughter of Abraham Bibler, raised a family of seven children and 
still lives on a part of the old homestead. 

In 1836 and 1887, James Shelden, Jacob F. Houck, William Harris and 
John Orwick settled in the township. Mr. Shelden, his wife, Mary, and 
seven children came here from Belmont County, Ohio, in the fall of 1836 and 
built their cabin in the south part of Section 23. The parents, who 
were Pennsylvanians, died on the old farm, but some of their children are 
residents of the county. Jacob F. and Eva Houck, natives of Balti- 
more County, Md., settled in Section 27. In 1853 he laid out North 
Liberty, which is better known as Houcktown. William and Nancy Harris 
came from Columbiana County, Ohio, about 1836, and both spent their 
lives in this township. Several of their descendants reside in Delaware 
Township, where their son, Jacob, died in 1880. John and Margaret 
Orwick and family, natives of Pennsylvania, came to Hancock County in 
the fall of 1835, and in 1837 located southwest of the site of Houcktown. 
Mrs. Orwick died in 1840, and he afterward married a Mrs. Franklin, and 
died in this township. Two sons, Jacob and George, and two daughters, 
Mrs. David Bibler and Mrs. John Russell, are residents of Jackson. Some 
other settlers, doubtless, came in during the ten years from 1827 to 1837, 
among whom were John Treese, Benjamin Wiseman, John, Henry and 
Sylvester Bell, Reuben Fabun, Hathaway R.Warner and Thomas Marlow; but 
our list embraces those best remembered by the few living pioneers left to 
tell the tale of early settlements made in the forest of what is now Jackson 
Township. 

Going to Mill. — The territory now embraced in Jackson Township has 
never possessed a grist-mill, and the settlers had to go to Wolf ord's mill in 
Delaware Township, Campbell's (now Carlin's) mill at Findlay, Bishop's, 
mill in Eagle Township, or Misamore's mill in Amanda, to get their grind- 
ing done ; while some patronized mills located outside the county. Prior to 
1 845 Misamore' s mill was in this township, but in that year the eastern tier 
of sections was attached to Amanda, and thus Jackson lost the mill. 
Aquilla Gilbert says : ' ' The first hand-mill in the southern part of the 
county was owned by Godfrey Wolford, of Delaware Township, and Judge 
Hammond (with whom I resided throughout the winter of 1828-29), and I 
used to goto Wolf ord's three times a week to grind corn meal — the only 
sort of grain we then possessed." The present generation can scarcely realize 
the great boon a neighborhood mill was fifty years ago. In fact, a settler 
who came in and erected a grist-mill was looked upon as a benefactor. But 
those days of privation have long since passed away never to return, and 
good mills and good flovir are plentiful. 

Justices. — Aquilla Gilbert, the first justice of Jackson, was thrown into 
Amanda Township in 1845, and a sketch of him will be found at page 359. 
His successors have been George Hemry, Joseph Twining, Arthiu- Russell, 
Charles O. Mann, John Teems, Andrew W. Houck, D. W. Engle, Joseph 
S. Struble, James Waltermire, Henry Bowers, Thomas Waltermire, Eli J. 
Shelden, Israel Sampson, John C. Hayes and Henry Bowers. 

Sclwols. — In the fall of 1832, a few settlers living along the Blanchard 
in Jackson and Amanda Townships, erected a log schoolhouse in Section 13, 
on the east bank of the Blanchard, then in Jackson Township, and employed 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 421 

Aquilla Gilbert to teach throughout the winter of 1832-33. "I was paid, " 
says Mr. Gilbert, "by a voluntary quarterly subscription at $1.50 per 
scholar, and I boarded at home. The children came from both Jackson and 
Amanda, as the country was very sparsely settled." In 1834-35 a school 
was taught by Nancy Burns at the house of Alpheus Ralston, which was the 
first in the township west of the Blanchard. The Ralstons, Petermans, 
Crums and Williamsons attended here. A log schoolhouse was built on Mr. 
Ralston' s farm in the fall of 1835-36, and a school was afterward taught here 
by Miss Julia Parker. Their second teacher was Miss Jane Wilson, and the 
children of the surrounding settlers patronized this pioneer institution. 
Such was the beginning of education in the township, which now contains 
nine good schoolhouses, wherein the children of both rich and poor may re- 
ceive a fair English education. 

Churches. — In 1835-3(3 a class of the Methodist Episcopal Church was 
organized in the northwest corner of the township, the Newells being the 
prime movers in this good work. For a few years the society met at private 
houses and the old log schoolhouse, and then erected a building in the 
southwest corner of Joseph Newell' s farm. This was the first church build- 
ing in the township, and served the congregation for many years, when it 
was succeeded by the present structure, half a mile north of the old site. 
With the passing years the Methodist Protestant, United Brethren and Bap- 
tist denominations organized classes, each of which have a church in Jack- 
son Township. That of the United Brethren stands in Section 14. the Bap- 
tist in Section 20 and the Methodist Protestant in Section 23. During the 
political excitement of the war, the Methodists became divided, and to har- 
monize the two elements the Christian Union Church was afterward organ- 
ized, and a biailding erected in Section 30, near the west line of the town- 
ship. The Methodist Episcopal denomination has two church biiildings in 
Jackson Township, and is qniie strong in numbers. 

Towns and Postoffices. — Martins Town was laid out by Martin Holla- 
baugh, Septemlier 30, 1830, in the southwest quarter of Section 31, extend- 
ing across the range line into the southeast quarter of Section 30, Eagle 
Township, where Mr. Hollabaugh lived. Nothing ever came of this first at- 
tempt at town building, and the recorded plat is all that remains to show 
that such place was ever contemplated. Early in 1838 a postoffice called 
Martins Town was established at the house of Hathaway R. Warner, in 
Section 31, on the Bellefontaine road. Mr. Warner was postmaster till 
1840, when the office was removed to Arlington. 

April 20, 1853, Jacob F. Houck laid out fifteen lots in the north- 
west corner of Section 27, which he recorded as North Liberty. Two addi- 
tions have since been made to the plat. About three years after the town 
was laid out a postoffice named Houcktown was established here, with Robert 
Davidson as postmaster, and the village thus began to be called Houcktown, 
by which it is most familiarly known. Mr. Davidson's successors have been 
as follows: J. R. Babcock, John Garst, Israel Sampson, Eli Gorsuch, John 
Ebaugh, David Beagle and H. L. Hatcher. Though located in the center of a 
rich agricultural district. North Liberty has never made much progress. Its 
business interests consist of one general store, a gi'ocery store, a saw and 
shingle-mill, a wagon factory, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop and one phy- 
sician. There are also a schoolhouse and a church within its limits. The 
official census of 1880 gave the village a population of 112, and there has 
been since no perceptible increase. 



422 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Clements postoffice, established at the house of Amos Crum in Eagle 
Township in 1845. was upon Mr. Crum's death attended to by his widow. 
John Crossly and Noah Sherrick, both of Jackson Township, were the next 
postmasters, and in 1858 John Swank of Eagle Township got the office. In 
18(32 he removed across the Bellefontaine road into Jackson, and held the 
office till 1866, when it was abolished. Another office named " Swank," was 
established at Mr. Swank's store in 1882, but was discontinued in Decem- 
ber, 1884, as most of the farmers in that vicinity perferred to go to Findlay 
for their mail. 

Ewing's Corners was another postoffice that once existed in this town- 
ship. It was established in 1863, at the house of Jesse Ewing, in Section 
15, northeast of Houcktown. Mr. Ewing died in the fall of 1872, and was 
succeeded by S. S. Huffman who held the office until it was abolished. 
Though such free offices as those mentioned were for the time an accommo- 
dation to the neighborhoods in which they existed, yet their absence is now 
little felt, and their discontinuance not much regretted. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

LIBEETY TOWNSHIP. 

Erection of Old Town and the Trouble Which Arose Therefrom— Lib- 
erty Erected, and First Election for Justice of the Peace Held in 
THE Township— Changes in its Territory.Area, Boundaries and Pop- 
ulation BY Decades— Streams and PvUNS— Topography and Soil— In- 
dian Green, Cemetery and Plum Orchard— First Settlers— First 
Marriage and Birth— Justices— Mills— Early Schools — Religious 
Societies— Alba Postoffice— Cemeteries. 

FROM the erection of Findlay Township as a subdivision of Wood 
County, in 1823, up to September 17, 1829, the territory now compos- 
ing Liberty formed a part of that township; but on the latter date the fol- 
lowing erection was made by the board of commissioners: "At a special 
meeting of the commissioners of Hancock County, John Long and John P. 
Hamilton, present, Charles McKinnis, absent, a petition being presented to 
said board from sundiy citizens of Findlay Township, praying for a division 
to take place in said township in the following manner, to wit. : Making the 
section line between the first and second tiers of sections on the east side of 
Eange 10 the division line, which was accordingly agreed to by said board; 
and ordered that all that part of Findlay Township west of the aforesaid 
line shall be made a separate township, and shall be designated and known 
by the name of Old Town. " The township was so named in honor of a 
Wyandot village that once existed on the north bank of the Blanchard, in 
Section 7, traces of which were plainly visible during the early years of the 
county's history. Old Town extended from the section line one mile west 
of the Bellefontaine road to the western boundaries of the county, and fi'om 
Wood County on the north to Hardin County on the south, thus em- 
bracing nearly one-half of the county. The act of erection gave offense to 




0- P^ fh^^^^y^n. 



'^yy^iyi^^n^ 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 425 

many of the inhabitants thus cut off from I^indlay, and especially to Charles 
McKmnis, the absent member of the board, who, regarding the act as sharp 
practice and without waiting to investigate the facts, looked up HaLilton^ 
one o± the commissioners who had passed the act, and vigorously assaulted 
him. His brother, Philip McKinnis, hearing of the fight? also so^^gh Ham 
ilton and repeated the assault. The latter, not being their equal in physt^l 
sti-ength was a very badly whipped man. He afterward sued the Snnfs 
brothel s tor damages, and recovered $75 from Charles and $30 fromPhilin 
together with costs. They were also indicted by the grand jury for assault 
and battery, pleaded guilty before the court and wl-e each fined $1 and 
costs of prosecution. 

In April, 1880 Joshua Hedges and others brought suit against the board 
of commissioners to have the act of erection set aside becaitse of error in 
the proceedings, but the case was continued until the next term; and the 

to b!. h^fr'f r l^'^'^^'f^f J'^'*^"" °^ ^^^ P^'-^^^ f«^- C>ld Town Township, 
l^qo i ^ ' ^°^'5-^^ Ebenezer Wilson, on the last Saturday in June 
1830, which was according y done. June 7, 1830, John P. Hamilton, Mor- 

CountflT^I "fn^"^'"''^ ^''''""^^' *^^" commissioners of Hancock 
Okl Tow^ 'T^ T'""! f''.f °^ confirmatory of the original erection of 

Hs?on ^f f>, '' ^ "'"^ ^^ *^l commissioners of this session that a de- 

cision of the commissioners in the division of Findlay Township which 
took place m 1829, IS confirmed and established." This however^ pToved 
ef httle avail, as the court of common pleas, at the succeeding November 
session, reversed and annulled the acts of the commissioners in the ere^tio" 
and organization of Old Town Township, and it thus ceased to exist as a 
subdivision of Hancock County 

On the 6th of December. 1830, all of the territory lying between the 
present wesern boundary of Findlay Township and the pftnam Co^inty 

Cnsht T^; - '""^1^^°"^'^ ^^^-^^^^ ^^^^^*^' -- --^-d as Liberty 
lownship. Ihis was only one row of sections narrower than Old Town 

^ty, Union Orange, Van Baren and three-fourths of Eagle. The folliwin^ 
Stf M.d'"^ "°" composing Blanchard, Eagle, Van Buren and the wes^ 
halt of Madison were cut off; and on the 21st of June. 183] the first elec- 
tion for justice of the peace was held in Liberty. William WaLSeorc^e 
?on::'cTerfs"'Tf'''r" ""'^ ^^^ Judges, andVos Bonham and Joshua 
John T W % ^ 1°*,^^^ J^^'^ Joi^^ Fishel, John Magee, John Travis, 
John J. Hendi-icks, John Fishel, Jr., William Wade Meredith Parrish 

c'r ramtnrC^^""?%'^''^^%T^^^ ^^^^^^' Joshut"s,'^j:me^ 
Caton James McCormick, Amos Bonham, Addison Hampton. Zebulon Lee 
John Mullen, Wilham Wade, Alfred Hampton, Ebenezer Wilson Charle; 
Jones. Jacob Poe, James McKinnis. Robert McKinnis. Charles McKinnis and 
Phihp McKinms, total, 26. Benjamin Cummins received eveiy vote cast 
and was declared elected. Of these twenty-six voters, Zebulon Lee of 

^^\:z:iz^' ^''-' ^^-^^- ^^ ^-^^^^' - *^^ only sur:^^: 

In 1832 the territory embraced in Union and Orange Townships was taken 
off of Liberty, in 1833, Portage, andin 1834, Pleasant? leavin. the b^x'ndlies 
of Liberty as they are to-day. It contains twenty-four secfions of and all 

IS bounded on the north by Portage Township, on the east by Findlay. on 



426 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the south by Eagle, and on the west by Blanchard. In 1840 it contained a 
population of 592; 1850, 874; 1860, 1,050; 1870, 1,011 and 1880, 1.101. 
The township is thoroughly drained by the Blanchard River and its 
several small tributaries, the bed of the river forming a valley into which 
the surface waters descend, from both the noi-th and south. The Blanchard 
enters the township on the southeast quai-ter of Section 10, and flowing 
westward, with many crooks and turns, leaves Liberty near the northwest 
corner of Section 18. Comer's Run, named after Isaac Comer, one of the 
pioneers who settled iipon its banks, rises in Eagle Township, flows north- 
westward, and discharges its waters into the Blanchard on the northeast 
quarter of Section 17. A branch of this run heads in the southwest corner 
of Section 31, and passing northeastward unites with Comer's in the south- 
east corner of Section 21. Another small run drains the western central 
sections of the township, and, passing into Blanchard Township, strikes the 
river on Section 14, of that subdivision. Four small runs flow into the 
Blanchard from the north: Watson's, originally called Gardner's, Wilson's, 
McKinnis' and Grassy. Watson's or Gardner's Run, named after John 
Gardner and Richard Watson, who successively occupied the same farm, 
heads in Portage Township, and waters the northeast corner of Liberty, 
emptying into the Blanchard on Section 10. Wilson's Run also rises in 
Portage, and flows southward a short distance west of Watson's, striking 
the river on Section 15. This branch was named after Judge Ebeuezer 
Wilson, a leading pioneer who settled and lived upon it till his death. 
McKinnis' Run heads on Section 4 and strikes the Blanchard on Section -8. 
Philip McKinnis took up his residence on this run in 1827: hence the name. 
Grassy Run is about a mile still farther west, and was so named because of 
its grass-covered banks. Though Comer' s Run once furnished power for a 
saw-mill, none of these runs are now sufficiently large to be utilized in that 
manner, and are only important as soui'ces of drainage and for the use of 
stock, several springs along the larger ones supplying water throughout the 
year. 

Excepting the river bottoms, the surface in the north part of this town- 
ship may be termed rolling, though an occasional strip of level land is seen 
at intervals. A narrow sand ridge crosses the township south of the Blanch- 
ard in a southwest direction, and except along Comer's Run, where it is 
somewhat broken, and a small branch still farther west, where the surface is 
rolling, the lands on. each side of the ridge are generally level, and fall off to- 
ward the north and south in a gentle slope. A heavy forest once covered this 
whole i-egion, but most of the valuable timber has long since disappeared be- 
fore the merciless "clearing up" mania of past years. There was a small clear- 
ing, covering about twelve acres, on the north bank of the Blanchard in Sec- 
tion 7, when the McKinnis family settled in the township, which is believed to 
have been the site of an Indian village, and this was the only tract not covered 
by the original forest. The soil in the lower valleys along the Blanchard is a 
sandy alluvial deposit, made by the overflows of the river, and is regarded 
as very valuable corn land. Back from the river on the ' ' second bottom' ' 
and level lands a sandy loam is found, which on reaching the highlands 
changes to a clay formation with a sand and gravel mixture, though north 
of the Blanchard a clay soil predominates. The ridge south of the river is 
purely a sand formation. 

The writer learns from Nelson Poe and William H. Fountain, that when the 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 427 

first settlers came into Liberty Township they found a tract of cleared land, 
covering about twelve acres, on the north bank of the Blanchardin Section 7,' 
some of which had apparently been under cultivation, and was called by the 
pioneers "Indian Green." An Indian graveyard was located here, and 
also an orchard of plum trees, which supplied the neighbors with that fruit. 
Several pioneers have stated it was the general impression among the first 
settlers that an Indian village once flourished at this point. The Ottawas 
had two villages still farther down the river, in what is now Putnam Countv, 
and it is believed the Wyandots had a settlement at Indian Green, whence they 
removed, in 1818, to Big Spring Reservation. It is a well attested fact 
that the Indians occasionally visited the old burying- ground, and guarded 
the remains of their ancestors bui'ied here with jealous care. Mr. Poe says 
his father told him that a pioneer named Ellison settled with his familv on 
this tract at an early day, and after building a cabin began the work of 
opening the graves for the pm-pose of obtaining the valuables supposed to 
be buried with the Indian dead. The Indians soon heard of this desecra- 
tion, and at once visited Ellison, and so thoroughly fi-ightened him by 
threats of retaliation that he deserted his cabin and '' silently stole away " 
The wagon road along the north bank of the river passes through this old 
Indian cemetery, no trace of which now remains. 

First Settlers.— This township was one of the earliest settled portions of 
Hancock County. Sixty-four years ago Robert McKinnis, with his wife Betsy 
and seven childi-en, viz. : Charles, James, Philip, John, Sarah, Rachel and 
Eliza, settled on the Blanchard in Section 7. Mr. McKinnis was a native 
of Butler County, Penn. , whither his parents had emigrated from Ireland 
He grew to manhood and married in his native countv, thence removed to 
Ross County, Ohio, coming to Hancock in the spring of 1822 He built 
his cabin on the south bank of the Blanchard in Section 7, the farm now 
owned by Oliver P. Shaw. Here he began to make for himself a home in 
the wilderness. Charles, his only son then married, settling across the river 
on the same section. At the first election held in Findlay Township (then 
embracing the whole county), July 1, 1823, when thirteen votes were east 
he was elected justice of the peace, Wilson Vance beino- the other justice 
chosen at that election. On the 5th of April, 1824, he w"as elected overseer 
ot the poor, this being the second election in what is now Hancock County 
In March, 1828, Mr. McKinnis was chosen by the General Assemblv one of 
the associate judges of Hancock County, and served in that capacitv seven 
years. Judge McKinnis possessed a fair education and good executive abil- 
ity, and was well qualified for such official positions as he filled in this 
county On the 2d of September, 1824, his daughter, Rachel, was married 
by V\ ilson Vance, justice of the peace, to Samuel Kepler, who lived on the 
Maumee, this being the first marriage in the countv. His daughters Sarah 
and Eliza were afterward maiTied to John Fishel and John Macree respect- 
^ely, and about 1851 removed with their husbands to Iowa *" Judo-e Mc 
Kmnis was fi-ank, genial and generous, possessing that fi-iendly naW so 
characteristic of the Irish race. His wife died in this township in 1845, 
and about 18ol he removed to Iowa, where he spent the remainder of his days 
dying August 22, 1863, aged over eighty-six years. 

Charles McKinnis was born in Pennsylvania, and married Miss Mary 
Vail a native of Virginia, in Ross County, Ohio. In December, 18'^1 he 
and his father entered land on Section 1, Liberty Township, and in the 



428 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

spring of 1822 settled permanently. Charles built his cabin on the -west 
half of the northwest quarter of Section 7, across the river from his father, 
where his son, Robert, was born in the summer of 1825 — one of the earliest 
births in the county. On the tirst tax levy of Findlay Township, taken in 
1824, Charles MoKinnis is assessed for two horses and four head of cattle, 
so that he must have been in better circumstances than the average pioneer 
of that date. In October, 1828, Mr. McKinnis was elected county commis- 
sioner, and re-elected in 1830. His childi'en were Robert, Thomas, John, 
Philip, Elizabeth and Mary, all of whom were born in the township, and 
here grew to maturity. Mr. McKinnis, who was known as one of the ' ' best 
men "' of his day, died November 21, 1864, upon the old homestead in this 
township, where the widow of his son, Philip, now resides. His widow 
survived him till September 11. 1869. Thomas and John live across the 
township line in Blanchard Township on a portion of their father's estate, 
while Robert died in 1858. 

Philip McKinnis, also a native of Pennsylvania, was in his twenty-second 
year when the family settled on the Blanchard. In April, 1824, he was 
elected constable of Findlay Township; and on the first tax duplicate, made 
that year, he is assessed for one horse and six head of cattle, a fair evi- 
dence of his prosperous condition. He lived with his parents until his mar- 
riage with Miss Susannah Dukes, sister of Lewis Dukes, Sr., by Joshua 
Hedges, justice of the peace, December 20, 1827, when he and his wife took 
possession of a cabin, which he had previously erected on the east half of the 
northeast quarter of Section 8. He did not enter this tract, however, till 
April 7, 1831. To this union were born eleven children, nine of whom sur- 
vive, but none are residents of this county. In 1855 Mr. McKinnis removed 
to Putnam County, Ohio, where he died August 18, 1866, and his widow 
August 3, 1868. He was a plain, uneducated pioneer, possessing a good 
deal of strong common sense, which carried him successfully through the 
many trials and hardships of forest life, but ' ' would fight at the drop of a 
hat, ' ' and seldom met his match. Industry, honesty and punctuality were 
three of the most striking traits of his character, never turning aside from 
the faithful performance of what he regarded as his duty. 

James and John McKinnis were also single men when the family came 
from Ross County. The former married Lucy Wickham, daughter of John 
C. Wickham, a pioneer, of Findlay, and settled immediately east of his 
father, on the farm now owned by Solomon B. Swartz. He resided here 
until his removal to Iowa about 1851. John married Miss Sarah Hartley, 
of Findlay Township, and located on a part of his father's farm, but he, 
too, went West, locating first in Indiana, thence removing to Kansas. 

In December, 1822, Jacob Poe and his wife, Nancy, and foui" children, 
Elizabeth, John, Robert and Nelson, came from Ross County, Ohio, and 
settled on the west part of the southwest quarter of Section 8, on the noi-th 
bank of the Blanchard, which land he had entered the previous May. Jacob 
Poe was of German extraction, and a distant relative of those historic char- 
acters famed in frontier story, Adam and Andi-ew Poe. He married Nancy, 
eldest daughter of Robert McKinnis, in Ross County, Ohio, and followed 
his father-in-law to Hancock County. Six children were born to him, after 
settling in this township, viz.: George L. , Rachel, James, Margaret, 
Nancy and Jacob, and of the ten, six suiwive. George L. , now a resident of 
Findlay, is believed to have been the first white child born in the township 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 429 

and the second male in the county, his birth occurring in November, 1824. 
In April, 1824, Mr. Poe was elected one of the three trustees of Findlay 
Township, and was also one of the judges at that election — the second held 
in what is now Hancock County. He was assessed in 1824 for one horse 
and five head of cattle. His son, Nelson, born in Ross County, September 
4, 1822, occupies the old homestead, where he has lived more than sixty- 
three years, being only three months old when his parents settled on the 
Blanchard. He is thus the oldest surviving resident of the township, and 
there is but one other living citizen, viz.. Job Chamberlin, of Find- 
la.y, who has resided longer in Hancock County, the latter having come with 
his parents to Findlay Township in February, 1822. Jacob Poe was one of 
those sturdy backwoodsmen whose industry, courage and perseverance have 
done so much toward converting the wild forest -co A^ered lands of north- 
western Ohio into fi-uitful fields studded with homes, the abodes of intelli- 
gence, comfort and plenty. He died on the old homestead May 28, 1856, his 
widow surviving him till November 27, 1862. leaving behind numerous 
descendants to perpetuate the memory of their plain but worthy lives. 

John Gardner, known to the pioneers as ' ' Big John ' ' Gardner, settled on 
the north bank of the Blanchard in Section 10, in 1823. He was a cousin 
of John Gardner, Sr., of Findlay Township, and also his son-in-law, 
and came to the connty about the same time. In the fall of 1828 he 
sold out to Addison Hampton, and soon afterward went to Indiana or 
Michigan. Joseph White came to the township the same year as Gardner, 
but in 1826 moved to Findlay. In 1824 he was assessed for two head of 
cattle, probably a yoke of oxen. He taught the first school in Findlay. in 
the winter of 1826-27, and left the county some time in the latter year. 

Thomas and Rachel Wilson are believed to have settled on the east half 
of the southeast quarter of Section 9 in the spring of 1826, which he entered 
September 5, 1825. He was a native of Pennsylvania, but came here from 
Champaign County, Ohio, and died on his farm" in 1828 (doubtless the first 
death in the township), leaving two children, Rebecca and Jane. The former 
married John Reed and the latter George L. Poe. The widow became the 
wife of John Travis, who came to the township a single man, about 1827. 
The family subsequently moved into Portage Township, where she died in 
1852, and Mr. Travis in 1884. 

Ebenezer Wilson, a brother of Thomas, was born in Pennsylvania, in 
1799, and married Sally Davis, in Champaign County, Ohio. In January, 
1826, with his wife and two childi'en, he came to Findlay, and purchased 
and settled on the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 10, Liberty 
Township, entered by John Gardner in 1822. In March, 1828, he was ap- 
pointed one of the associate judges of Hancock County, and in' 1835 re-ap- 
pointed for a second term, serving fourteen consecutive years in that capac- 
ity. Judge Wilson reared a family of nine children, seven of whom are liv- 
ing, and two— Joseph and Mrs. Rachel Cu sac— are residents of the township. 
The parents d^ed upon the old farm, the Judge July 4, 1866, and his widow 
June 20, 1877. Both were life-long Presbyterians. Judge Wilson was 
one of those solid, intelligent men who leave their stamp upon the sur- 
roundmg community, and are kindly remembered when they pass from the 
busy scenes of life. 

John Gardner, Jr., came to Findlay with his father in 1822. The latter 
entered the land in Section 10 upon which William C. Watson now lives. 



430 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

May 9, 1822, and here John, Jr. , subsequently settled. In 1824 he was as- 
sessed for one horse and three head of cattle; but it is not known whether 
he located on his land in this township prior to his marriage with Miss Susan 
Moreland, daughter of William Moreland, Sr. , November 1, 1827, the cere- 
mony being performed by William Hackney, justice of the peace. Mr. 
Moreland lived for a time with Gardner on this farm, and it is by some 
believed that the latter resided here prior to his marriage, or had at least 
built a cabin and made a clearing thereon. In 1829 Gardner went to Mich- 
igan, and two years afterward his land was sold by Joshua Hedges to Kich- 
ard Watson. 

Other settlers of this period were Eobert McCullough, John and Michael 
Fishel, William Wade, Joshua Jones, John Travis and Addison and Alfred 
Hampton. McCullough was a native of Ireland, and a brother-in-law of 
Robert McKinnis. In the spring of 1826 he came fi'om Ross County, 
Ohio, and "squatted" across the river from the latter. He was a large, 
muscular man, of great vitality and endurance, and, like the McKinnis boys, 
was regarded as one of the ' ' best men ' ' in the county. He never owned 
any land here, and in a few years removed to the Maumee, settling in what is 
now Defiance County. 

John and Michael Fishel and two sisters settled on the east half of the 
southwest quarter of Section 9, in March, 1828, where they were joined by 
their father, John, and brother, Daniel, the following autumn. The same 
year John, Jr. , married Sarah, daughter of Judge McKinnis, and about 1851 
removed to Iowa. The father and Daniel both died in the township in 
1849, the former being eighty-four years old at the time of his decease. In 1832 
Michael got married, and in 1833 settled on Section 34, Blanchard Town- 
ship, where he resided till 1876, when he removed to McComb, of which 
village he is still a resident. 

William Wade and Joshua Jones, his son-in-law, settled on Section 9, in 
1827, and after living here eight or ten years, sold out and removed into 
Union Township, where Wenman W^ade resided, and afterward went to 
Indiana. 

John Travis was a single man, and subsequently married Rachel, the 
widow of Thomas Wilson, for whom he had worked prior to his mar- 
riage. Her farm was the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 9, 
whence the family removed into Portage Township, where he died in 1884. 

About this time Jeremiah Pressor, a free negro from Hardy County, Va., 
settled on the Blanchard. Jerry was a shiftless, good-natured old fellow, 
who did odd jobs of clearing for his white neighbors, but never owned any 
land. He finally removed with his family into Portage Township, where 
he passed the latter years of his simple, uneventful life. 

Addison and Alfred Hampton were born in Virginia, whence they re- 
moved to Ross County, Ohio, where they respectively married Mary and 
Eleanor McCahan (sisters), also natives of the "old Dominion." In the 
fall of 1828 Addison and family came to this township, and located north of 
the river on Section 10. Alfred came out somewhat later, finally settling on 
Section 4. After a residence here of about five years, Addison removed to 
Fayette County, thence to Wood County, where some of his children yet 
reside. Alfi-ed remained in Liberty until his removal to Findlay many 
years ago, where he and his wife are now spending the remaining years of 
their lives. They were married April 18, 1825, and in 1885 reached the 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 431 

sixtieth anniversary of that event. Mr. and Mrs. Hampton are doubtless 
the oldest pioneer couple in Hancock Connty. 

Johnson Bonham was a native of Virginia, born August 30, 1796. In 
August, 1828, he entered 160 acres north of the river on Section 10, and the 
following year began improving his land. He voted at the October election 
of 1829^ and was^^doubtless living in the county a short time prior to that 
event. He came here with Kobert L. Strother from Licking County, Ohio, 
into which he had removed from Muskingum County, and in 1834 was 
elected a justice of Liberty Township, and again in 1843. Mr. Bonhan died 
upon the old homestead, November 15, 1845. Five of his children are resid- 
ents of the county — two sons and two daughters in Findlay Township, and one 
son in Portage. 

The year 1830 brought into the township a large number of settlers. 
Nathan Frakes, John J. Hendi-icks, Amos Bonham, Zebulon B., Jonathan, 
Solomon, James and Stephen Lee, John Magee, Meredith Parrish, John 
Hubbs, Moses Predmore and James Caton, all came that year, but some of 
them had previously lived in other parts of the county. 

Nathan Frakes settled in Allen Township in 1827, and in 1830 removed 
to Section 10, Liberty Township, now the site of the County Infirmary. 
His wife, Susannah, bore him a large family, some of whom are well remem- 
bered. In early life Frakes was a hard drinker and also a ' ' bruiser, ' ' while 
his wife was a very ardent Methodist, and known as "an intelligent, earn- 
est, praying woman. ' ' Nathan finally joined a temperance society and subse- 
quently the church, and became a very worthy citizen. He died on his farm in 
this township early in 1835, and his widow married James Harkness. She and 
all the children went to Michigan many years ago. An account of Frakes' 
first settlement, near Van Buren, will be found in the sketch of Allen Town- 
ship. 

John J. Hendricks first settled in Amanda Township in 1826, and four 
years afterward removed to the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 
8, this township, building his cabin on the north bank of the Blanchard. 
He entered this tract February 5, 1830. His wife, Eleanor F., was a native 
of Ireland, and a sister of Joseph C. Shannon, once auditor of the county. 
She was a very intelligent, well-read woman, thoroughly posted in the cur- 
rent topics of the day. Mr. Hendricks and family, after several years' res- 
idence here, sold out and went to Indiana. 

Amos Bonham, a brother of Johnson, came fi'om Muskingum County, 
Ohio, in 1830, and was one of the pioneer school teachers of the county. 
He was a bachelor and never had any permanent residence, but spent most 
of his time in Liberty and Findlay Townships, at the homes of his brothers, 
Johnson and Eobert. He possessed a very fair education and was usually 
called upon to act as election clerk, as good penmen were then very scarce. 
He finally returned to his early home and there died. 

Zebulon B. , Jonathan, Solomon, James and Stephen Lee, came with 
their widowed mother, Sarah, from Franklin County, Ohio, in the spring of 
1830, and settled in Sections 15 and 22, on the ridge road south of the 
Blanchard. The father, Jonathan, was a native of Wales, and the mother of 
Gei-many, and they were married in Pennsylvania, where some of the chil- 
dren were born. The family removed to Franklin County, Ohio, where the 
father died, and whence the widow and sons came to Hancock. The mother 
died at Benton, and Zebulon is the only one of the sons now residing in the 



^^2 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

county, the others having moved away many years ago. After living in 
Liberty Township several years, Zebulon removed into Union and thence to 
Orange, where he is now living at the ripe old age of ninety years 

John Magee, a step-son of Meredith Parrish, married Eliza, dano-hter 
of Judge McKmnis, and settled on the east half of the northwest quarfer of 
Section 9, which he entered June 1, 1829, and where they resided xmti 
heir removal to Iowa about 1851. Meredith and Sarah Parish located on 

C^'J' l^f, and m 1834 sold out to John Fletcher and went to Putnam 
County. John Hubbs settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Sec- 
18-?0^' T.r N^^j'^^f i' 18'^<>' ^^ich land he sold to Daniel Cusac in 
18d J, and then moved to Indiana. Moses Predmore settled on Section 9, and 
James Caton on Section 8. Both sold their farms and went to Iowa All 
of the foregoing came about 1830. 

George Chase came to the township in 1830, and cleared five acres on 
the west ha f of the northwest quarter of Section 10, entered by him June 
t'-i I '^^ ^"^^ ?^ ^ ''.''*''^ ^'^^ '^°''^- ^^ returned to Madison County, Ohio 
whither he and his wife, Elizabeth, had emigrated fi-om New York State in 
181/, and m the spring of 1831 brought out his family and settled 
permanently on his and. The mother died in 1832, leaving a family of 
five children, all of whom grew to maturity, but only three of the number 
are now living. The ather died in 1869, and Justus now occupies the old 
farm on which he has lived smce March, 1831; Mrs. Miles Wilson, of Port- 
fnthTsTun?'' '' """^^ '^^'^^''' °* ^^'^ ^'''^^^' excepting Justus, living 

So A ? •'''\?''^^ *^^ following year. Coen was one of the first active 

Presbytei-iansm the county, and assisted in organizing the first Presbyte- 
rian society HI Fmdlay and also the one subsequently organized in this town- 
ship Mis wife died here, and he was again married. The family left the 
county many years ago, and none of his children are now residents thereof 
Benjamin and Mary Cummins, natives of Kentucky, settled on the 
southwest quarter of Section 9, in 1830. In 1831 he was elected justke o? 
^e peace (being the first justice of the township), and re-elected in 1834 
He soon afterward moved into Pleasant Township, where further mention 
or nim will be found. 

nnrt'l.TTf ^^/^^'■'^'''^..^'''^f ^^^""^ *^^ '^^^ ^^^ ^^ Cummins, entering the 
north halt of the northwest quarter of Section 9, November 24 1830 He 
lett the county at quite an early day. 

Job Chamberlin,Sr. , settled in Findlay Township in February, 1822, where 

cSnel Idfw^^i ^"^ '''"""'^ '' T'- ^^ ^^^^^ ^^ -™^^ Miss'Sarah 
2s Tuart.r of I .^""'^^^ year removed to this township, settling on the north- 
east quaiter of Section L He resided here till his death; he dTed September 
f; ' '''.^J^'l^^?^^y-fi^^ year of his age. His widow survived him until 

S'thTcoLtv f- ^'- ^^r'"'}'" "^^ °"^ ^^ ^^^ -^-^ --1-^t -ttler 
ot _the county, and is more fully spoken of in the sketch of Findlay Town- 

8hin^ri8'n'''''i^ ;T'^ Benjamin Mtxllen, and families, came into the town- 
OhR fr /■ were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to 

Cm nW o?''''''.r"'ii''^ ^r ^'^^^ Fairfield, and the latter from Franklin 
County, Ohio. Mr. Powell settled on Section 27, where his daughter Mrs 




^.. /^3, ,^/<M^ 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 435 

Ann Preble, now lives, in the southeast part of the township, which he en- 
tered November 21, 1829. He was thrice married, and died upon the old 
homestead. The Mullens settled on Section 22, on the ridge road south of 
the Blanchard, and after a residence here of many years the parents re- 
moved to Benton, and died there. John, one of the sons, who came to the 
township in 1830, also died at Benton, while Thomas is now a resident of 
Findlay. Two of the daughters were married to Zebulon Lee and one to 
Jonathan Lee. 

Richard Watson, a native of Maryland, with his wife and six childi-en, 
came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in the summer of 1831, and rented 
the farm on Section 10, north of the Blanchard, previously improved by 
John Gardner, Jr. , and William Moreland, Sr. He voted at the following 
October election, and in November, 1831, Mr. Watson purchased the Gard- 
ner farm of Joshua Hedges, agent for Mr. Gardner. Three childi-en were 
born after settlement, and of the nine, four are yet living, residents of 
Hancock County. Mr. Watson died in 1848, and his widow in 1870. Both 
are buried on the old homestead, where they spent the declining years of 
their lives. William and George Watson, brothers of Richard, came 
after the latter. Both married here, and spent the balance of their lives in 
the township. George was drowned in the Blanchard, and William died 
upon his farm on Section 15. Four of William's childi-en are residents of 
the county. 

Abraham and Rebecca Reals, former a native of Maryland and latter of 
Pennsylvania, came from Stark County, Ohio, and settled on the east half of 
the southeast quarter of Section 3, which Mr. Beals entered April 17, 1832. 
They reared a family of thirteen childi-en, eight of whom are yet living. Mr. 
Beals, who was a bricklayer, died in Portage Township, whither they had 
removed fi-om Liberty, in 1855. His widow also died there. Many of 
their descendants live in the county. 

William Fountain was a native of Caroline County, Md. , of French an- 
cestry, born January 6, 1784. In 1809 he married Sarah Barton, also a 
native of Maryland, who bore him five children, only two of whom survive. 
Mrs, Fountain died in 1821, and he took for his second wife Mrs. Rebecca 
Smith. In 1824 he removed to Franklin County, Ohio, and in October, 
1832, came to Hancock, settling on the east half of the southwest quarter of 
Section 3, Liberty Township, which he entered October 23, 1830. Here 
his wife died in 1862, leaving a family of two sons and three daughters, all 
of whom are yet living. Mr. Fountain died upon his farm June 14, 1878, 
in his ninety-fifth year. This venerable patriarch was familiarly known as 
"old man Fountain." from the fact that he was the oldest person in the 
township for a long period prior to his decease. He was of a quiet, retiring 
disposition, and mixed very little in public affairs, devoting his attention 
almost wholly to his home and family. 

John Boylan moved here fi-om Licking County, Ohio, in 1832, and set- 
tled on Section 10. He was one of the pioneer school teachers of the town- 
ship, and also a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was 
an uncle of D. B. Beardsley, Esq. , a well known member of the Hancock 
County bar. Mr. Boylan moved into Blanchard Township, where he car- 
ried on a store for some time, and also served two terms as justice of the 
peace, subsequently removing to Indiana, and thence to Iowa. He was a 
very good man, but not a money-maker, and never accumulated much prop- 
erty while in this county. 



436 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Peter Treece and Isaac Comer settled here in 1832. The former was a 
native of Pennsylvania, but came to Hancock from Pickaway County, Ohio, 
settling in the south part of Liberty Township. Here he resided till his 
death, September 9, 1848, when his widow removed to Michigan. Isaac 
and Hannah Comer came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and located on the 
northeast quarter of Section 21, which he purchased of Robert L. Strother. 
Mr. Comer was a large, stout man, always in a happy mood, looking on the 
bright side of life, and strewing his pathway with kind words and generous 
acts. Comer' s Run was named after him, his farm lying upon that stream. 
He was the father of one son, David, and seven daughters. David lives in 
Union Township, and some of the daughters also reside in the county. Mrs. 
Comer died March 21, 1851, and September 3, 1852, Mr. Comer joined her 
in the life beyond the grave. 

James Jones and Allan McCahan moved into the township in the fall of 
1833. Jones was a native of Pennsylvania, and his wife, Martha, of Mary- 
land. They came here from Perry County, Ohio, and settled on Section 4, 
where both died, he in 1845, and she in 1866. They reared seven children, 
five of whom survive. Mrs. Justice Chase, of Liberty, and Mrs. Jacob 
Cooper, of Portage Townships, are two of their daughters. Allan McCahan 
was born in Virginia, and removed with his parents to Ross County, Ohio. 
He first visited Hancock in 1829, coming again in 1831, but did not settle 
permanently till the fall of 1833, when he and his family located on Section 4, 
Liberty Township. After some years he moved into Findlay Township, 
thence to Findlay, where he is now living, at the advanced age of eighty- 
three years. 

In 1834 John Price, Samuel Powell, James Cooper and Barna Beardsley 
settled in the township. Mr. Price was a native of Pennsylvania but came 
here from Wayne County, Ohio, and located on the northwest quarter of 
Section 3, where both he and his wife, Sarah, died. He was a shoe maker by 
trade,' and a straightforward, honest man, who despised trickery or meanness. 
His son Eli owns the old homestead, but lives across the line in Portage 
Township. Samuel and Sarah Powell moved here from Fairfield County, 
Ohio, and both died upon the homestead, the latter in 1852 and the former 
in 1868. They had a family of eight sons and four daughters, of whom 
eight survive. Andrew lives on the old home place in Section 27, entered 
by Mr. Powell in 1829, and George W. and Solomon across the line in 
Findlay Township. James Cooper, familiarly called ' ' Little Jim, ' ' accom- 
panied his brother John, from Perry County, Ohio, and settled on the 
northeast quarter of Section 5. He died on this farm, and his widow still 
resides upon it. 

Barna Beardsley, a carpenter by trade, came from Licking County, Ohio, 
and with his wife, Mary, and seven children located north of the Blanchard 
on Section 10, where three children were born. He afterward moved into 
Findlay Township and bought a small farm. Here his wife died in 1847. 
He afterward married Mrs. Malinda V. Shannon, and died in 1881 in Put- 
nam County. Elmus W. Beardsley, of Portage Township, and Daniel B. 
Beardsley, Esq., a lawyer of Findlay, are two of their seven surviving 
children, and the only members of the family in Hancock County. 

Among other early settlers were Thomas Cook, Rev. George Van Eman, 
Robert Sherrard, Joseph Morrel, John Povenmire, John Smeltzer, Samuel 
Sager, Levi Taylor, Robert Barnhill, John Bergman, Hemy Fry and Daniel 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 437 

Cusac, all of whom came from 1834 to 1839. But the township was by this 
time pretty thickly settled, and the days of loneliness and isolation had 
passed away. These men, it is true, with many others who came with them, 
underwent some of the privations and hardships of pioneer life, but the 
hardest struggle was over ere their coming. Roads had been opened, mills 
and schools erected, and other concomitants of civilization had previously 
made their appearance in this portion of the county. 

Justices. — The following citizens have filled this office since the organiz- 
ation of the township in 1831: Benjamin Cummins, Johnson Bonham, Levi 
Taylor, James H. Barr, Van Bui'ton, Joshua Smith, William S. Burkhead, 
Aaron Hall, John Radebaugh, Thomas H. Taylor, Alexander Philips, John 
Hall, William H. Fountain, J. E. Dresbach, Joseph Wilson, John Reed, 
Henry Rudisill, R. W. Boyd, D. P. Haggerty and William Taylor. 

Mills. — In 1832 John Byal erected a saw-mill on his farm in Section 11, 
Findlay Township, but in 1833 moved it across the line into Liberty. In 
1834 he built a frame grist-mill close to the saw-mill, both standing on the 
south bank of the Blanchard and operated by water-power. This was one 
of the first frame mills erected in Hancock County, and is yet standing and 
in operation. A large wooden water wheel furnished the motive power 
during the earlier years of its history, and though the machinery was of 
the rudest sort in comparison with the mills of to-day, it nevertheless 
proved a great blessing to the struggling settlers for many miles around. 
Steam-power was put in a few years ago, and considerable grinding is still 
done in this old mill. 

The next mill was built in 1844 by Miller Johnson, on Section 17, south 
of the river. It was first a saw-mill alone, but about ten years afterward a 
grist-mill was erected adjoining by Amos Hartman. These mills were final- 
ly biu-ned down, and rebuilt by the Croningers, but were again destroyed 
by fire in June, 1881, and nothing but the blackened ruins now remain 
where they once stood. John Povenmire built a saw-mill in Section 21, on 
Comer's Run, which was operated several years, and no doubt other saw- 
mills have existed from time to time. 

Earljj Schools. — It was not till 1832 that a schoolhouse made its appear- 
ance in this part of the county. A small log building was then put up on 
the southwest quarter of Section 9, and the first school was taught by Richard 
Wade. The McKinnises, Poes, Wilsons, Wades, Hamptons, Hendrickses, 
Fishels, Chases and Coens were the principal scholars when it first opened, 
though some other families may have sent childi'en. Benjamin Cummins 
taught here quite early. Another schoolhouse was built and opened in the 
winter of 1833-34, near the east line of Section 10, north of the Blanchard. 
John Boylan was the first teacher, and the Chases, Bonhams, Watsons, 
Hamptons, Fountains, Hedgeses, Byals, Johnsons and Frakeses attended. A 
schoolhouse stood here for several years, the old round-log giving place to 
a hewed-log structure with plastered ceilings, which was regarded by the 
pioneer scholars as a very fine building — the most imposing some of them 
had ever seen. Other schools gradually made their appearance in different 
parts of the township, iintil all were supplied with some educational advan- 
tages. Liberty now contains seven school districts, and two parts of dis- 
tricts. 

Religious Societies. — A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination 
was organized at the house of Johnson Bonham as early as 1831. Among 



438 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



the earliest members were Johnson Bonham and wife, Amos Bonham Mrs 
Meredith Parrish, Mrs. Addison Hampton, Nathan Frakes and wife, Mrs Will- 
iam Fountain and Barna Beardsley and wife. The class was organized by 
Revs. Thomas Thompson and Elnathan C. Gavit. In 1851 this society 
built a frame church across the line in Findlay Township, which is still used 
by the Methodists of the neighborhood. 

Rev. Peter Monfort, a Presbyterian preacher, organized a society of his 
faith m 1832, at the house of Ebenezer Wilson. Judge Wilson and wife, 
Jacob Poe and wife, William Coen, wife and two daughters, and Mrs. Rob- 
ert McKinnis were among the little band who met at that time. This society 
was a branch of the Findlay Church, and first held services in private houses 
and occasionally at the old log schoolhouse on Section 9. In the summer of 
1841 Rev. George Van Eman reorganized the church distinct from that at 
Findlay, and was the first regular minister thereof. In 1854 the society 
erected a frame building on the northwest quarter of Section 8, where wor- 
ship has ever since been held. Other denominations organized societies at 
a later day. The United Brethren Church have two buildings in the town- 
ship, one on Section 22 and another on Section 27, the latter being the 
Powell Memorial Church, erected in 1883. The Evangelicals have a church 
on Section 15, while the Christian Union stands on Section 30. All have 
regular services and fair-sized congregations. 

Alba Postoj9?ce.— Liberty has never had a village laid out within its pres- 
ent boundaries, and its nearest approach to such a convenience was the 
establishment of Alba postoffice at the house of Samuel Renninger, on Sec- 
tion 8, m 18d7. In March, 18(33, Mr. Renninger removed to Findlay, and 
appointed J. M. Moorhead to take charge of the office; but the latter went 
into the army m the spring of 1864, and the office was soon afterward abol- 
ished, 

Cemeferzes.— North of the Blanchard, on Section 7, is perhaps the oldest 
public cemetery in the township. Here, on a sloping hill overlooking the 
river, are buried many of the pioneers. Robert McKinnis and wife, Charles 
McKmnis and wife, Jacob Poe and wife, John Fishel, Sr., Job Chamberlin 
br., and others of the very first settlers found their last resting place on this 
grass-covered hill. Another oid graveyard is located on the ridge road in 
Section 21, where Isaac Comer, Peter Treece, Abraham Schoonover, John 
Poyenmire and many other pioneers of Liberty Township and vicinity sleep 
their last sleep. J f 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 439 



CHAPTER XIX. 
MADISON TOWNSHIP. 

First Attkmpt Made to Erect the Township, and Its Failure— Subse- 
quent Erection— Derivation of Name, Area and Population— Sur- 
face Features and Streams— Forest and Soil— Milk Sickness— Pio- 
neers— Justices— Grist - Mills — Schools— Religious Societies — Vil- 
lages—Past and Present of Williamstown and Arlington. 

AT a session held in March, 1840, a petition signed by Jacob Eosenberg, 
then sheriff of Hancock County, and others, was presented to the 
board of commissioners asking for the erection of a new township from 
parts of Eagle, Jackson, Van Buren and Delaware Townships, to be named 
Madison; but a remonstrance signed by Benjamin Sparr, John W. Williams, 
Sylvester Bell and many other citizens of that section of the county was filed 
against the proposed measure, and the prayer of the petitioners was denied. 
On the 1st of June, 1840, another petition was presented to the board signed 
by John W. Williams, Robert Hurd and others, praying that a township 
named Madison be formed from territory then embraced in Delaware and 
Van Bui-en, which was accordingly done, twelve sections being taken from 
each township in the erection of the new subdivision. The west half of 
Madison is in Township 2 south, Range 10, and the east half in 
Township 2 south, Range 11, the Bellefontaine road being the dividing 
line between the two ranges. 

Madison Township was named in honor of James Madison, fourth Presi- 
dent of the United States. It lies in the southern range of subdivisions, with 
Hardin County on the south. Van Buren Township on the west. Eagle and 
Jackson on the north, and Delaware on the east. It embraces twenty-four 
sections, or an area of 15,360 acres. In 1850 it contained 667 inhabitants; 
1860, 844; 1870, 967, and 1880, 1,232. 

The surface is generally level in the north part of the township, but 
slightly elevated, and rolling in the southern part, with a gradual descent 
from south to north, the natural drainage being all in that direction. The 
East Branch of Eagle Creek, rising in Hog Creek Marsh, strikes the south 
line of the township on Section 31, and taking a northwest course unites 
with the West Branch, near the southwest corner of Section 14. The West 
Branch flows in from Van Buren Township across the northwest quarter of 
Section 23, and, after uniting with the East Branch, the combined stream 
meanders northward along the west line of the township, passes into Eagle 
Township, near the northeast corner of Section 2, and thence northward to 
the Blanchard at Findlay. The southeast corner of the township is drained 
by Flat Branch, a sluggish tributary of the East Branch of Eagle Creek, 
into which it empties on the northeast quarter of Section 23. Buck Run 
heads in the east center of the township, and winding northwestward 
through Arlington strikes Eagle Creek near the line between Sections 1 



440 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and 2. The head of Lye Creek is located in the northeast corner of the 
township, whence it passes into Jackson. Thus it will be seen that Madi- 
son Township is well watered, and favored with good natural di-ainage. 

This portion of the county was originally very heavily timbered, every 
species indigenous to the soil being found here in great abundance. But 
most of the more valuable kinds have disappeared, though much good tim- 
ber yet remains. A rich vegetable loam, with a yellow and black clay subsoil, 
predominates, but in the bottoms along the streams the lands are usually 
composed of alluvial deposits. The upper strata on the flat or wet lands 
have been formed from the accumulations of decayed vegetation, and is a 
rich, black, sandy loam. Judicious drainage and tiling have rendered these 
wet lands very valuable. 

Milk- sickness, or "trembles," was very prevalent in this part of the 
county during the earlier years of its settlement, and was much dreaded by 
the pioneers. Good medical authorities say that the disease came from the 
cattle eating a poisonous plant, which grew in moist places, such as white 
snakeroot and three-leafed poisonous iwj; while many intelligent farmers con- 
tend that the water contained the poisonous substance. Many deaths oc- 
ciu-red from this disease before the physicians then practicing knew suffi- 
cient about it to overcome its deadly effects. Milk-sickness has not altoo-ether 
disappeared from Hancock County, though it is now very rarely seen. 

Pioneers. — The fii'st settler of Madison Township was Simeon Eansbot- 
tom, a native of Virginia. He left home when but twelve years old, be- 
cause of his father's severity, and in 1812 joined Hull's army. He served 
throughout the war of 1812, and at its close settled in Logan County, Ohio, 
where he married Rebecca Tullis, a native of L-eland, who bore him seven 
children, two of whom are living in Allen County, and one in Dunkirk, 
Hardin County, the latter, Amelia, being the widow of Henry Helms, of 
Madison Township. In the fall of 1825 Mr. Ransbottom and family left 
Logan County, and "squatted" on the bank of Eagle Creek, in Section 
23, subsequently removing to the north half of the west half of the south- 
west quarter of Section 11. He afterward sold this to John Diller, and in 
1836 bought the farm of Jacob Bolenbaugh on Section 14, where he resided 
till his death, October 5, 1851. Mr. Ransbottom was twice married, his 
second wife being Mrs. William J. Greer, nee Miss Rosannah Elder, who 
bore him six children, only two now living, one of whom, Jasper, resides 
in Dunkirk, and the other, Mrs. Catherine Elms, in Findlay. His widow 
survived him many years, and became the wife of Joseph Helms. Mr. 
Ransbottom was one of the seventy-four electors who voted at the first 
county election in April, 1828; and was also prominent in the organization 
of one of the first Methodist Protestant Churches in the southern part of 
the county. 

Abel Tanner was the second settler of the township, locating in the 
noi-thwest quarter of Section 23, on Eagle Creek, close to the cabin of 
Simeon Ransbottom, in February, 1826. Mr. William Tanner, of Dunkirk, 
a son of Abel, says: "My parents, Abel and Polly (Kinion) Tanner, were 
natives of Rhode Island, and with their family immigrated to Darby Plains, 
Madison Co., Ohio, in 1820. In 1823 we left Darby Plains, and traveling 
northwestward finally halted on 'Lynn Ridge,' about three miles south- 
west of Fort McArthur, in Hardin County. Here we built a cabin and be- 
gan the work of opening a farm, but after remaining on Lynn Ridge till 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 441 

February, 1826, we left our improvement and settled on Eagle Creek in the 
northwest quarter of Section 23, Madison Township, Hancock Co., Ohio. 
We were ' squatters, ' and Simeon Eansbottom had ' squatted ' on the same 
quarter the previous fall, and the Ransbottoms were living there when we 
arrived. My father afterward entered this land, and Ransbottom settled 
farther down the creek on Section 11. I was born in 1819, and therefore 
was in my seventh year when we left Lynn Ridge and took up our abode on 
Eagle Creek; but I remember the time and circumstances of that settlement 
as vividly as if it occurred only a year ago. William McCloud and family 
were then living in one of the block-houses at Fort McArthur, and his sons, 
William and Robert, often visited our cabin before and after our removal to 
Hancock County." Two or three years after the Tanners left Lynn Ridge, 
John Canaan took possession of their vacated improvement, which is now in 
Lynn Township, Hardin County. Mr. Tanner voted at the first county 
election in April. 1828, and in February, 1838, died upon his farm in this 
township, his widow dying the following year. Of his children, Mrs. Eme- 
line Tullis, widow of John Tullis, resides in Forest, and William in Dunkirk, 
Hardin County, and IVIi's. Adam Steinman in Van Buren Township, immedi- 
ately west of the old homestead. The first Methodist Episcopal class in the 
township was organized at his house,, and the first schoolhouse in this local- 
ity was built and opened on his farm. Mr. Tanner brought the first stock 
of dry goods to Findlay, which he took to the house of John P. Hamilton, 
who then lived up the Blanchard from the village, and got him to sell the 
goods to the settlers. There was but a very small assortment, yet heartily 
welcomed by the few families then residing in Hancock County. 

Abner Hill and his wife and step-daughter were the next family who 
came to Madison Township. They located on Section 23, close to the west 
line of the township, in the winter of 1826-27, and there resided until the 
spring of 1835, when Hill broke into Carlin's store at Findlay, for which deed 
he was arrested, tried, and, on April 14, 1835, sentenced to the penitentiary 
for three years. It is claimed that he was the first person sent to the pen- 
itentiary from Hancock County. His family removed from the county and 
never returned. 

John Tullis, a brother-in-law of Simeon Ransbottom, came from Belle- 
fontaine, Logan Co., Ohio, in 1827, and for some time lived with Mr. Rans- 
bottom. Belief ontaine was laid out on a part of his father' s land in 1820. In 
April, 1828, he took part in the first county election. He began a clearing on 
the south half of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 11, and 
upon his marriage with Miss Emeline, daughter of Abel Tanner, settled per- 
manently upon his land. In the spring of 1835 he sold this foi'ty-acre property 
to John Smith and removed to Van Bui-en Township. Mr. Tullis and family 
finally went to Missouri, where he died in 1871. His family returned to 
Ohio and settled in Dunkirk, and his widow is now living in Forest. One 
of his daiTghters, Mrs. Harriet Holmes, is a resident of Arlington. His 
brother, Griffin Tullis, came to the township two or three years after him, 
but remained only a brief period. 

Thomas Ransbottom and John Diller located on Eagle Creek in 1828. 
The former settled near his brother Simeon, and after some foiir or five 
years' residence he removed to Allen County, Ohio. Diller and his wife, Cath- 
erine, were natives of Pennsylvania, but came here from New York, and 
purchased the improvement of Simeon Ransbottom on the west bank of 



442 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



Eagle Creek in Section 11. He opened the first tavern in this part of the 
county, the buildings being two small log-cabins bearing the title of "The 
Cross Keys. " This point afterward became locally known as " Waterloo, " on 
account of the moral slaughter caused by a low grog-shop which stood' here 
for many years. In May, 1833, Mr. Diller entered the northeast quarter 
of the southeast quarter of Section 10, Van Buren Township, adjoining his 
previous purchase on the west. About this time his wife died, leaving 
three small boys, who, with their father, went to live with Simeon Rans 
bottom. On the 2Uth of May, 1833, he sold out to William Moreland, and 
removed from the county a few years afterward. 

In 1829 Aaron Kinion, Nathaniel Hill and James West all settled on 
Section 23. Kinion was a brother of Mrs. Abel Tanner, and with his fam- 
ily came from Rhode Island to Eagle Creek, afterward removing to Cham- 
paign County, Ohio. Hill, who was a widower, preceded his father-in-law 
James West, to this township. Both died on the east half of the northeast 
quarter of Section 23, entered by West in 1831. 

The years 1830 and 1831 brought in John Longwith, Jacob Helms 
Jacob Bolenbaugh, William Moreland, Jr., and Nathan Lewis. Mr. Long- 
with entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 5 May 5 
1830, and the following August settled upon it. He was born in Virginia' 
whence he removed to Pickaway County, Ohio, there married Sarah Cherry' 
and at the time mentioned took up his abode in the northeast corner of what 
is now Madison Township. Here his wife died several years ago, and in 
October, 1884, he, too, passed away. Their daughter, Harriet, now lives 
upon the home farm. 

Jacob and Elizabeth Helms, natives of Pennsylvania, located on the 
northeast quarter, of Section 2, in the fall of 1830. Their sons were John 
Samuel, Jacob, Joseph, Henry and David, all of whom are well remem- 
bered mthis locality. Mr. Helms accumulated sufficient property to give 
each son a nice farm. Both he and his wife died and were buried on the old 
homestead, where Levi, the son of Henry, now resides. 

Jacob Bolenbaugh came in the spring of 1830, and in 1833 was elected 
justice of Van Buren Township, which then embraced the west half of Mad 
ison. He settled on Eagle Creek, on the east half of the northwest quarter 
of Section 14, but June 30, 183G, he sold his farm to Simeon Ransbottom 
He had, however, removed to Union County the previous year. It is re- 
lated that Bolenbaugh' s reason for leaving was because of his dislike for 
the large number of Germans who werfe then entering land around him If 
this story is correct, it was very fortunate for the township to get rid of such 
a man so easily. 

William Moreland, Jr., removed from Findlay to this township in the 
spring of 1831, and in June of that year was elected the first justice of Van 
Buren township. In 1833 he purchased the improvement of John Diller, 
but m 1834 or 1835 moved back into Findlay Township, in the chapter on 
which township a more extended notice of the family will be found. 

Nathan Lewis was one of those pioneers who lived by huntino- He 
squatted on Section 23, and is not believed to have ever owned any land 
m this locality. 

Daniel and Elizabeth Rodabaugh, with their sons John, Abraham 
Sinron Daniel, Jacob and Jonas, and three daughters, came from Colum- 
biana County, Ohio, in April, 1832, and settled on Section 25, where Simon 



■^!l 



^^^^ 




^c^-^yvO o^^^-^yjly 



^' 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 445 

now lives. The parents and all of the children, except the two youngest, 
were born in Pennsylvania. Daniel and. his wife died on the old homestead, 
and Abraham, Simon and Jonas, of this township, are the only survivors of 
the family. 

Abraham Myers, wife and three step-sons, John, Jacob and Isaac Bush- 
ong, also John Musser, came with the Rodabaughs. Myers settled on the 
southwest quarter of Section 80, and Jacob and Isaac Bushong lived with him. 
John Bushong and his wife, Anna, settled and died on Section 36, where 
their son, Simon, now li\es. Isaac, who resides on Section 32, is the only 
one of the old stock living. The Bushongs were born in Virginia. Musser, 
a native of Pennsylvania, settled on the northwest quarter of Section 25, 
now owned by Simon Rodabaugh, His son, Jacob, resides southwest of the 
old farm. 

Christian and Catherine Welty came fi-om Perry County, Ohio, in 1833 
or 1834, and for three weeks the family camped in the woods, while the rude 
log-cabin was being prepared for their occupancy. Mr. Welly's land was 
in Section 3G, adjoining AVilliamstown on the west and south. In 183G he 
was elected justice of the peace of Van Buren Township, to which subdivis- 
ion he then belonged, and re-elected to the same office. Upon the establish- 
ment of a postoffice at Williamstown in 1835, Mr. Welty was appointed 
postmaster, and afterward opened a store in the village. He was a preacher 
in the Disciples Church, and both he and his wife died on the home place, 
where one of his sons yet resides. 

In 1834 Robert Hurd entered several tracts of land in the north part of 
the township on Sections 1, 6 and 7. He was a native of East Haddam, 
Conn., born March 10, 1785. In 1820 he came out to Portage County, 
Ohio, as agent for Aaron and Moses Wilcox, original proprietors of Twins- 
burg Township, taken from Portage in the erection of Summit County in 
1840. The Wilcox brothei's were twins, from which circumstance Twins- 
burg derived its name. Mr. Hvird was married in Killingsworth, Middlesex 
Co. , Conn. , in 1807, to Miss Mary Brainerd, a native of that State, who 
hore him fourteen childi'en, twelve of whom grew to maturity, and ten are 
now living. In the fall of 1834 two of the sons, William B. and Lorenzo, 
and a son-in-law, Joseph Fitch, located in this township, and built a cabin 
on the site of Arlington. Here they remained clearing up their land till 
April, 1839, when their brothers. Anson and Jared Hurd, joined the settle- 
ment, builfc a cal)in close to the first one erected, and the following Septem- 
ber the father and balance of the family came out, and took possession of the 
second residence, where his wife died in September, 1842. In 1844 Robert 
laid out the village of Arlington. In 1859 he was elected justice of the 
peace, and died in February, 1801. Of their children, two sons reside in 
Findlay, and one daughter in Arlington. Dr. Anson Hurd, a leading physi- 
cian of Findlay, is the best known of the family. 

Adam Essinger, Martin Funk and Napoleon B. Martz all came to the 
township in 1834. Mr. Essinger and his wife, Catherine, emigrated from Ger- 
many to Pennsylvania in 1832, thence removed to Hancock County, with the 
families of his brother, Nicholas, Adam Gossman and Peter Pif er in the fall 
of 1834, locating on Section 14, Madison Township, where he soon after- 
ward died. His widow and three children are residents of the township. 
Martin Funk and family were from Pennsylvania. He settled on Section 11, 
on the east bank of Eagle Creek, where he erected a grist-mill in 1838. He 

24 



446 HISTORY OF hancock county. 

ran this mill for a number of years, and it was subsequently operated by his 
son, John. Mr. Funk and wife and some of the children finally went to Michi- 
gan, but he came back on a visit and died at the house of Richard Sims. 
Mr. Martz was born in Virginia, and came here a single man, subsequently 
marrying Mrs. Hannah Nichols, nee Woodruff. He served one term as jus- 
tice of the peace, and resided here until 1874, when he and his wife removed 
to Illinois, where both are still living. Their son, Dorillas, resides upon 
the old homestead in Section 14. 

John W. Williams was born in Maryland, April 20, 1800, and came of 
Revolutionary stock. The family removed to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, at 
an early day, where Mr. Williams remained till the fall of 1833, when, tak- 
ing his wife and family in a wagon, he started West, arriving at Kenton, the 
newly laid out county seat of Hardin County, in the early part of October. 
At the first public sale Mr. Williams purchased several choice lots facing 
the square, then covered with the original forest, upon one of which he 
erected a large, two-storied, hewed-log building, and immediately opened a 
tavern " for the convenience of man and beast. " He also kept a small store 
in one corner of the bar-room, his trade being principally powder, lead and 
flints. The sessions of the court of common pleas were held in this tavern 
until the completion of the Court House. Mr. Williams had the contract 
for the erection of that building, which he finished in 1835. He dealt ex- 
tensively in peltry, handling thousands of skins in 1834 and 1835. His 
son, J. W. F. Williams, of Washington, D. C, writes as follows about 
his father's removal to Hancock County: "It being reported and believed 
that the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad would locate its line six miles 
east of Kenton, and the county seat be moved to a place known as 
'Wheeler's,' he sold all of his property, had the town site of W^illiams- 
tcwn surveyed, and moved there in the winter of 1835-36. " Though the 
move proved a bad one, Mr. Williams soon became a prominent factor in 
the southern part of Hancock. He opened a tavern and store, and was the 
second postmaster of the village, which position he filled many years. In 
1846 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected nine times in suc- 
cession, his death occurring September 23, 1873, while filling his last term. 
A modest headstone marks his grave in the little cemetery near the village 
which perpetuates his name. 

During 1835 Abraham Williams, John Smith, Nicholas Price and An- 
drew Ricketts, with their families, settled in the township. W^illiams built 
his cabin in the northeast quarter of Section 11, in March, 1835. He and 
his wife, Mary Ann, were fi'om Pennsylvania. She died here and he after- 
ward went to Nebraska. John Smith, a German, came here from Jeffer- 
son County, Ohio, in the spring of 1835. He purchased the southwest 
quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 11, of John Tullis, and lookup 
his residence in the Tullis cabin. He died at the home of his son, Peter, 
in Van Buren Township. Nicholas and Elizabeth Price, natives of 
Germany, settled on Section 14, near the west line of the township, in 
the fall of 1835. They were the parents of nine children, and both died 
upon the old homestead. Four of their sons reside io this county: George 
in Van Buren Township, Nicholas E. and Philip in Madison, and Peter in 
Findlay. Andi-ew and Mary Ricketts came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 
November, 1835, and settled Avest of Eagle Creek, on the east half of the 
southwest quarter of Section 2. In 1837 he was elected justice of the 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 447 

peace of Van Buren Township, in which subdivision his home was then in- 
cluded, and served one term. In 1841 he was elected county commissioner, 
which position he also filled one term. Mr. Ricketts accumulated a com- 
fortable property, and died in October, 1865. The family subsequently re- 
moved to Findlay, where his widow is now living. 

The next few years brought in a large number of settlers, among the 
first of whom we find Alexander Grant, George Kibler, Richard Sims (now 
of Arlington), Solomon Watkins, William Hodge, John Spacht and others. 
But the brunt of the struggle was now past, and these later comers found 
friends ready to assist them in the work of opening homes in the forest 
then covering the land. 

Justices. — As this township was not erected till 1840, some of its pio- 
neers served as justices of Van Buren prior to that date, and their names will 
be found in the list of that township. The justices of Madison have been 
as follows: Solomon Watkins, Joseph Leslie, Thomas Reese, Napoleon B. 
Martz, John W. AVilliams, Joel Markle, L. P. Wing, Robert Hurd, David 
Wardwell, L. D. Wiseman, Philip P. Wilch, Peter Wilch, Ezra Longworth, 
J. C. Clingerman, James HufP, Thomas H. Bushong, Dorillas Martz and Ellis 
Clingerman. The last mentioned and James Huff are the present incum- 
bents of the office. 

Grist-mills. — The first grist-mill was built in 1838 by Martin Funk on 
the northeast bank of Eagle Creek in Section 11. It was operated by water- 
power supplied by a race cut across the bend in the creek. This mill, like 
all those erected at an early day, was of great value to the pioneers. About 
ten years ago it ceased operations, and in the summer of 1885 was torn 
down and the frame removed by Peter Traucht to Arlington, where it was 
used in the construction of the steam grist-mill in that village, which is now 
in running order and the only flouring-mill in the township. 

Schools. — A small log schoolhouse was built about 1833-34 on the farm 
of Abel Tanner in Section 23. It was taught by Charles Herron, and the 
few families then living in that locality sent then* childi-ento this school. It 
was the first attempt at education in this part of the county. The next 
schoolhouse was put up on the farm of John Diller, in Section 11, as early 
as 1838. The Ransbottoms, Funks, Watkinses, Prices, Gossmans, Pifers, 
Heldmans, Smiths and others attended here. In 3840 a school was taught 
by Miss Harriet Fitch, in a log-cabin on the site of Arlington. Miss Jane 
Bigelow, was the second teacher of this school. About 1841 a small round- 
log schoolhouse was built in Williamstown — the first in the south part of the 
township. Other houses soon made their appearance, until in a few years 
every portion of the township had a school for the education of its youth. 
Madison has now eight schoolhouses, that in Arlington containing two 
rooms, and no child, rich or poor, need grow up without such educational 
advantages as the public schools afford. 

Religious Societies. — A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination 
was organized by Rev. Thomas Thompson, about 1830, at the house of 
Abel Tanner, the Tanners and Kinions being its only members. Services 
were held at intervals at private houses and schoolhouses, but in 1858 this 
denomination erected a frame building in Arlington, which is yet in use. 
The Methodist Protestant Church organized a society about 1833, in what 
is now Van Buren Township, though some of its members lived in Madison. 
About 1854-55 they erected Mount Mcriah Church on Section 22, Van 



448 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Biu-en Township, and also one in Arlington soon after the Methodist Epis- 
copal denomination built theirs. The Arlington Church is the only build- 
ing owned by the Methodist Protestants in this township ; while the Method- 
ist Episcopals have another society and church at AVilliamstown. The 
Disciples have a church at the latter village, Arlington and Williamstown 
each containing two churches. Other denominations have held services 
in the township, yet none but those mentioned have ever had an organized 
society, except perhaps the German Baptists, who, as early as 1835-30, held 
meetings in the Kodabaugh settlement, and may have effected an organi- 
zation, though they never had any house of worship in Madison. 

Fi7Za(/e^s'.— Williamstown was laid out by John W. Williams April 23, 
1834, on the northeast corner of Section 36 and the northwest corner of 
Section 31, thirteen miles directly south of Findlay, and originally con- 
tained forty-eight lots. The Bellefontaine road had been surveyed and 
partly opened, but there was only a rude wagon track through this town- 
ship when Williamstown was surveyed. In 1835 Mr. Williams erected a 
loo- building, and late that year removed from Kenton and opened a tavern 
in the forest then covering the site of his village. The same year a post- 
office named " Eagle " was established here, and Christian Welty appointed 
postmaster, who also opened a store about 1837. Mr. Welty' s successors 
in the postoffice have been as follows: John W. Williams, Dr. B. D. Evans, 
John B. De Haven and Dr. B. D. Evans. In 1866 the name of the office 
was changed to Williamstown. The first resident physician was Dr. Smith, 
but Dr. John F. Perky, who came afterward, is much better remembered, 
as he practiced here many years ere his removal to Findlay. The village 
has never had much prosperity and wears a general appearance of decay. 
Dunkirk on the south and Arlington on the north are fast sapping whatever 
business life it now contains. Its population in 1880 was 128, and its pres ■ 
ent business interests embrace one general grocery store, one drvig store, a 
steam saw, shingle and lath-mill, a wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, a 
shoe shop and three physicians. The Methodist Episcopal and Disciples 
denominations have each a church in the village, and a school is also located 
here. 

West Union was laid out by Andrew Sheller in the southeast corner of 
Section 36, December 25, 1834. but no buildings were ever erected on the 
site. 

Arlington lies nine miles south of Findlay, on the Bellefontaine State 
road, and was laid out by Robert Hurd, in November, 1844, in the south- 
east corner of Section 1 and the southwest corner of Section 6, lying on 
each side of the State road. Several additions have since been made to the 
original town. In 1846 Dr. Belizur Beach erected a brick hotel, and the 
following year the store-room now occupied by Richard Sims. He opened 
the hotel himself, but rented the other building to Truman Parker and 
Lorenzo P. Wing, who, under the firm name of Parker & Wing, opened a 
general store. After about a year Dr. Beach and Joel Markle bought out 
Parker & Wing, and carried on the business till 1855, and were then suc- 
ceeded by Thomas Stark, a son-in-law of Robert Hurd. Lovell Parker 
• opened a'blacksmith shop in 1846, and Edwin B. Vail was the first brick-mason 
of the village. Drs. Beach and W. K. Drake were the earliest resident phy- 
sicians. In 1846 Martins Town postoffice was removed from the house of 
Hathaway R. AVarner, north of the village in Jackson Township, to Arliug- 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 449 

ton, and Dr. Belizur Beach appointed postmaster of Arlington postoffice, 
the name beiag changed at the time of removal. His successors have 
been Lorenzo P. Wing, Edwin B. Vail, Dr. W. K. Drake, Thomas Stark, 
Philip Wilch, Dr. L. S. Lafferty, E. P. Lease, Dr. C. F. King and Holmes 
Wheeler. 

The census of 1880 gave Arlington a population of 180, but its citizens 
now claim between 300 and 400 inhabitants. Its business interests are rep- 
resented by one general dry goods and grocery store, two general grocery 
stores, one drug store, a good hardware store, a grist-mill and elevator, a 
steam saw and planing-mill, two steam saw-mills, a boot and shoe store and 
harness shop, two wagon shops, two blacksmith shops, a pump factory, a 
lath-mill, an undertaker's shop, two tileyards, one brickyard, a good hotel 
and livery stable and three saloons. Drs. L. S. LafPerty, C. F. King and 
J. L. Asire are the resident physicians of the town. The Methodist Epis- 
copals and Methodist Protestants have each a chui'ch here; while a graded 
school of two rooms furnishes good educational facilities. On the I'ith of 
October, 1882, Welker Post, No. 266, G. A. E. . was organized with thirty 
charter members, and has now about the same membership. The Cleveland, 
Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Guage Kailroad was completed to Ai-lingt-on in 
the fall of 1882, and the first through train came over the road fi-om Delphos 
to Mt. Blanchard January 1, 1883. Much more was expected of this 
enterprise than it has been able to accomplish, and it will never be of any 
great iitility to this section until it is changed to a standard guage. This is 
now talked of, and the citizens of Arlington have strong hopes that it will 
yet be accomplished. 



CHAPTEK XX. 
MARION TOWNSHIP. 



Erection, Area. Boundaries and Population— Ti:mber— Streams and 
Deer Licks— Soil— Pioneers— Early Elections and Electors— Jus- 
tices OF the Peace— Schools— Churches— Crow Postoffjce— Mills. 

PRIOR to December 6, 1830, the territory now composing Marion Town- 
ship was included in Findlay and Amanda, but on that°date the com- 
missioners erected Marion, which then embraced, besides its present terri- 
tory, what is now known as Cass Township, or a total of forty-eight sections. 
The latter subdivision was cut off and organized into a new township March 4, 
1833, leaving Marion as it stands to-day, with twenty-four sections, or an 
area of 15,360 acres of land, all lying in Township 1 north. Range 11 east. 
It is claimed that this township was named in honor of Gen. Francis Mar- 
ion, a dashing cavalry leader of the war of Independence. Marion is bounded 
on the north by Cass Township, on the east by Big Lick, on the south by 
Amanda and Jackson, and on the west by Findlay. In 1840 it contained a 
population of 707; 1850, 904; 1860, 1,064; 1870, 990; 1880, 987. The census 
of 1860 gives the township 77 inhabitants more than that of 1880, which indi- 



450 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

cates that the farms increased in acreage, or that the civilization of the past 
quarter of a century has been productive of small families. 

The timber was originally about the same as in other parts of the county:* 
oak, walnut, elm, ash, maple, poplar, beech, linn, sycamore, cherry, buck- 
eye, hackberi'v and cottonwood predominating. The more valuable woods 
have become very scarce, as the first settlers thought only of clearing the 
soil of what they then looked upon as an incumbrance. 

The Blanchard River strikes the south line of the township, near the 
southeast corner of Section 35, flows due north until near the northeast cor- 
ner of Section 23, where it turns abruptly westward, and leaves the town- 
ship in the southwest corner of Section 16. Several small runs drain the 
north part of the township into the Blanchard, while two or three come in 
from the south and east. The Prairie Outlet is the most important of these, 
as it principally di-ains the large body of wet prairie lands extending clear 
across Big Lick Township to the Seneca County line, discharging its waters 
into the Blanchard at the sharp turn or elbow on Section 23. Lye Creek crosses 
the southwest corner of Marion, and flowing northwestward empties into the 
Blanchard in the eastern suburb of Findlay. The Blanchard and its tribu- 
taries afford first-class drainage and stock facilities, though good water may 
be found at a slight depth in any part of the township. Along the river, on 
the farm of Allen Wiseley, in Section 23, are several deer licks, Avhich were a 
great resort for both Indian and white hunters throughout the pioneer days. 
Mr. Wiseley says when he settled there in the fall of 1830, there were seats 
in several trees near the licks, which he supposes had been constructed by 
the Indians. Comfortably seated in a tree close by, the hunter easily shot 
down the unsuspecting deer, and thus secured his game without much exer- 
tion. 

This township possesses some very choice lands. The bottoms along the 
Blanchard are composed of alluvial and vegetable deposits, and the soil is 
very fertile. Back from the river, in the south part of the township, a rich 
loam prevails, while a mixture of clay and sand is found in the northern 
portion. A narrow strip of the prairie extends along the outlet into this 
township, and makes very good pasture land. 

Pioneers. — The first land entry in this township was made by Elnathan 
Cory November 28, 1822. He took up the northeast quarter of the north 
east quarter of Section 21, probably with an eye to its importance as a mill 
site. October 24, 1825, the south part of the northeast quarter of Section 
23, also on the Blanchard, was entered by Alexander Robertson. These 
lands, however, were taken up as a speculation and not for settlement. It was 
not till 1827 that an opening was made in the forest of Marion. In that 
year Joseph A. Sargent built his cabin on the east half of the northwest 
quarter of Section 21, the farm now owned by George Burns. Sargent 
came to the county with his widowed mother early in 182G, and resided for 
a short time in Findlay. He subsequently married Elizabeth De Witt, 
daughter of Joseph De Witt, and sister of Mrs. Parlee Carlin. Squire 
Carlin savs Sargent was living with his mother on the Burns farm in the 
fall of 1827. He was one of the voters at the first county election April 
7, 1828, and also at the organization of the township in April, 1831. In 
May, 1831. he sold his land to Barnabas De Witt, and soon afterward 
removed to Wood County, where some of his children still reside. 

Asher Wickham, a brother of John C. Wickham the pioneer school 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 451 

teacher, was the second settler of the township. He ' ' squatted ' ' on the 
south bank of the Blanchard, in the southwest corner of Section 16, the 
property now owned by Thomas J. Burns. Wickham leased that corner of 
the school section, and in the fall of 1827 put up a little log-cabin upon it. 
He, too, was a voter in April, 1828, and one of the thirteen electors who 
organized Marion Township. He raised a family of several children ; George, 
William and Amos being the sons. Wickham lived on several different 
pieces of land, and after a residence in the township of about twenty-five 
years, he and his wife removed to Wood County and there died. 

Othniel Wells, an uncle of Joseph A. Sargent, came in 1828 and located 
on the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 15. He intended 
entering this land but could never raise the money, and upon its entry by 
Kezin Ricketts, in October, 1830, he made up his mind to quit the county. 
He remained, however, through the following winter, and after assisting in 
organizing the township in April, 1831, removed to the Tymochtee. 

Joshua Powell and his wife and son, Eli, and nephew Nvitter Powell, came 
to Findlay in the summer of 1828, erected a house, and planted a small patch 
of corn where the residence of E. P. Jones now stands. The season was 
very dry, and the crop proved a failure. In the meantime Mr. Powell pur- 
chased a part of the northwest quarter of Section 22, Marion Township; 
there built a cabin, and in the spring of 1829 removed into it. In Decem- 
ber, 1829, John Trout and family, on their way to the settlement on the site 
of Van Buren, staid over night "at the house of a Mr. Powell, about three 
miles above Findlay." This was Joshua Powell's cabin. He was one of 
the thirteen electors who cast their votes at the first township election in 
April, 1831. After a brief residence here Mr. Powell sold out and with 
his family removed to Putnam County. 

Willis Ward and family came from Gallia County, Ohio, in the spring 
of 1829, and "squatted" north of the Blanchard on Section 16. When Allen 
Wiseley came to the township in the fall of 1830, Ward had a clearing of 
several acres around his cabin. He was a noted hunter, and spent Diost of 
his time slaughtering the wild denizens of the forest, principally for the 
bounty then paid by the county for the scalps of the more dangerous 
animals. His father, Stephen, and brother, Charles, joined him in 1830, 
but settled on Section 15. In April, 1832, Willis was elected justice of the 
peace, being the second in the township, but died soon after, and was buried 
on his father's farm, now the homestead of George W. Wiseley. His family 
went back to Gallia County, whither Charles and his wife also retm-ned, the 
parents going to Wood County. 

In the spring of 1830 Major Bright, his wife, Deborah, and family came 
into the township, and settled on Section 21, the farm now occupied by his 
son, Levi. Mr. Bright was a native of Maryland, born April 11, 1777, and 
his children were as follows: Susan, Mary, Amelia, Lurany, Nimrod, John, 
Amos and Levy, of whom Nimrod and Levi are the only survivors. Soon 
after settling in the township Mr. Bright began entering land for his chil- 
dren and ultimately became the largest land owner of this portion of the 
county. He took part in the organization of the township in April, 1831, 
was the first justice elected therein, and in 1835 was appointed associate 
judge vice John W. Baldwin, resigned, but served only till the meeting of 
the General Assembly, in 1836. Major Bright died March 2, 1843, his widow 
surviving him more than thirty years, dying November 4, 1874, in the 



452 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

ninety-third year of her age. They sleep side by side in the handsome little 
pnblic cemetery, located on the old homestead. Of their two living chil- 
dren Nimrod married Harriet A\'iseley, sister of Allen Wiseley, of Marion 
Township, and settled first in Big Lick, whence he removed to Amanda, 
and is now residing in Vanlue. Levi has always lived npon the old home- 
stead, where the parents died. Many of Major Bright' s descendants are 
living in this county, and his two sons are among its wealthiest farmers. 

Edward Bright, a nephew of Major Bright, also came in the spring of 
1830, and voted at the first township election. He took iip land, and for a 
time ran a tannery in Findlay. He never married, and died at the home of 
Allen Wiseley, with whom he lived mnch of his time. 

Adam Beard and Justin Smith came in fi'om Amanda Township in 
1820-30, and took a contract to clear a piece of land in Section 25 for Da- 
vid Egbert. Beard's parents settled in Amanda Township late in 1827, as 
some of the family voted at the first county election in April, 1828, and 
Adam a couple of years afterward came to this township, where he has ever 
since resided. He was born in 1808, and is now old and feeble. Justin 
Smith lived only a short time in this township, then removed to one of the 
southern townships. Both he and Beard were voters at the first township 
election in April, 1831. 

Jacob Baker, a native of Virginia, was married in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, to Miss Susannah, daughter of Major Bright, and thence removed to 
Seneca County. He was a son of John Baker, who settled in the north 
part of Findlay Township. In 1830 he located on Section 24, close to his 
father-in-law, and the following spring assisted in organizing the township. 
About 1837-38 he took part in the organization of a class of the Methodist 
Episcopal denomination, and subsequently gave the land upon which the 
society erected a church. His wife died, and he married the widow of 
Leonard Baumgartner. The family removed to Wood County prior to the 
Rebellion. 

Allen Wiseley was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, February 20, 1809, 
there grew to manhood, and in October, 1830, left his father's home, and 
in a few days drew up his horse at the cabin of Major Bright, in the f,orest 
of Marion Township. He had known the Brights in Fairfield County, and 
the friendship begun there between young Wiseley and Amelia Bright, soon 
ripened into a warmer affection, and on the 2d of November, 1830, they 
were married by Aquilla Gilbert, then a justice of Jackson Township. He 
at once settled north of the Blanchard, in the southeast quarter of Section 
14. It is a coincidence worthy of mention that Mrs. Wiseley was born in 
Fairfield County, on the same date as her husband. She reared a family of 
seven children, five of whom are living, and all settled in the county. After 
a hapi:)y married life of more than forty-eight years, Mrs. Wiseley passed 
away, her death occurring December 9, 3868. She was a member of the 
United Brethren Church from early womanhood, to which Mr. Wiseley has 
also adhered since the same period. In April, 1831, Mx-. Wiseley assisted 
in organizing Marion Township, and has served five terms as justice of the 
peace. During his official life he was very popular, and made scores of 
young coujiles happy by tying the marriage knot. On the 18th of July, 
1882, he married Mrs. Mary Clinchie, nee Cahill, who has borne him one 
daughter. Mr. Wiseley operated a tannery in Findlay in 1831-32, and has 
been very successful in the accumulation of real estate. He has given each 




^X '/r. 



^oyyiA^ J^^-i^-£/i 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 



455 



of his children a good farm, reserving the old homestead for his own resi- 
dence during his declining years. „ ,, ^ -, oon j • a -i i qoq 

Edwin S. Jones located in Findlayxnthe fall of 1827, and m April, 1828 
was clerk of the polls and voted at the first county election. At the general 
election October 14, 1828, he was elected treasurer of Hancock County 
serving two years, during which time he also carried on a tanyard. In 18di 
he sold his tannery to Edward Bright, and settled on Section 1 5 Marion Town- 
ship After a residence here of a few years he removed to Chillicothe, ill. 

Michael Myers, of Pickaway County, Ohio, settled m the southwest 
quarter of Section 28, in the spring of 1831, and resided there till his 

^^ About the same time that Myers effected a settlement, Barnabas De Witt, 
of Gallia County, Ohio, located in the south part of the east part of the 
northeast quarter of Section 21, which he purchased of William Hackney 
in Febmary, 1831. The following May he bought Joseph A. Sargent s 
land in the 'same section, and immediately removed to Sargent's cabin He 
was one of the thirteen voters of April, 1831, and died in August, 1832, 
from a malignant type of fever then raging through the settlement. His 
wife, Nancy, and three childi-en, subsequently went back to their old home 
on the Ohio River. ... 

Joseph Johnson, long a citizen of this township, was born m Virginia 
April 4 1801 and in 1811 removed with his parents to Scioto County, Ohio, 
settlino-' at Portsmouth. In the spring of 1827 his father, Isaac, came with 
his family to Findlay. and both he and Joseph voted at the first county elec- 
tion the following April. Late in 1830 or early in 1831, he built a cabm 
on Section 15, Marion Township, and took part in the organization of this 
subdivision. In 1832 he married Susan George, daughter of Heni-y George, 
of Amanda Township, and settled permanently on his new farm. He was 
the third sheriff of the county, and in 183G assisted in erecting the first 
schoolhouse in the township of Marion. Mrs. Johnson died m 18o0, and 
he married Jane Dudgeon, who passed away in 1879. He is the father of 
fourteen childi-en, of whom twelve survive, living m this county, Indiana 
and Michicran. He resided in Marion till 1853, thence removed to Portage 
Township,"where he has since principally lived. In 1863 he was appointed 
postmaster of Portage Center, and held the office sixteen years. He united 
with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870, and now m feeble, old age 
patiently awaits the Master's call, for, having long since passed the allotted 
time of man, he feels that his days on earth are short. 

Charles Thomas located on Section 10 in the fall of 1831. He was a 
native of Virginia, and came with his wife, Mary (Ripley) Thomas, and 
ten children, to this county. Mr. Thomas was one of the earliest justices 
of the township, in which capacity he served one term. The parents died 
here, and of the ten children but three survive, and only two, Lewis and 
William, are residents of Marion Township. 

David and Mary Egbert, natives of New Jersey, removed to the Susque- 
hanna River, and in 1812 came from Pennsylvania to Fairfield County, 
Ohio In 1822 the family settled in Seneca County, and m 1829 took up 
land in Amanda and Marion Townships, settling in the former subdivision 
the same year. In the spring of 1831 the parents removed into Marion, 
and the following year David was elected justice of the peace. He was the 
father of ten children, six of whom are now living. After several years 
residence in this township David and his wife removed to Wood County. 



456 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

John Aultman, a native of Pennsylvania, vs^itli his wife, Delilah, settled 
in the southwest part of the township in 1832. They reared a family of 
nine children — seven sons and two daughters — eight of whom survive, and 
seven are residents of Hancock County, where the parents resided till their 
death. 

Adam and Hannah Altman, parents of Daniel Altman of Marion Town- 
ship, came to this township in 1833, and here entered 480 acres of land from 
the government, on which they remained until their death; Adam died in 
1863 in his eighty-fifth year, and his wife in 1848. 

William Davis was born in Maryland in 1808, there grew to manhood, 
and in 1830 married Mary Laff'erty, who bore him seven sons and five 
daughters. Three years after marriage he immigrated to this county, and 
in the spring of 1834 settled on Section 11, Marion Township, where he 
resided till his death at Bowling Green, Ky., in January, 1863. He served 
four consecutive terms as justice of the peace, and one term as commissioner 
of Hancock County. By rigid industry, untiring energy and shrewd busi- 
ness tact he accumulated a large estate, upon a part of which his descend- 
ants now reside. For many years he was one of the leading stock-dealers 
of this portion of the State, few of Hancock's pioneers attaining such a 
marked success in that line. 

Two other settlers of this period were Jacob Her and Ambrose Jaqua. 
The foi'mer and his wife, Catherine, emigrated from Germany, and took up 
their abode in Pickaway County, Ohio, whence in 1833 they removed to 
Section 28. Marion Township, where they passed the balance of their lives. 
They were the parents of five children, two of whom are living, Jacob, Jr. , 
being the only one residing in Hancock. He and his wife, Mary, came with 
his parents, and both have lived in the township since the fall of 1833. Mr. 
Jaqua is still a resident of the township; he was born in Lower Canada, in 
1813, his father, Richard, being a Frenchman, and his mother, Elizabeth, 
a Canadian. The family came to Seneca County, Ohio, in 1820, and in 
1833 Ambrose became a resident of this township. In March, 1836, he 
married Leticia Egbert, daughter of David Egbert, and settled permanently 
on a piece of land in Section 25, entered in October, 1835, where he has 
ever since resided. Of their nine children, seven are yet living. 

Rezin Ricketta though entering land in October, 1830, did not locate in 
the township till 1835. He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, of Penn- 
sylvania parentage; in 1830 he married Mary Hess, of which union three 
children survive. He served as justice of the peace for eighteen consecutive 
years, and after a residence in Marion Township of about thirty years, he 
removed to Amanda, where his wife died. Mr. Ricketts is now residing with 
his son Jasper, in Amanda Township. 

William Marvin is another pioneer of 1835, settling in the township in 
June of that year. He was born in Pennsylvania, in July, 1798; married 
Mabel Roberts in 1818; removed to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1823, and to 
Hancock in October, 1834. With him came his brother, Matthias, and fam- 
ily, and both families, seventeen in all, passed the winter of 1834-35, in a 
small log-cabin. The following June, William, who was a carpenter, pur- 
chased and settled upon a small piece of land north of the Blanchard, in 
Section 22, where he soon afterward erected a grist and saw-mill, the first 
mill in the township. This he subsequently sold to Mr. Swabb, and erected 
a steam-mill farther up the river. His wife died in 1852; she was the mother 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 457 

of sixteen children, fourteen of whom are living. In 1879 Mr. Marvin re- 
moved to Findlay, v^here he died the following year at a ripe old age. He 
was a very useful citizen, and during his residence in Marion Township 
served two terms as justice of the peace. 

John Burns was born in Westmoreland County, Penn. , in 1764, whence 
he emigrated to Eichland County, Ohio, where he was twice married. By 
his first wife one daughter survives, residing in Richland County, His second 
wife, was Mrs. Rosannah Reznor, a widow, whom he married in 1824. She 
was a native of Maryland, and left two sons by this marriage, George W. 
and Thomas J. , both of whom are living upon the old homestead in Marion 
Township, where the family settled in 1835 or 1836. The parents died here, 
the father December 31, 1843, and the mother in 1864. This land was the 
first piece settled in the township, Joseph A. Sargent and Asher Wickham 
locating upon it in 1827. 

Henry Snyder (deceased), father of Henry Snyder, the well-known pro- 
ducer and dealer in thorough-bred Poland-China hogs, was a noted pioneer 
of the township. 

Daniel Opp and Benjamin Wise, natives of Pennsylvania, settled on the 
Blanchard about 1836-37. The former erected a fi-ame tavern in the south- 
east corner of Section 15, which he kept till his death, which occurred two 
or three years after settlement. Wise had eleven children, nine of whom 
are yet living, some of them residents of the township. By this time log- 
cabins dotted nearly every portion of Marion, and the feeling of isolation 
which haunted the first settlers no longer existed. Many families came in 
from 1835 to 1840, who had to make for themselves homes in the unbroken 
forest, but the brunt of the struggle was past, borne by those who settled 
here prior to 1836. Some of the later comers purchased the improvements, 
— consisting of a cabin and a small clearing — of the real pioneers, who 
came when the forest was unbroken, and inhabited only by roving bands of 
Indians and wild beasts. 

Early Election and Electors. — The first election for justice of the peace 
of Marion Township was held at the house of Edwin S. Jones, June 11, 
1831. Joshua Powell, Jacob Baker and David Egbert wei-e the judges, and 
Edwin S. Jones and Barnabas DeWitt, clerks. The following list of voters 
indicates who the pioneers were, though a few of the first settlers did not 
vote at this election: Justin Smith, Joshua Powell, Jacob Baker, Stephen 
Smith, Joseph Johnson, Asher Wicldiam, Allen Wiseley, AVilliam Wiseley, 
Edward Bright, Major Bright, Edwin S. Jones, Barnabas DeWitt and David 
Egbert. Major Bright received 7 votes, Asher Wickham 5 votes, and AVillis 
Ward 1 vote; total, 13. Major Bright was therefore declared elected. 

Justices of the Peace. — Major Bright, Willis Ward, David Egbert, 
Charles Thomas, Allen Wiseley, Albert Ramsey, Rezin Ricketts, William 
Marvin, William Davis, Daniel Alspach, Benjamin J. McRill, Isaac Davis, 
Michael Glauner, Amasa Buckingham, James Wilson, Andrew Bish, Charles 
S. Johnston and William B. Miller; the last mentioned and James Wilson 
are the present incvimbents. 

Schools. — The first schoolhouse, a small log building, was erected in 
1836, on the farm of William Marvin, in the north part of Section 22. 
The school was taught by Adam Robinson and was attended by the Wick- 
hams, Brights, Wiseleys, Johnsons, Thomases, Egberts, Bakers and Plum- 
mers. The second schoolhouse, also a log striicture, was put up in the 



458 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

south part of Section 20. It was called the "Woodward schoolhoiise, ' ' and 
was erected two or three years after that built on Section 22. As the town- 
ship settled up more thickly, other buildings made their appearance. All 
of the first schoolhouses were built of log§, which in time gave place to the 
neater frame structures. These have been replaced by substantial brick 
buildings, six of which now supply good educational facilities to the school 
youth of the township. 

Churches. — The Baptist Church organized the first society in the town- 
ship, and a log building was subsequently erected on the farm of William 
Davis, in Section 11, which served the little congregation for many years. 
This was replaced by a Union building called the " Union Bethel," wherein 
any orthodox denomination may hold services. The Baptists have now no 
organization in this township, though they occasionally hold services at the 
Union Bethel. 

Soon after the Baptist class was organized a society of the United Breth- 
ren denomination came into existence. It had its inception about 1838, at 
the first log schoolhouse erected on the Blanchard in Section 22. Major 
Bright and wife, John Bright, Allen Wiseley and wife, Nimrod Bright and 
wife, Samuel Essex, Elizabeth Mains and Charity Essex, were its principal 
organizers. They met in private houses or in the old log school buildings till 
the erection of a frame church in Section 24. on land donated by John 
Bright. This building is yet standing, but in 1884 a handsome brick struct- 
ure was erected immediately east of it, which was opened in the spring of 
1885. This denomination has three societies in Marion Township, but 
only two buildings. One of the organizations hold meetings at the Union 
Bethel. 

A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized by Rev. 
Thomas Thompson at the cabin of Leonard Baumgartner, on Section 29, 
Big Lick Township, as early as 1837-38. Jacob Baker and wife, of Marion, 
and the Eobertses and Baumgartners, of Big Lick, belonged to this society. 
They built a frame church near the east line of Section 24, Marion Town- 
ship, on the land of Jacob Baker, but after some years the society dwindled 
away, and the building was sold to Mr. Corbin, who removed it to his farm. 
The Methodists subseqtiently organized another society in the western part 
of the township, and put up a fi-ame building in the southwest corner of 
Section 15. This church is still in active operation. 

Crow Postoffice. — Daniel Opp erected a frame tavern on the southeast 
corner of Section 15 in 1836-37, which he carried on for the convenience of 
the traveling public. Soon after its completion a petition for a postoffice- 
to be called "Crow" was forwarded to Washington. The request was 
granted and the office established, with Mr. Opp as postmaster, but upon 
his death, some two or three years afterward, the office was discontinued. 
This was the only postoffice Marion has ever possessed within her limits. 
Its site is now the home of George W. Wiseley. 

Mills. — The first grist and saw mill in this township was built on the 
north bank of the Blanchard, in Section 22, by William Marvin, in 1835- 
36. After a few years he sold these mills to Mr. Swabb, who in tiu-n dis- 
posed of the property to William Gillespie. The latter failed to make them 
pay, and stopped running them. The power was furnished by a race frAa 
the Blanchard, but the buildings were torn down many years ago. Some 
time after selling these mills, Mr. Marvin erected a steam grist and saw mill 



ORANGE TOAVNSHIP. 459 

farther up the Blanchard, but these, too, have long ago disappeared. A 
small grist-mill was also in operation at an early day on the Blanchard near 
the south line of the township, but it ran only a short period. Of course 
saw-mills have been operated in different parts of the township which were of 
great benefit to their respective neighborhoods and fully served the purposes 
for which they were intended. 



CHAPTER XXL 

ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 

Formation, Choosing a Namk, and First Election of Township Officers 
—Area, Boundaries, and Population by Decades— Topography and 
Soil— Streams— PioNKERS— First Birth, Death, and Marriage in the 
ToAVNSnip— Religious Societies— Pearly Schools— Justices — Hassan 
AND Cordelia Postofficks— An Embry^o Village— Railroad Facili- 
ties. 

ON the 4th of March, 1834, Township 2 south. Range 9, was, for judi- 
cial purposes, attached to Van Buren Township, and so remained until 
December 5, 1836, when it was set oft' as a new political subdivision, and 
named Orange. Some contention arose over the naming of the township, 
Henry L. Daily, its first settler, being ambitious to have it named after 
himself. This, however, was opposed by a majority of its pioneers, and 
the question was finally settled by William Bryan suggesting "Orange" as 
an appropriate name, which was at once accepted. The act of erection 
ordered an election for township officers to be held on the third Tuesday of 
December, 183(3, at which time John McKinley and William Morrison were 
elected justices, Henry L. Dally, clerk, and David Thompson, William Agin 
and Edward S. Crawford, trustees. 

Orange has always been a full congressional township, with a territorial 
area of thirty-six square miles, or 23,040 acres. It lies in the southwest 
corner of the county, and is bounded on the south and west, respectively, 
by Hardin and Allen Counties, on the north by Union To-wnship, and on 
the east by Van Buren Township. In 1840 it contained a population of 
314; 1850, 704; 1860, 987; 1870, 1,167, and 1880, 1,451, showing a steady 
growth from its organization up to the present. 

The surface of Orange is a great deal more rolling than the territory 
north and east of it, though along the northwest portion of the township 
there is a narrow strip of low, flat land, known as " Cranberry Marsh, " 
most of which, however, lies in Union. A small piece of this marsh was 
wet prairie, but the greater portion was originally thickly covered with wil- 
lows, and nearly impassable. Here wild game found a i^retty safe retreat, 
though the indomitable hunter soon tracked them to their lairs. All the 
balance of the township bore up the usual kinds of forest trees natural to 
northwestern Ohio, and the first settlers had no easy task in clearing up its 
lands. The soil is a variation of loam, clay and sand, and in places is a 
combination of all three, for while the higher lands are usually clay, the 



460 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

valleys and more level tracts are a sandy loam. This, however, does not 
apply to the marsh lands, where the soil is a composition of decayed vege- 
tation and silt. These lands have been so ditched and drained that it may 
be said they are now all under cultivation, and among the richest in the 
county. 

This portion of the county is naturally well drained and fairly watered. 
Riley Creek rises in Van Bui-en Township, and flows across Orange in a 
northwest direction, entering the township on the southeast quarter of Sec- 
tion 24, and leaving it on the northwest quarter of Section 18; thence pass- 
ing northwestward through the northeast corner of Allen County into Put- 
nam, strikes the Blanchard River about two miles southeast of Ottawa. In 
passing through Orange, Riley Creek receives two small runs from the south, 
which di'ain the southern portion of the townshij). The marsh outlet be- 
gins in Union Township, and runs across the northwest corner of Orange 
into Riley Creek. The west fork of Ottawa Creek comes in from Van 
Buren Township in Section 13, thence winds northward and unites with 
the east fork about one-half mile east of Cannonsburg, in Union Township. 
Along these creeks are numerous springs which supply water for stock dur- 
ing the dryest seasons. 

Pioneers. — Orange was the last portion of Hancock County to receive the 
impress of the stui'dy pioneer. May 1, 1834, Henry L. Dally entered the 
southeast quarter of Section 19, and, returning to Tuscarawas County, 
packed his household effects in a two-horse wagon, and with his wife, Mar- 
garet, and eight childi'en — four sons and four daughters— traveled northwest- 
ward till they arrived at the site of their future home in the forest of Orange 
Township. A small log-cabin was erected, as soon as possible, and this rude 
habitation stood in the midst of a wilderness, the nearest neighbor being 
about thi-ee miles distant. Other settlers, however, soon followed, and in a 
few years Mr. Dally had plenty of kind neighbors, and the smoke from their 
cabin homes was to him no doubt a welcome sight. Upon the organization 
of the township he wanted it named " Dally, " contending that as he was its 
first settler they should pay him that honor. In this he was doomed to dis- 
appointment, but at the first election was chosen clerk of the new subdivis- 
ion. Mr. Dally was a very worthy citizen, and after residing here till 
1845, sold his farm and moved into Putnam County, whence he afterward 
removed to Iowa. 

David Thompson, a native of Virginia, was the second settler of Orange. 
He was married, in 1825, to Eliza McCoy, of Columbiana County, Ohio, and 
the same year located in Stark County. June 12, 1834, Mr. Thompson en- 
tered the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of 
Section 20, Orange Township, upon which he and his family soon afterward 
took up their abode. He was the father of ten childi-en, David J. , born 
September 11, 1836, being the first white child born in the township. IVIr. 
Thompson accumulated a large estate, and was a man of considerable influ- 
ence. In early life a Quaker, he subsequently joined the Disciples Church, 
and died in that faith in 1854, his widow surviving him till 1861. He was 
one of the organizers of the township, and also of its first religious society. 
Of his ten children five are living, Isaac being one of the leading farmers in 
this portion of the county. 

William Bryan, of Richland County, Ohio, was the next settler, enter- 
ing the south half of Section 6, and the north half of the northwest quarter 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. . 461 

of Section 7, June 12, 1834, upon which he located early the following 
autumn, soon after the coming of Dally and Thompson. When the town- 
ship was erected, it was Mr. Bj-yan who suggested the name of Orange. He 
finally sold his farm and settled in Bluft'ton, where both he and his wife 
died, and none of their descendants are residents of this township. 

More than a year passed by before any ftu'ther accessions were made to the 
little settlement, but in the fall of 1835, William Ivers and Jonathan Ballard 
both located in the northeast corner of the township. Mr. Ivers and wife, 
Rachel, were natives of Pennsylvania, but came here from Muskingum 
County, Ohio, and settled in the southeast quarter of Section 2. Here his 
wife died in January, 1838, which was the first death of an adult in the 
township; and she was the first person interred in the Cannonsburg 
Cemetery. He married for his second wife Mrs. Margaret McHenry, who 
survived his death, which occurred April 8, 1859, at the ripe age of 
seventy- seven years. Mr. Ivers was a Methodist all his life, and is remem- 
bered as an upright, honest man and a worthy citizen. Jonathan and 
Eleanor Ballard came from Chautauqua County, New York, and built their 
cabin in the northwest quarter of Section 1, where the latter died in 1853. 
Mr. Ballard reared five sons, none of whom are residents of Hancock, and 
died April 10, 1872, in his eighty-second year. He was a very intelligent 
man, fond of reading; in religious belief a Methodist, and a good, kind 
neighbor. 

In the summer of 1836, W^illiam Morrison, George McManima, James 
Carter. Edward S. Crawford, George Outhwait and John Hassan, all settled 
in Orange. Mr. Morrison and family came from Columbiana County, Ohio, 
and located in the southwest quarter of Section 36, entered by him Mar<;h 14, 
1836. He was one of the two first justices of the peace elected in the town- 
ship, and was twice re-elected to the same position. Both he and his wife, 
Elizabeth, died upon the old homestead, and were buried on Ihe farm which 
is now occupied by their son James, who is the only surviving member of 
the family. Mr. Morrison was well liked by his neighbors, made a fair jus- 
tice, and bore the reputation of being an upright, straightforward business 
man. George McManima was from Richland County, and in September, 1834, 
entered the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 17, though he did 
not locate in the township for nearly two years afterward. He was then an 
old bachelor, but, soon after coming, married Catherine Morrison, a sister of 
William Morrison, which was the first marriage in the township. Mr. Mc- 
Manima finally sold out and removed to Van Wert County. James Carter 
was a brother-in-law of William Morrison, and came with the latter from 
Columbiana County, Ohio. He also settled on Section 36, but subsequently 
sold his farm and moved to AVilliams County, where he and his wife died. 

Edward S. Crawford was from Wayne County, Ohio, and built his cabin 
in the southeast quarter of Section 23, in June, 1836. He reared a family of 
foui- sons and two daughters. Two of the sons survive and are residents of 
the township, and the daughters are living in Hardin County. Mr. Craw- 
ford and wife resided in Orange until their death. He was one of the organ- 
izers of the township, and was elected one of its first trustees. George 
Outhwait, an Englishman with three daughters, located on Benjamin Rals- 
ton' s land in Section 2, which he leased from the latter ere Ralston' s settle- 
ment in the township. Mr. Outhwait afterward moved to Findlay and 
died in that city. 



462 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

John Hassan, a native of Pennsylvania, came from Trumbull County, 
Ohio, with his wife, Elizabeth, and seven childi-en, in July, 1836, and took up 
his residence in the southeast quarter of Section 24, entered by him the 
previous May. Here he resided till his death April 11, 1877; he died in his 
ninetieth year, the widow surviving him about two years, dying in 1879. 
Five of their children are yet living, Robert, Mrs. James Morrison and 
Mrs. Adaline M. Henry, of Orange, being the only members of the family 
residing in Hancock County. 

John McKinley was the next settler in Orange Township. He was born in 
Westmoreland County, Penn. , September 23, 1801, and in 1804 his parents, 
William and Hannah McKinley, removed to Trumbull Cou.nty, Ohio, where 
John grew to manhood. On the 13th of March, 1823, he married Miss Mary 
Marshall, a native of Trumbull County, Ohio, born in 1806. In September, 1835, 
he entered about 300 acres of land on Section 1, Orange Township, and in the 
summer of 1836 started with his family for Hancock County, arriving at his 
destination in September, and being compelled to cut out a I'oad through the 
forest to the farm in the southwest quarter of Section 1, upon which he 
built his cabin. He was one of the two first justices elected in Orange 
Township, and was re-elected three times, serving a continuous period of 
twelve years. In 1855 he was elected county commissioner, and re-elected 
to the same office. Mr. McKinley was the father of ten children, all of 
whom were the fi-uits of his first marriage. His first wife, Mary, died in 1850, 
and his second wife, Rebecca, in 1878. Only two of his children are resi- 
dents of Hancock, viz. : Hon. William M. McKinley, of Orange, and Mrs. 
Elizabeth Vermillion, of Van Buren Township. The Plainfield Society of 
the Seceder Church was organized at John McKinley' s cabin, in October, 
1836, and he adhered to the Presbyterian faith until his death: he died 
March 20, 1882, in his eighty-first year. His father, William, an Irishman, 
came with his wife, Hannah, to the townshiji at a much later date, and both 
died here in 1861 and 1859 respectively. The mother was in her eighty- 
first year, and the father more than one hundred years old, at the time of 
their decease. John McKinley was a fitting representative of those hardy, 
industrious, honest pioneers to whom Hancock County owes so much for its 
past success and present prosperity. 

Shortly after Mr. McKinley' s settlement John B. Robinson, William 
Agin, John Henry and Willard Boutwell came into the township, all locat- 
ing hei-e in the fall of 1836. Mr. Robinson was a native of Pennsylvania, 
but came to Hancock County from Trumbull County, Ohio. He was by trade 
a hatter, and worked a short time at his business for the pioneers of Orange. 
His cabin stood on Section 23, and after the death of his wife he removed 
with his family to Nebraska. W^illiam Agin still resides upon the farm in 
Section 25, which he settled nearly fifty years ago. He was born in Penn- 
sylvania May 2, 1806, but came here from Trumbull County, Ohio, and is 
now in his eightieth year. Mr. Agin has been thrice married. His first wife 
was a Miss Phoebe Burnet, who bore him one daughter, and died in Trum- 
bull County. He then married Fanny Stinson, of Trumbull County, who 
was the mother of two children at the time of their removal to Hancock. 
Four were born here, and all grew to maturity. His second wife also died, and 
he then married Mrs. Mary Crawford, nee Montgomery, who has borne him 
six childi-en. all of whom are living. Mr. Agin is the oldest living pioneer 
of Orange Township, and has always possessed the good will and confidence 



\ 



j^'; ;^i;' i^ '-f 




-^/'^^^'^^^'^^ 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 465 

of his neighbors. John Henry and family located on Section 26, the sons 
being John, William, Isaac, James, Thomas and David. The father, 
together with John and William, died in the township, and the mother in 
Findlay. Willard and Mary Boutwell were fi-om New York, and settled in 
the southwest quarter of Section 1. The family and household effects were 
carried in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. " In 1837 the Boutwells got 
tired of pioneer life, and removed to Seneca County, but in a few years re- 
turned, and again took possession of their cabin in this township. The 
parents are dead, and of their four sons and one daughter, Edwin (who re- 
sides on Section 14, Orange Township), is the only one living in Hancock 
County. 

Other settlers of this period were Ohio Dally and Alfred Thompson, 
both of whom came late in 1836, or early the following year. Mr. Dally 
was a native of Ohio, and his wife, Eliza, a Pennsylvanian. They were mar- 
ried in Wayne County, in 1832, thence removed to Knox County, and from 
there to Hancock. Mr. Dally was a pump-maker by trade, and the father 
of eleven children, eight of whom are living, but Aaron R. , who resides on 
Section 32, this township, is the only oae living in Hancock County. The 
father died here, and the widow resides with her son, Aaron R. Mr. Dally 
was a typical pioneer, a large-framed, muscular man of extraordinary 
strength and vitality, but a quiet, peaceable neighbor and a good citizen. 
Alfred Thompson located on Section 29, but after a few years sold his farm 
and left the county. 

The year 1837 brought into the township quite a number of settlers, 
among whom are best remembered George Vermillion, Nathaniel Main, 
Benjamin Ralston, Esdras Burns, James and John Cummans,' David 
Grapes, John Stump, Thomas Wall, Thomas McElroy, David C. Brannan, 
James Reed, and James and William Gallant, In the spring of 1837 George 
and Ann B. Vermillion settled on Section 1, former a native of Virginia, 
and latter of Germany. They were married in Virginia. They removed 
from the "Old Dominion" to Champaign County, Ohio, and thence 
to this township, where both spent the remaining years of their lives. Mr. 
Vermillion died July 17, 185D, in his seventy- eighth year, his wife having 
passed away the year previous. They reared two children, George and 
Mary. The latter became the wife of William M. Marshall, of Orange 
Township, soon after the family settled in the county, and George 
finally removed to Illinois. Nathaniel Main and family came here fi'om 
Delaware County, Ohio, also in the spring of 1837. He, too, was born in 
Virginia,, and built his cabin on Section 23, where he has ever since resided. 
Benjamin Ralston was from Champaign County, Ohio, but a native of Vir- 
ginia. He was a brother of Alpheus Ralston, of Jackson Township. His 
home was on Section 2, which he finally sold, then left the county. Mrs. 
Newton Elzay, of Orange Township, is the only one of his children now 
living in Hancock. 

Esdras R. and Catherine Burns were married in Chautauqua County, N. Y. , 
in 1825, andjn 1834 settled on the Western Reserve, where they resided till 
October, 1837, when the family located in the southeast quarter of Section 
1,_ Orange Township. Mr. Burns was born in Vermont, in 1800, while his 
wife was a native of Pennsylvania. They had a family of four children when 
they came to Hancock, and one was born after coming. All of these grew 
to maturity, and are yet living, while JohnD., George L. and Mrs. William 



466 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

M. McKinley are residents of this township. Mrs. Burns died August 22, 
1875, aged seventy-nine, and Mr. Burns December 3, 1883, in his eighty- 
fom-th year. They were a very worthy couple, and are kindly spoken of by 
those who knew them best. 

James and John Cammans and David Grapes all came from Columbiana 
County, Ohio, in 1837. The last mentioned lived originally in Beaver 
County, Penn., but married Elizabeth Cummans ere settling here, and 
located on Section 35. He, however, sold out at an early day, and returned 
to Columbiana County. The Cummans brothers were born in Virginia, and 
removed with their mother to Columbiana County, where both married, and 
whence they came to Hancock. James settled on Section 34, and John on Sec- 
tion 35. The former yet lives upon the old homestead, though the infirmities 
of old age are pressing heavily upon him, as he is now in his eighty-second 
year. His wife, Sarah, bore him fifteen children. John died upon the farm, 
where his widow, Polly, now resides. 

John Stump entered the northwest quarter of Section 18, in August, 
1834, but did not settle upon his land till three years afterward. Some time 
after locating here, he built a small grist-mill or corn-cracker on Kiley Creek, 
which proved a great convenience to the early settlers as it was the first and 
only grist-mill erected in the township. After many years' residence here, 
he sold his farm and went to Indiana. Thomas Wall was an Irishman, who 
settled on Section 1, in the fall of 1837. He subsequently removed into 
Findlay Township, thence to Michigan. Thomas McElroy, a brother- 
in-law of William Morrison, settled on the adjoining farm on Section 
36, in 1837. He came here from Carroll County, Ohio. Several years ago 
Mr. McElroy sold his farm, and removed to Ada, where he and his wife died. 
David C. Brannan and James Reed were from eastern Ohio, and came here 
in 1837. The former settled on Section 24 and the latter on Section 25, 
and both died upon their respective farms. Reed' s Corners still perpetuates 
the name of its pioneer settler. James and William Gallant also settled 
in the township, in 1837; and in 1838 and 1839 James T. McConnell, David 
McKinley and many others built their cabins here. But Orange was by this 
time pretty thickly dotted with clearings, and these later comers did not 
have to endure the privations and hardships of the real pioneers, who settled 
in the unbroken forest once covering the township. 

Religious Societies. — The Rev. Newmire, a Disciples preacher fi-om Tus- 
carawas County, organized the first society in Orange Township, at the cabin 
of Hem-y L. Dally, in the fall of 1835. Mr. Dally, wife and four children, 
and David Thompson and wife, of Orange Township; and Joseph Coughan- 
our, James Smith and John Luke, with their wives, of Putnam County, 
were the original members of this society. Several others joined in a few 
years, but the meetings were always held at private houses, as this society 
never erected a building. The Disciples have now a place of worship in the 
southwest corner of Section 26, but it was built by a later organization. 

The Plainfield Society of the Seceder Church was organized by Rev. 
Samuel Wilson, of Greene County, in October, 1836, at the cabin of John Mc- 
Kinley. The organizing members were John McKinley and wife, John 
Hassan and wife, and John B. Robinson and wife. Soon afterward Ben- 
jamin Marshall and wife, and Mrs. Foreman and two daughters, of Union 
Township; John McClelland and wife, of Eagle Township; and William M. 
Marshall and wife, and David McKinley, of Orange Township, united with 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 467 

the society. James H. Wilson and wife, of Findlay, were also connected 
with this church and met with them for worship. The, Seceders built a 
church in Cannonsbm-g, but sold it to the Methodists before it was finished 
or occupied. In 1851 the Associate Keformed Presbyterians erected the 
present small frame church in the same village. In 1858 these societies 
were united under the name of United Presbyterians, and they have since 
worshiped together. 

About 1845 the Riley Creek Baptist Society was organized, Timothy 
Main, Nathaniel Main and Sabeers Main, and their wives then constituting 
the church. In 1852 or 1853 the society, which had obtained quite a large 
membership, erected a fi-ame building in the northeast corner of Section 23, 
and this was the first house of worship built in Orange Township. It is yet 
standing, and was used till the erection of the present brick edifice in 1871 
immediately north of the old structure. 

The United Brethren, Evangelical Association and Reformed are later 
organizations. The United Brethren have two chm-ches in the township, 
one on Section 14 and another on Section 4. The Evangelical Association 
have two societies, and each society has its place of worship. One of their 
churches stands on Section 10 and one on Section 30; while the Reformed 
Church is on Section 35. All of these have respectable congregations and a 
fair membership. 

Early Schools. — The first schoolhouse in Orange was a small log build- 
ing erected on Section 1, in 1837 or 1838, and a school opened by Elizabeth 
Matthews. TheMcKinleys, Ivers, Burnses, Walls and Ballards attended this 
pioneer school. The second teacher was Fanny C. Burns, who afterward 
became the wife of Robert Hassan. Another log schoolhouse was soon put 
up on the northeast corner of Section 35. It, too, was taught by Miss 
Burns in 1840, and her pupils were the Moii'isons, Carters, Agins, McEl- 
roys, Cummanses, Crawf ords, Henrys and Grapeses. The third log schoolhouse 
was built in the fall of 1840 on Section 20. A school was taught here in 
the winter of 1840-41, by John E. Creighton, and the Dallys, Thompsons, 
Stumpij, Brundiges, Fishers and Battles were the pupils in attendance. 
These teachers received from 50 cents to $1 per week, and boarded around 
with the patrons of the school. From year to year other and better school- 
houses made their ajipearance, and educational facilities improved in every 
way. Orange Township now contains nine school buildings, provided with 
good teachers, and every child in the township may here obtain a fair com- 
mon school education. 

Justices. — The following is a complete list of the justices of Orange 
Township since its organization: John McKinley, William Morrison, James 
Reed, William M. Marshall, James Cummans, John A. Ewing. Jonathan 
Dunlap, Nathaniel Main, James L. Henry, Isaac Thompson, William M. 
McKinley, M. C. Palmer, Joseph Henry, Bateman Zoll and George 
Spangler. 

Hassan and Cordelia Post offices. — A postoffice named Hassan was estab- 
lished in Orange in 1858, with James Morrison as postmaster. His succes- 
sors have been Robert Hassan, James Reed, Robert Hassan, Thomas Watt, 
Peter C. Bender, Emanuel Binkley, Peter C. Bender, Mrs. Peter C. Bender 
and William Mathewson. Cordelia postojSice was established in the town- 
ship March 9, 1883, with William M. McKinley as postmaster, who has 
since held the office. 



468 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

September 14, 1883, William M. McKinley, William M. Marshall, John 
Crates and John Julerat laid out a town of thirty-three lots on the Cleveland, 
Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Gauge Eailroad, lying in Sections 1 and 2. A 
station and a small store wherein the postoffice is kept make up the hamlet, 
which, as far as appearance goes, yet remains in an embryo condition. This 
road was completed through Orange in the fall of 1882, but so far has been 
of little benefit to this portion of the county. It is also very doubtful that 
it ever will be unless changed to a standard gauge, though its advent was 
hailed with considerable enthusiasm by the people living in the townships 
through which it passed. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 



Erection, Area, Early Election and List of Voters— Boundaries, and 
Population by Decades— Primitive Appearanck, Topography, Soil 
and Streams— First Land Entuiks and Early SettlepvS- JusTicbS— 
Religious Societies— S<iiools— Mills— Towns and Villages— A Paper 
Town— McCoMB, Its First I^usiness Mem, Postmasters and Mayors- 
Railroads, Material Progress and Present Business and Educa- 
tional iNTEiiEsrs of McComb— Its Secret Societies and Fire De- 
partment— McComb Herald -Steady GuowTii of the Town— Dewey- 
viLLE—SiiAWTOWN— North Ridgeville Postoffice. 

THE territory now embraced in this township formed a part of Liberty 
fi-om December 6, 1830, up to March 4, 1834, when it was attached to 
Blanchard, and so remained until its erection as Pleasant, on the 2d of 
March, 1835, including the full Congressional Township 2 north, Kange 9, 
or an area of 23,040 acres. The first election for justice of the peace was 
held May 6, 1835, with Benjamin Cummins, John Kalb and John J. Needles, 
judges; and Alexander Amspoker and George F. Algire, clerks. The 
voters at this election were as follows: Charles Blakeman, Thomas J. 
Butler, Robert Fletcher, Benjamin Cummins, John Kalb, John J. Needles, 
George F. Algire, Alexander Amspoker, Benjamin Todd and Peter Hock- 
enberry. Benjamin Todd received every vote, and was declared elected. 

Pleasant is the northwest subdivision of Hancock County, cornering on 
the counties of Wood, Henry and Putnam, with Portage Township on the 
east and Blanchard on the south. In 1840, it contained a population of 
252; 1850, 522; 1860, 1,151; 1870, 1,336, and 1880, 1,866; showing that 
from 1840 to 1850, and from 1850 to 1860, its population more than doubled, 
while the increase for the past twenty-five years has sui-passed any other 
portion of the county excepting Findlay. 

A heavy forest unbroken by a single clearing, originally covered the sur- 
face of this township. Here the stately oak, walnut, elm, maple and syca- 
more reared their tops heavenward, while the many other species of timber 
found in this portion of the State grew in abundance. The surface of 
Pleasant, though quite level in many places, is, as a whole, considerably 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 469 

rolling, with a general northward dip. Two parallel ridges cross the town- 
ship in a southwest direction, locally called Sand and Sugar Kidges. The 
former, the more northerly of the two, is composed of fine yellow sand, 
while Sugar Ridge is principally a gravel formation. The latter received 
its name because of the large number of sugar trees found growing upon it 
by the first settlers. Between these ridges, and on the more level and lower 
sections of the township, the soil is principally a vegetable loam, with a 
clay subsoil. Bordering on Blanchard Township, the soil on the higher 
lands changes to a clay. The eastern and central portions of Pleasant are 
drained by the upper branches of Portage River, all flowing north. Pick- 
ens Run, a tributary of Beaver Creek, rises in Blanchard Township, and 
meandering northward drains the whole western side of Pleasant Township. 
The wells of this locality range from twelve to sixty feet in depth, and good 
water is found in abundance. 

First Land Entries and Early Settlers. — The first entries of land in 
Pleasant Township were made by George F. Algire, Jeremiah Kalb, Elisha 
B. Kalb and George Kalb, all of whom took up land November 2, 1832. Mr. 
Algire entered the northwest quarter of Section 26; Jeremiah Kalb the 
southwest quarter of Section 24; Elisha B. Kalb the southeast quarter of 
Section 24, and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 25; and 
George Kalb the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 26. The 
Kalbs were residents of Franklin County, Ohio, and Mr. Algire, who yet 
lives in the township, was then a citizen of Fairfield County. A large num- 
ber of entries were made in 1833, 1834 and 1835, but as most of this land 
was taken up for si:)eculation, the names of the owners, who never became 
settlers, would be of little or no importance in this article. 

On the 7th of September, 1833, Edward Stevenson, of Franklin County, 
Ohio, entered the west half of the noi'theast quarter of Section 27, and at 
once settled upon his land. He was the first settler of Pleasant Township, 
but he soon got tired of pioneer life, and in October, 1834, sold out and re- 
turned to his early home in Franklin County. 

Benjamin Todd and John J. Needles were the next settlers, both of 
whom came here from Franklin County, Ohio, in November, 1833. Mr. 
Todd was born in Maryland, in 1792, whence he removed to Franklin 
County, Ohio, where he married Miss Catherine Kalb, also a native of 
Maryland. On the 12th of November, 1833, while yet a resident of Frank- 
lin County, he purchased of George Kalb the west half of the northeast quar- 
ter of Section 26, Township 2 north, Range 9, entered by Kalb the pre- 
vious year, and the same month located on his purchase, now partly the 
site of McComb. At an election held in May, 1835, Mr. Todd was chosen 
justice of the peace, of the new subdivision. He was the first justice 
of the township, and served five terms in that ofiice, and was also the first 
township clerk, and one of the first trustees. The first religious society in 
the township was organized at his cabin. His first wife, Catherine, reared a 
family of five sons and five daughters, seven of whom are living. Three 
reside in McComb, and one in Portage Township. Mrs. Todd died in 1854, 
and Mr. Todd was again married, but no children were born to this union. 
In 1847 he laid out the town of Pleasantville (now McComb), on the north- 
east corner of his farm, and resided in that village until his death; he died 
March 3, 1882, at the ripe old age of ninety years. 

John J. Needles and family accompanied the Todds from Franklin 



470 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

County, and erected a cabin in the east half of the northeast quarter of 
Section 27, entered by Mr. Needles September 7, 1833. He cleared up a 
good farm, enduring all the trials of pioneering, and after the brunt of the 
struggle was past concluded to go West. In January, 1856, he sold out 
and removed with his family to Iowa, where he died several years ago. Mr. 
Needles was one of the first trustees of the township, and is remembered as 
a very eccentric man, but a kind neighbor and a very good citizen. 

In the spring of 1834 Alexander and William Kilpatrick, Claries Blake- 
man, Robert Fletcher and John Bartholomew settled in the township. The 
Kilpatrick brothers came fi'om Hardin County, Alexander entering the 
northeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and the northwest quarter 
of the southeast quarter of Section 31, April 20, 1833. Both settled on this 
section, and are spoken of as upright men and good neighbors. About 
1859 William sold his farm and left the county. Alexander finally removed 
to McComb, where he lived till the summer of 1885, when he went to Pauld- 
ing County, and died in September of that year. 

Charles Blakeman was born in Massachusetts, whence he removed to 
Ohio. He entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 35, 
April 3, 1834, and the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 26, June 
7, 1835, but settled in the township early in 1834. His cabin stood on the 
latter tract, immediately south of Benjamin Todd's. His wife, Polly, bore 
him ten childi-en, eight of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and two 
are residents of McComb. Mr. Blakeman was one of the organizers of 
Pleasant township, and resided here till 1870, when he moved to Ottawa, 
Putnam County, where he is at present living. 

Robert Fletcher was from Harrison County, Ohio, and March 26, 1834, 
entered the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 36, upon which 
he built his cabin the same spring. He resided here till the fall of 1851, 
then sold out and went to Iowa. John Bartholomew was a single man, and 
did not stay long in this portion of the State. 

George F. Algire, of Fairfield County, Ohio, entered the northwest quar- 
ter of Section 26, November 2, 1832, one of the first four entries made in 
Pleasant Township. In the summer of 1834 he settled permanently on his 
land, and has ever since lived upon the same farm. He married Susan 
Stevenson, of Franklin County, who bore him a family of thirteen children, 
six of whom grew to maturity. She died in 1870. Mr. Algire has been a 
local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church during the greater portion 
of his life in this county, and though devoting much of his time to that 
cause, has nevertheless cleared up and improved the farm upon which he 
resides. He is a small, slightly framed man, possessing a vigorous consti- 
tution, and with that characteristic energy and untiring industry for which 
he has always been noted, succeeded in amassing a handsome competency 
for old age. Mr. Algire is very well preserved, and is one of the few re- 
maining pioneers whose memory has outlasted the ravages of time. 

Michael Price was an Irish Catholic, who first settled in Philadelphia, 
Penn. , thence removed to Crawford County, Ohio. On the 1 2th of July, 
1834, he entered the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 35, Pleas- 
ant Township, upon which he located the following autumn. His wife, 
Catherine, bore him seven children — one son and six daughters — all but one 
of whom are dead, their only living child (a daughter), being a resident of 
Putnam County. In 1849 Mr. Price was appointed associate judge of Hancock 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 471 

CJounty, but served only two years. He died on his farm in this township. 
It has been told by several pioneers that Judge Price was a well-informed 
man, and stood high in the estimation of the best citizens. 

John Kalb came here fi-om Franklin County, Ohio, in the fall of 1834, 
and settled on the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 22, which he 
entered June 4 of that year. Mr. Kalb contributed his full share toward 
the development of his adopted county, and has left a record bright with 
good deeds. His wife, Anna, died in 1852. Two of his sons, Isaac N. and 
John S. , were ministers of the Methodist Church, to which faith he also ad- 
hered for many years prior to his death, which occurred February 28, 1872. 
Three of his daughters are residents of the township. 

Alexander Amspoker entered the east half of the northwest quarter and 
the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 36, April 18, 1834, settling 
upon it soon afterward. He was one of the first three trustees of the town- 
ship, elected in 1835. In September, 1845, he sold his farm and left the 
county. 

Benjamin and Mary Cummins were natives of Kentucky, who, about 
1831, settled on Section 9, Liberty Township. He was the first justice of that 
township, elected in 1831 and re-elected in 1834. On the 18th of Septem- 
ber, 1834, he entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 32, 
Pleasant Township, to which subdivision he removed late in 1834, or early 
the following year. In 1835 he took part in the organization of Pleasant 
Township. In January, 1836, he entered th e north half of the northwest quar- 
ter of Section 31, whereon his son, E. T. Cummins, now lives. Mr. Cum- 
mins served four consecutive terms as justice of this township. He reared a 
family of ten children, only one of whom, Rev. E. T. Cummins, survives, 
and died upon the old homestead in 1875, having been a leading citizen of 
Liberty and Pleasant Townships for nearly half a century. 

David and Diana Wright wer'^ native Ohioans, and came here fi'ora Frank- 
lin County early in 1835. The tract on which he built his cabin was en- 
tered by Elisha B. Kalb, November 2, 1832, and purchased by Mr. A\ right, 
November 3, 1834. He paid 1600 for the southeast quarter of Section 24, 
and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 25, and early in 1835 
entered 160 acres more in the latter section. He was the father of five 
children, three of whom grew to maturity, and two are now residing in the 
township. This old pioneer was compelled to cut a road through the 
forest for about seven miles ere reaching the spot where he built his cabin. 
Here he reared his family, and spent a period of almost fifty years, dying 
in 1884, full of years, and honored by the whole community. 

David Wilfong, of Franklin County, Ohio, entered the noi-thwest quar- 
ter of the southeast quarter of Section 35, April 4, 1834, and settled on his 
entry in the spring of 1835. He died on this farm many years ago. 

Robert Morrison, a native of Ireland, born in 1792, removed from Penn- 
sylvania to Liberty Township in May, 1835, and the following November 
took up his abode on Section 36, Pleasant Township. His family consisted 
of his wife, Elizabeth, and four sons and two daughters, all of whom grew 
to maturity. The mother died July 21, 1864, in her seventieth year, and 
her husband February 7, 1873, in the eighty-first year of his age. All of 
their children are living, five being residents of Hancock County. 

Thomas Butler was also a pioneer of 1835. His cabin stood on Section 
23, but in November, 1841, he disposed of his property and removed to the 
West. 



472 , HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Caleb Kelley aad George Hemry are two of the few living pioneers of 
Pleasant Township. The former settled about two miles west of Findlay 
in February, 1S35, and the following summer removed to Section 23, Pleas- 
ant Township. Here he lived about nine years, then settled on Section 20, 
where he has ever since resided. Mr. Hemry settled with his parents in 
Jackson Township in 1834, where he was elected justice of the peace in 
1835. In 1884 his father, Henry, entered the northeast quarter of Section 
14, Pleasant Township, upon which George afterward settled and yet lives. 
He was elected justice of Pleasant Township in 1838, and both he and Mr. 
Kelley are among the substantial pioneer farmers of the county. 

Jacob Thomas was born in Tyler County, Va., in 1810, and settled in 
Marion Township in 1831. According to the records he entered 120 acres 
of land in the southeast quarter of Section 12, in March, 1830, and that 
year is believed to be the correct date of his settlement in this township, 
though he may have been living here prior to that time. He died on the 
old homestead April 2, 1878, and some of his childi'en are yet residing on 
the farm. 

Thomas, James and John Pickens settled in the west part of the town- 
ship on Pickens Run, in 1837. Early in that year Thomas entered land in 
Sections 7, 8 and 18, and located on the last mentioned section. James took 
up forty acres in Section 18, and forty acres in Section 19 in 1838; but the 
whole family came from Belmont County, Ohio, in 1837. Thomas was a mill- 
wright and carpenter, and in 1845 erected a grist-mill on Pickens Run, 
which was in operation for many years. He died upon his farm in this 
township, and Mrs. T. B. Kelley is the only one of his children in the 
county, the sons having removed to Michigan. The names of a few 
others who came in between 1835 and 1840 could be given, but those given 
will illustrate the class of settlers who first built their cabins in the forest of 
Pleasant Township, and to extend the list into the period when the county 
was no longer a wilderness is not the intention in this chapter. 

Justices. — The justices of this township since its organization have been 
as follows: Benjamin Todd, George Hemry, Benjamin Cummins, Thomas 
B. Kelley, Charles Pursey, Samuel McBride, Isaac H. Myers, Daniel High, 
J. E. Creighton, Jackson Crites, S. H. Fairchild, A. R. Bachtel, Elisha 
Todd, Joseph C. Brown, William H. Todd, Jacob Priest, Isaac Cusac. W. 
S. Kelley, F. F. Parker, Elisha Todd and E. T. Cummins. 

Religious Societies. — Late in December, 1835, an itinerant preacher of 
the IMethodist Episcopal Church organized a class at the cabin of Benjamin 
Todd, of which Mr. Todd and wife, and John Kalb and wife were the only 
members then living in Pleasant Township. George F. Algire and wife, 
and a few other pioneers, though not present at the organization, soon after- 
ward joined the class, and these families were the nucleus of the present 
flourishing congregation of McComb. For about three years irregialar serv- 
ices were held at the cabins of the settlers, but on the erection of the pio- 
neer log schoolhouse, in 1838, that building was utilized for church purposes. 
It was not till 1850 that a church edifice was built by the Methodists at 
Pleasantville (now McComb), but it was the first erected in the township. 
This old structure is now used as a business house, having been superseded 
in 1870 by the present brick church. The Methodists have another society, 
in the west part of the township, and own a building on Section 18. 

The Presbyterians built the second church in Pleasant Township in 1858, 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 475 

under the ministry of Kev. T. P. Emmerson. It is yet standing in McComb, 
and "witli some repairing in 1870 and 1881, has ever since served the con- 
gregation. This church was organized in 1849-50 by Rev. George Van 
Eman; and Aaron Allen and Dr. Samuel M. Turner were the first ruhng eld- 
ers of the society. The Disciples society erected a church in the village 
soon afterward, and it, too, is still in use as their house of worship. The 
German Baptists have a church near the southwest corner of Section 32 ; the 
United Brethren Church stands on Section 20, and the "Church of God" 
on Section 15; all having good sized congregations and regiilar services. 

Schools. — There was no schoolhouse in this part of the county until 
1838, when a small log building was erected on the site of McComb, and a 
school taught by Samuel Bowman, who now lives in Portage Township. 
The Todds, Needleses, Kalbs, Blakemans and Prices -yvere the first scholars. 
John Bowman and George Hemry also taught here at quite an early day. 
Another schoolhouse was put up soon afterward, in the northwest corner of 
Section 36, and opened by Cooper Van Eman. The Morrisons, Prices, 
Blakemans. Amspokers and Fletchers attended this school. In a few years 
other schools made their appearance, and with the increasing population 
educational facilities became better until every neighborhood had a good 
schoolhouse within easy access. The township now contains nine school- 
buildings outside of McComb, that in Dewey ville being a two teacher house; 
while five teachers are employed in the McComb schools, which rank second 
to none in the county. 

Mills. — Manufacturing attracted attention here at quite an early date, 
and in 1 841 a saw-mill was built on his farm by George F. Algire. It stood 
on the creek west of McComb, and was run by water-power. Though a 
small affair it nevertheless furnished most of the lumber used in this vicinity, 
and ran iintil the erection of a steam saw-mill in the village. Along about 
this time William Todd built a horse-mill, then the only contrivance in the 
township for grinding corn or wheat, and it, too, served a good piarpose. 
In 1845 Thomas Pickens erected a grist-mill on Pickens Run, which was in 
operation, and did good service for many years. In 1850 a steam saw-mill 
was put up in Pleasantville by Tipton & Porter, and in same year a small grist- 
mill by S. H. Fairchild, which ran about eight years. In 1857 or 1858 Isaac 
Cusac erected and put in operation a steam flouring-mill in the same village. 
In 1884 this mill was remodeled, and the roller process put in, which renders 
it one of the finest mills in Hancock County. A saw-mill has been in opera- 
tion on Pickens Run in Section 30 for a long period. It has been worked 
by T. W. Kelley since 1873, and is now within the limits of Shawtown. 
Three saw-mills and several other manufactm-ing establishments, besides 
those mentioned, are now carried on in McComb, while a large stave factory 
is located at Deweyville. 

Towns and Villages. — On the 21st of April, 1837, a town named Olney 
was laid out by Isaac Fairchild in the southwest quarter of the northwest 
quarter and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 15, on Sand 
Ridge, near the center of the township. It consisted of forty lots, none of 
which, however, were sold, or ever built upon. 

McComb. the largest town in the county, excepting Findlay, was laid out 
as Pleasantville, in August. 1847, by Benjamin Todd, on the northeast part 
of the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 26. The original plat 
contains only eighteen lots, but additions were made to the village by Ben- 



476 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

jamin Todd in 1852, and in 1855, by James Ewing and Abel Rawson. Several 
others have been made since the town was incorporated. Benjamin Todd 
kept the first tavern at this point; and in the fall of 1847 John and Reed Por- 
ter opened a general store, the former soon afterward starting a hotel, and 
Samuel Heller buying oiit the store. William Mitchell was the first shoe- 
maker, and Hugh Boyles the pioneer blacksmith of the village, who yet 
carries on a shop in McComb. John W. and Elisha Todd had the first 
cabinet shop, and Barney & Snyder the second general store. Joseph 
Ewing opened a hardware store, and a Mr. Hammond a cooper shop. In 
1850 S. H. Fairchild erected a grist-mill, which continued to do business 
until after the completion of Isaac Cusac's mill in 1858. A steam saw-mill 
was also put up in the village in 1850, by Tipton & Porter. Dr. Samuel 
Turner was the first resident physician. Dr. George A. Dean the second, 
and Dr. George L. Turner the third, the two last mentioned dying in the 
village. The foregoing comprise about all the earliest business men of 
McComb. 

A postoffice was established here in 1848, and William Mitchell 
appointed postmaster. Since his incumbency the office has been filled by 
Zelotus Barney, James Porter, Eliza Fisher, Mrs. Margaret Barney and 
Andrew J. Ewing. 

On the 19th of May, 1858, the village was incorporated under the name 
of McComb, and at the first election held that year William Chapman was 
chosen mayor. His successors have been Benjamin Cummins, S. H. Fair- 
child, W. J. Sholty, Charles Blakeman, J. R. Turnpaugh, A. R. Bachtel, 
Elisha Todd, Isaac H. Myers, Alonzo Bennett, J. T. Smith, Isaac Cusac, 
W. H. Conine, S. A. Cooper, H. W\ Hughes and C. F. Speice. 

Though the bed of the old Continental Railroad was graded through 
this township in 1872-73, that is as far as the enterprise advanced; and the 
people of McComb waited in vain for years to obtain an outlet by this route. 
At last the more enterprising citizens of the town felt that something must 
be done if McComb was ever to be anything more than a cross-roads village, 
and in 1879, the project was conceived of building a railroad from McComb 
to Deshler, at the crossing of the Baltimore & Ohio, and the Dayton & 
Michigan Railroads. Satisfactory arrangements having been made with 
the latter corporation, a company was organized under the title of the 
McComb, Deshler & Toledo Railroad Company, who at once began the 
preliminary work. The line was surveyed and the work pushed vigorously, 
and by the close of Novembet, 1880, the road was completed and in full opera- 
tion. It is eight miles and three-quarters in length, and passes northwest- 
ward from McComb to Deshler. Soon after its completion the Continental 
line passed into the possession of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis 
Railway Company, and in the summer of 1881, it too was completed 
through this county, thus furnishing McComb with first-class railroad com- 
munications, and giving it a fine business boom. From that time forward 
the town grew rapidly. Better buildings were erected, and prosperity is 
now seen on every hand. 

The present business interests of McComb are in a flourishing condition, 
and consist of three general dry goods stores, four general grocery stores, two 
druggists, two hardware stores, one clothing store, two jewelers, two meat 
shops, one harness shop, one furniture store, two shoe shops, one gunsmith, one 
photographer, two bakeries, three millinery stores, two wagon and carriage 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 477 

factories, five blacksmith shops, a first-class steam flouring-mill, a grain ele- 
vator, a sash, door and blind factory and planing-mill, two saw-mills, one 
saw and planing mill, a pump factory, a handle factory, an undertaker's 
establishment, a tile factory, two livery stables, a good hotel and six saloons. 
There is also an attorney, Ira B. Conine, and five physicians, viz., Drs. J. 
H. Watson, Charles Switzer, J. M. Abbott, John Thompson and C. S. St. 
John. The Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian and Disciples congregations 
have each a chui'ch in the village; while an elegant brick schoolhouse, 
erected in 1883, at a cost of about $20,000, is one of the public in- 
stitutions of which McComb feels justly proud. In beauty of architecture 
and general finish this building will compare favorably with the best modern 
schoolhouses of Ohio, and five teachers are annually employed in impart- 
ing instruction to the school youth of McComb and immediate vicinity. 
The curriculum is similar to graded public schools all over the State. 

McComb Lodge. No. 354, I. O. O. F., was instituted July 29, 1859, 
with the following charter members: S. B. Webber, S. H. Fairchild, J. 
T. Smith, James Fisher, Abraham Miller and Joseph Updyke. The lodge 
now contains about sixty members. 

McComb Lodge, No. 179, K. of P., was instituted January 22, 1884, 
with twenty-seven charter members, and has now a membership of fifty. 

John Howard Post, No. 154, G. A. R., was organized November 7, 1881, 
with fifteen charter members, and has now about fifty; and the John How- 
ard Relief Corps, No. 53, of the same organization, was chartered July 9, 
1884, with twenty-three members. The latter is a society composed of 
ladies, working in harmony with the Post, or as an auxiliary thereof, and 
has accomplished much good for the families of ex-soldiers during its brief 
existence. 

The McComb Fire Department, organized in the fall of 1884, is fur- 
nished with a Remington Hand Fire-engine, and embraces a volunteer 
company of forty members. In January, 1885, the town authorities erected 
a two-storied frame engine house, the second story being the council room. 

The McComb Herald is one of the prominent institutions of the town, and 
has done its full share toward building up the interests thereof. It was es- 
tablished by G. A. Darke, and first issued February 10, 1881, as a six-col- 
umn folio, but in August was enlarged to a seven-column folio. Late in 
December, 1881, or early in January, 1882, Mr. Darke sold out to Hicker- 
son & Ayers, but the latter soon disposed of his interest to Hickerson. 
On the 10th of February, 1883, Samuel B. Davis, an old, experienced 
newspaper man, bought the oSice, and has ever since published the Herald. 
It is issued every Thursday, and has a circulation of between 800 and 900 
copies. The Herald is a live, newsy paper, politically independent, and is 
one of the leading factors in furthering the best interests of McComb. 

The population of the village in 1870 was 319, and in 1880 it contained 
417. It is safe to say that the population has more than doubled since the 
last ofiicial census, while its best informed citizens claim fi'om 1,000 to 
1,200 inhabitants. McComb is one of the go-ahead, bustling little towns 
of Ohio, and bids fair to hold its own. Immediately west of the town is a 
handsome cemetery, decorated with evergreens, and possessing many nice 
monuments. Here many of the pioneers of this portion of the county are 
buried. 

Deweyville was laid out by John B. Williams, on the McComb, Deshler 



478 HISTORY OF hancock county. 

& Toledo Railroad, in June, 1880. It lies in the west part of Section 15, 
where the railroad crosses the Sand Ridge road, and originally embraced 
forty lots. A large stave factory, two general stores, one hotel, one tile and 
brick yard, and one blacksmith shop constitute the business interests of the 
village. A postoffice was established here in December, 1880, with Albert 
Lymangrover as postmaster, and he has ever since held the position. 

Shawtown was laid out by E. T. Cummins in June, 1882, in the north 
part of Section 30, on the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. A 
postoffice had been established at that point in October, 1881, and Isaac C. 
Kelley appointed postmaster. He was succeeded in October, 1885, by 
Thomas H. Bushong, the present incumbent. A saw-mill and hoop factory, 
two general stores, and one blacksmith and wagon shop comprise the business 
interests of Shawtown. 

Early in 1861 North Ridgeville postoffice was established at Pickens 
Corners, on Section 18. Benjamin Pickens was the first postmaster, and 
was succeeded by Lemuel Mow. In 1869 or 1870 North Ridgeville was 
abolished, and no office has since existed at that point, though Deweyville 
and Shawtown are both easy of access to the farmers living in the western 
part of the township. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 



Territoky from wiircri it avas Formed— ERECTroN and SuBSEQirENT 
Changes— Area, Bouxdarie-< and Population— (tEneral Topography, 
Soil and Streams — First Settlers— Schools— Churches— Lafayette 
and Portage Center Postoffice— Justices. 

FOR nearly eight years succeeding the erection of Findlay Township, in 
May, 1823, the territory now embi-aced in Portage Township formed a 
part of Findlay, but on the 6th of December. 1830, Liberty Township was 
erected, and then included all of the lands in this county lying west of the 
present western boundary of Findlay Township, or nearly one-half the 
county. The lands now composing this township remained a part of Lib- 
erty till March 4, 1833, when the commissioners ordered that Township 2 
north. Range 10, be set off into a separate township, and named Portage. 
The two eastern tiers of sections in Township 2 north. Range 10 (now 
Allen), were a part of Findlay Township until the erection of Portage and 
Cass, March 4, 1833, when they were included in the former subdivision. 
The name of this township was derived fi'om the river which flows through 
it; and the act of erection provided for an election of township officers on 
the first Monday in April, 1833, at which time an organization was effected. 
Upon the erection of Allen Township, in 1850, the two eastern tiers of 
sections of Portage were taken in the formation of the new subdivision, 
leaving it with an area of twenty-four square miles, or 15,360 acres, and no 
change has since occurred in its territory. Portage is bounded on the north 
by Wood County, on the east by Allen Township, on the south by Liberty 



PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 479 

and on the west by Pleasant. In 1840 its population was 675; 1850, 614; 
1860, 835; 1870, 899, and 1880, 914. 

Like the rest of Hancock County, the lands of this township originally 
bore up a heavy forest growth. Sand Ridge extends from east to west 
across the northern part of the township, composed of a sandy, gravelly 
soil. North of the ridge the soil is a sandy loam, while on the south side 
we find a yellowish clay with here and there a mixture of gravel and sand 
deposits well adapted to the growth of the cereals. Sugar Ridge runs 
parallel with Sand Ridge across the center of the township, and was so 
named because of the large number of sugar maples that grew upon it. The 
soil on Sugar Ridge is of a sandy, gravelly nature and very fertile. The 
general dip of the township is towards the north, and the surface is slightly 
rolling. One of the forks of Ten Mile Creek, a branch of Portage River, 
heads in the southwest part of the township, while the other flows in from 
Allen. The former takes a northeast, and the latter a noi-thwest direction, 
and, after uniting on the southeast quarter of Section 4, passes northeast- 
ward, and leaves the county on Section 3, near the northeast corner of the 
township. These branches are fed by numerous springs, which also form 
the head-waters of both forks. 

First Settlers. — It is generally admitted that John Thompson and Robert 
Walters formed the vanguard of the early settlers who located in what is now 
Portage Township. Several families had settled some years previously in the 
two tiers of sections taken from Portage in the erection of Allen; but up to 
the summer of 1833, the present territory of this township was an unbroken 
forest. On the 24th of July, 1832, John Thompson entered the west half 
of the northwest quarter of Section 22, and the following summer located 
on his land, now the home of James Deter. He came here frem Champaign 
County, Ohio, and was a very intelligent man and much respected by those 
who subsequently settled around him. After clearing up a farm and resid- 
ing here for many years, he removed with his family to Kansas. Robert 
Walters, a Virginian, settled on Ten Mile Creek in Section 8, in the fall of 

1833, where both he and his wife resided till their death. 

John Cooper was the next settler in this subdivision, coming in March, 

1834. He was born in Fayette County, Penn., April 25, 1811, whither 
his father had emigrated from New Jersey. In 1812 the family 
removed to Perry County, Ohio, where John grew to manhood and married 
Jane E. Cusac, daughter of Daniel Cusac. In the spring of 1834, the 
young couple took up their residence on the west half of the southeast 
quai-ter of Section 29, entered in April of that year, where they have ever 
since resided. Nine children blessed their union, six of whom survive, 
Allen being the first male born in the township. Though a man of limited 
education. Judge Cooper has filled the ofiice of associate judge and county 
commissioner very acceptably. He has been far more successful than the 
average pioneer, and is to-day one of the wealthiest farmers in the county. 

Amos Cooper, a cousin of the judge, also came in March, 1834, but was 
then a single man. The following November he married Elizabeth Poe 
and settled permanently in the southeast quarter of Section 32, entered by 
him in April, 1834. He was a native of Pennsylvania, whence his parents 
removed to Perry County, Ohio, where he lived till his coming to Hancock. 
His wife died on the old homestead in 1872, and he in Findlay in 1879, 
leaving six children, all of whom are still residents of the county. 



480 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

In May, 1834, John and Abigal (Simpson) Howard, with a family of 
nine children, located on Section 4, where he had entered eighty acres 
June 17, 1833. The parents and eldest son, Samuel, were natives of 
Pennsylvania, and in 1815 removed to Eichland County, Ohio. Here 
eight childi-en were born, all of whom came out with the parents in the 
spring of 1834. Two childi-en were born afterward. John and his wife re- 
sided on Ten Mile Creek until their death; but three of the sons are yet living 
in the county. Samuel, who resides in Findlay, is perhaps the best known 
of the family. He was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., December 7, 
1814, and was in his twentieth year when the family settled in Hancock. In 
June, 1833, he borrowed $50 of his father with which to enter forty acres 
of land in Section 4, agreeing to keep the whole family in provisions for 
one yeax-, and thus pay back the borrowed capital. He faithfully fulfilled 
his agreement, and thus became the owner of his first real estate. In 1837 
he married Elizabeth Carroll, and settled permanently on his land. 
Eleven children were born to this union, six of whom are living. Mr. 
Howard has filled qu.ite a prominent place in the political affairs of Hancock 
County, and has served four terms as county treasurer. He is well and 
favorably known fi-om one end of the county to the other. 

Daniel Warner, a native of New York State, born in 1799, came to Han- 
cock County in 1834, and entered 160 acres of land in this township where 
he died in 1881. 

The Moorheads — John and Samuel — came in the spring of 1834. 
Their mother dying in Pennsylvania, they removed with their father from 
that State to Stark County, Ohio, in 1814, where they both grew to maturity, 
and married. Samuel settled in the southeast quarter of Section 22, and 
John in the northeast quarter of Section 27, both tracts being entered August 
19, 1833. The latter died a few years ago at the home of his son-in-law, 
Isaac Hart — the same farm he settled on in 1834. Samuel died in 1885 
after a residence in the township of over fifty years. Both attained ripe old 
ages, and have left descendants in the township to perpetuate their memory. 

John Reed and family, of Wayne County, Ohio, settled in the southeast 
quarter of Section 27 in the spring of 1834, where he afterward built the 
first brick house in the township. He subsequently removed to Findlay, 
and engaged in the hotel business in a frame building, which then stood on 
the site of the Commercial Hotel. Both he and his wife died in Findlay 
Township, but their daughter, Mrs. James Kerr, is a resident of Findlay. 

Other settlers of 1834 were Mahlon Morris, Sanfred F. Dulin, Charles 
Crist, John Bushong, John McClay, George Taylor and Ezra Hazen. Mr. 
Morris settled in the southwest quarter of Section 22 in the fall of 1834. 
In 1830 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected three times in 
succession. In 184G he was elected county treasurer, and re-elected in 1848, 
but died August 5, 1849, while serving his second term. He left a family 
of three sons and six daughters. The surviving son is a member of the 
Findlay bar, and four of the six daughters are living, three in this township. 
His widow, Elizabeth, died in April, 1865. Sanfred F. Dulin is yet resid- 
ing on the farm, where he settled in December, 1834. His parents, William 
and Charlotte Dulin (he a native of England and she of Germany), were 
married in Maryland, thence removed to Virginia, where Sanfred F. was 
born in 1810. In 1816 the family settled in Pickaway County, Ohio, and in 
January, 1830, came to Findlay, where the father died in 1832. A family 



PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 481 

of ten children grew to maturity, Sanfied being now the only sui-vivor. The 
mother died at Mr. Dulin's home in 1866. Mr. Dulin was one of the pio- 
neer school teachers of the county, and though seventy-five years have come, 
and gone since he first saw the light of day, he is still one of the active, 
energetic, progi-essive men of his township. Charles Crist, a native of 
Maryland, settled on Section 29, but sold out and removed to Darke County, 
Ohio. John Bushong located in the northeast quarter of Section 28. Both 
he and his wife died at the home of their son, Jacob, in this township. John 
McClay settled on Section 15, but did not remain long in this locality. 
George Taylor and Ezra Hazen built their cabins on Section 21. After liv- 
ing here two or three years, both sold out and left the county. 

In 1885 Merryman Price, Kichard Wall, James Cooper and Valentine 
Miller came into the township. Price was from Richland County, and biiilt 
his cabin in Section 4, on Ten mile Creek. He was the second justice of the 
township, but after living here several years he removed to Indiana. Wall 
also settled on Ten Mile Creek, thence removed to Pleasant Township, where 
both he and his wife died. Their son, William H., is a resident of Portage. 
James Cooper, familiarly known as "Big Jim" Cooper, located on Section 
34, where he and his wife passed the balance of their lives. They reared 
three childi-en, one of whom, Catherine, lives in Findlay Township. Valen- 
tine Miller was a German, and settled in the southwest quarter of Section 
18, and there died. 

Jacob Deter and Benoni Culp took up their residence in Portage in 1836. 
The former and his wife, Sarah, were natives of Pennsylvania, whence 
they removed to Richland County, Ohio, coming in 1836 to Hancock County, 
and settling on Section 8, this township. They reared a family of seven 
childi-en, and died on the old homestead where Peter now lives. Their sons 
James, Peter, Philip and Jacob are residents of Portage Township. Benoni 
and Magdalene Culp came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1831, and settled 
in Findlay Township. In 1836 they removed to Section 20, Portage ToVn- 
ship, where both spent the rest of their days. They reared eight children, 
four of whom are residents of the couDty. 

Andi-ew Moorhead, Miles Wilson, David Culp, John Edgington, John 
S. Miller, and AVashington Taylor all came in 1836. IVIr. Moorhead was 
a brother of John and Samuel Moorhead, previous settlers of the town- 
ship. He located in the northeast quarter of Section 31, where his son, 
Samuel E., now resides. He was twice married and left a family of five 
sons and five daughters. Mr. Moorhead died in 1884. Miles and Elizabeth 
Wilson, natives of Pennsylvania, came fi'om Champaign County, Ohio, and 
settled on Section 4, where both died. Their son, David, lives upon the old 
farm. David Culp, a brother of Benoni, settled on Section 20, and there 
died. His widow died in Pleasant Township, and none of their children 
live in this county. John and Catherine Edgington, of Richland County, 
Ohio, built their cabin near where their son, Thomas F. , now resides. He 
died here in 1848, and his widow in Iowa, in 1856. John S. Miller located 
on Sand Ridge, whence he removed to Pleasant Township and there died. 
Washington Taylor, a native of Pennsylvania, with his widowed mother and 
three brothers and two sisters, came here from Richland County, Ohio, and 
settled on Section 17. The family subsequently removed to what is now 
Allen Township, where Washington and Charles yet reside. William 
lives in Findlay. 



482 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

These settlers were soon followed by Andrew Nigh, yet a leading farmer 
of the township, James Mays, John Kempher, Jeremiah Pressor (colored), 
Jacob Switzer, George Mitchell, Samuel Oram, George Archer, Jacob Andre 
and William Edgar. John Norris, who first settled in Washington Town- 
ship, in 1831, was also a pioneer of Poi'tage, locating on Section 32, quite 
early. He was twice married, and in 1877, sold his farm to Judge Cooper 
and went to Texas. Though others may have come into Portage dui'ing 
the years mentioned the foregoing list embraces the majority of those who 
can be properly termed pioneers. 

Schools. — The first school in Portage Township was taught by Frederick 
S. Ankeny, in the winter of 1836-37. It was held in the wagon shop of 
Benoni Gulp, on Section 20, and was attended by the Gulps, Coopers, 
Edgingtons and others. Mr. Ankeny died during the term and the school 
was closed. The first schoolhoiase was built near Pleasant Hill, about 
1837. The next year (1838) a building was put up in Section 31, on the 
Moorhead farm and a school opened by Miss Rebecca Hedges. She re- 
ceived $1.25 per week and "boarded around." The Coopers, Moorheads, 
Norrises, Gulps and Grams went to this school. Soon afterward another 
schoolhouse was erected on Section 27, where No. 1 school now stands. 
Sanfred F. Dulin was the first teacher in this building, which was attended 
by the Mitchells, Harts, Reeds, Bushongs, Shoops and others. It was not 
long until every part of the township had its schoolhouse. Portage now 
contains six school buildings wherein school is held seven months in the 
year. The young men or women who now grow up in this State without 
the advantages of an education are rarely found, for if they do so the fault 
lies with themselves or their parents. Good schools are now the rule, and 
all may freely enjoy the advantages they offer. 

Churches. — The Regular Baptists organized the first society in the town- 
ship at Merryman Price's cabin, about 1836. Merryman Price, Richard 
Wall, Price Blackford, Henry Rader, Henry M. Rose and their wives, and 
Isaac Comer, A. B. Kagy and Rebecca Beals were the first members. The 
society held alternate meetings at the Govui House in Findlay ; Isaac Comer's, 
in Liberty Township; Henry Rader' s, in Allen Township; and Merryman 
Price' s cabin, on Ten Mile Creek. This society subsequently bu.ilt a church 
in Van Bm-en. The Presbyterians, under Rev. George Van Eman, organ- 
ized the Pleasant Hill Society in 1837. Miles Wilson, Sr., and family, the 
Moorheads, John Thompson, Samuel Huntington, John Norris and wife, 
Hugh Hudson and Paul Adams being among the first members. In Sep- 
tember, 1837, John Thompson and John Bushong gave a piece of ground 
for a church and cemetery, and here a hewed-log building was soon afterward 
erected, which was used for several years. The society subsequently put 
up a fi-ame building near the home of Miles Wilson, Sr. In September, 
1843, this society and Ebenezer Society, of Portage Township, were united 
under the name of West Union Church of Van Buren, where worship has 
ever since been held. The United Brethren denomination organized a so- 
ciety quite early, on Ten Mile Creek, and built a church on Section 4. This 
society is still in existence, and has a good church and a respectable mem- 
bership. Central Methodist Episcopal Chapel was organized about 1850. 
In 1858 the present building, in the southeast corner of Section 28, was 
erected, and has ever since been used. The trustees at that time were 
Abraham Hart, Sanfred F. Dulin, Jacob Bowlby, Charles Deatsman, 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 485 

Thomas Fountain, Abraham Beals, John Hardy, William H. Fountain and 
David Gulp. This denomination has now two churches in the township, 
both possessing good congregations. 

Lafayette. — On the ISth of March, 1837, Jacob Andre laid out a village 
of 72 lots on the north part of the east half of the northwest quarter of Sec- 
tion 15, which he named Lafayette. But that is as far as the town ever got, 
and Portage has never possessed a village or hamlet. 

Portage Centre Postoffice. —In April, 1857, Portage Centre postoffice was 
established, with Jarvis Humphrey as postmaster. He was succeeded in 
1863 by Joseph Johnson, who served sixteen years. Mrs. George W. Mont- 
gomery, the present incumbent, is Mr. Johnson's successor. 

Justices. — The following list embraces all who have held the office of 
justice of the peace in Portage Township since its organization: Peter 
Heller, Merryman Price, Mahlon Morris, John Edgington, Samuel Howard, 
John Kelley, Henry B. Wall, Adam Crumrine, Charles B. Thomas, Will- 
iam M. King and Thomas F. Edgington. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
UNION TOWNSHIP. 



Erection. First Elkction OF Township Officers, Area, Boundaries, and 
Population by Decades— Physical Features— Streams and Soil — Pio- 
NEKRs— First Marriage in the Township— Justices— Grist-Mills— Re- 
ligious Societies — Schools- Villages— Cannonsburg, Kawson and 
Cory. 

JUNE 4, 1832, the board of commissioners, in compliance with a petition 
presented by citizens of Township 1 south. Range 9, erected Union 
Township fi'om territory previously embraced in Liberty. At the first elec- 
tion held soon afterward for the purpose of organizing the new subdivision, 
Philip Cramer, Nicholas Folk and George Burket were chosen trustees, and 
Wenman Wade, clerk. Union has always been a full congressional town- 
ship, with an area of 23,040 acres. It lies in the western tier of subdivis- 
ions, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Blanchard Township, on 
the east by Eagle, on the south by Orange, and on the west by Putnam and 
Allen Counties. In 1840 Union had (337 inhabitants; in 1850^ 1,150; 1860, 
1,604; 1870, 1,546; and 1880, 1,876. 

The topography of Union Township differs very little from the surround- 
ing country. A sand ridge crosses its northwest corner, and exhibits the same 
characteristics of soil and jjhysical features as are found all along this nar- 
row belt in Liberty and Blanchard Townships. The general topography 
may be termed slightly rolling, though some of the lands along Ottawa 
Creek are hilly, while around Rawson and west of that village the 
country is quite level. A low, wet prairie, covering an area of about 400 
acres, lying on Sections 23 and 24, existed during the early days of settle- 
ment, but this tract has been brought under cultivation, and where once the 



486 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

tall, rank grass gave shelter to deer and other game, large fields of golden 
wheat and tasseled corn greet the eye. The greater portion of Cranberry- 
Marsh lies in the southwest part of this township, but it, too, has been all re- 
claimed, and these lands are now among the most valuable in the county. 
Excepting a small strip of prairie. Cranberry Marsh was originally covered 
with a deiise growth of willows, and was a favorite resort of wild game. 
This marsh, with the small prairie south of the site of Kawson, were the 
only portions of Union Township uncovered by that once mighty forest, 
little of which now remains to attest the grandeur of its pristine glory. 

Two branches of the Ottawa Creek rise in the central part of Van Buren 
Township, and after uniting in the southeast corner of Union, the main 
stream flows northwestward till it reaches the northwest quarter of Section 
22, near the center of the township, where it makes an abrupt turn, thence 
passes in a northeast direction to the southwest corner of Section 1, and 
thence northward into Blanchard Township, where it empties into the Blanch- 
ard River. The Ottawa receives a couple of small runs in this township 
— one fi'om the southwest on Section 22, and one from the southeast on Sec- 
tion 11. Tiderishi Creek flows in from Eagle Township across Section 1, 
emptying into the Ottawa near the southwest corner of that section. An- 
other small tributary of the Blanchard waters the western part of the town- 
ship, flowing noi-thwest into Putnam County. The outlet of Cranberry 
Marsh runs along the south line of Union for about three miles, thence 
crosses the northwest corner of Orange Township into Allen County, where 
it empties into Riley Creek. The bottom lands are a formation of alluvial 
deposit and decayed vegetation, while the level lands away fi'om the streams 
are crenerally a black loam. Along the sand ridge the soil is a composition 
of sand and gravel, principally the former, while the uplands in the balance 
of the township are a mixture of clay and loam. 

Pioneers. — Philip Cramer and family were the first settlers of Union 
Township. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and settled at an early day in 
Fairfield County, Ohio. Here his first wife died, and he married Katharine 
Harmon, also a native of the Keystone State. In October, 1830, Mr. 
Cramer visited Hancock County, and entered the east half of Section 1, 
Township 1 south. Range 9, also the east half of the northwest quarter of 
the same section, and the following month the family came from Fairfield 
County and located permanently on the Tiderishi Creek. His sons, John, 
Philip and Simon, and daughter, Christina, wife of Henry Smaltz, were 
the children of his first marriage. All were full grown, and some of them 
married before coming to Hancock. Mr. Smaltz built his cabin in the 
southeast quarter of Section 1, where he died in 1836. John Cramer was 
the first justice of Union Township, and died in 1843; Philip, Jr., died in 
1850, and Simon was killed by lightning in 1851; while Christina also 
passed away many years ago. His second wife, Catharine, bore him seven 
childi-en, viz. : Adam, Daniel, Jacob, Sarah, Rachel, Margaret and Phoebe. 
She died January 10, 1853, Mr. Cramer sxirviving her till April 13, 1867, 
and dying at the ripe old age of nearly eighty-five years. In 1832 Mr. 
Cramer built a horse-mill on his farm, and though a primitive affair, it was 
nevertheless in use for several years, and did considerable grinding for the 
neighborhood. Mr. Cramer was the pioneer minister of the United Breth- 
ren Church in Hancock County, and the first society of that denomination 
was organized at his cabin. He was always earnest and zealous in the 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 487 

cause, and left the impress of his calling and character upon the community 
in which he lived. His sons, Daniel and Jacob, now own the land whereon 
his life in this county was so profitably spent. 

Nicholas Folk and family, of Fairfield County, Ohio, located in the 
northeast quarter of Section 11 in the spring of 1831. Mr. Folk entered 
this tract April 2, 1831, and soon afterward brought out his family. Ottawa 
Creek ran through the farm, and his rude log-cabin stood on the northwest 
bank of that stream. The parents resided here till death, leaving a well 
improved homestead to their children, who afterward sold it to Edson Goit. 
The latter erected a grist and saw-mill on Ottawa Creek, where the bridge 
now spans that stream, which became familiarly known as the Teatsorth 
Mill. One of Mr. Folk's sons, George, is a resident of Findlay. 

On the 17th of September, 1831, George Burket entered the southwest 
quarter of Section 11, and the same autumn, with his wife and son, Jacob, 
and son-in-law, William Lytle, and wife, removed from Perry County, Ohio, 
to Union Township. Both he and Lytle erected their cabins on the land 
entered by Mr. Burket, the latter afterward deeding to Lytle eighty acres of 
his entry. Mr. Burket was born in Berks County, Penn., in July, 1781, 
thence removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was maiTied to Miss 
Mary Ann Fox, a daughter of Jacob and Eva Fox, subsequent pioneers 
of this township. In 1816-17 the Burkets removed to Peny County, and 
thence to Hancock in the fall of 1831. They reared two children, viz. : 
Jacob, now a resident of Rawson, and Mrs. Catherine Lytle, of Cannons- 
burg. Mr. Burket spent the declining years of his life with his son, Jacob, 
dying in September, 1865, at the ripe old age of more than eighty-four years. 
Jacob was in his twentieth year when his parents came to this township, 
having been born in Fairfield County in 1811. In 1832 he was man-ied by 
John Cramer, justice of the peace, to Miss Sarah Cramer, daughter of Philip 
Cramer, Sr. , which was the first marriage in the township. His wife died 
in 1850, leaving five sons and four daughters, and he married Mrs. Philip 
Cramer, Jr. They are now residing in Eawson, and Mr. Burket is the oldest 
living pioneer of Union Township. Mr. Lytic married Catherine Bm-ket in 
Perry County, and resided on the farm given him by his faiher-in-law till 
his death November 3, 1872. His widow is now living in Cannonsburg. 

The next settlers of Union were Jacob Fox, Sr. , and sons Jacob and 
William. On the 13th of September, 1831, Jacob, Jr., entered the east balf 
of the southwest quarter of Section 2, and four days afterward his falher en- 
tered the southeast quarter of Section 2, and the northeast quarter of Section 
15. In the spring of 1832, the parents, Jacob and Eva Fox, also the sons, 
Jacob and William, with their families, came from Fairfield County, and took up 
their residence on the land previously entered along Ottawa Creek. The Foxes 
were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, 
and thence to Hancock. Jacob, Sr. , built his cabin on Section 2, and Jaeob^ 
Jr., also settled on the same section, while William located on Section 15! 
The father Avas a veteran of the Revolution, and died August 16, 1849, in 
his eighty-sixth year. Jacob, Jr., was the father of six children; four, 
John C. , Lydia, Sarah and Nancy were born in Fairfield, and Jacob and 
Solomon in this township. He died upon his farm in Section 2. July 25, 
1863, his widow, Polly, surviving him till February 10, 1^85. She was a 
native of Virginia, and died in her eighty- fourth year. Four of their 
children are yet living— three sons and one daughter— and all are residents 



488 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of Hancock County. William Fox died October 80, 1863, and his widow, 
Sarah, in 1868. Two of their children are living in the township. 

Wenman Wade entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 
15 April 20, 1832, and soon afterward located upon it. He was a native 
of Virginia, but came here from Wayne County, Ohio, and upon the organi- 
zation of Union Township, in 1832, he was elected clerk. In 1835 he was 
elected justice of the peace, and re-elected to the same oflQce. Mr. Wade 
was a noted hunter, and during the earlier years of settlement supplied his 
neighbors with plenty of venison and bear meat. He was an enei'getic, go- 
ahead man, of untiring industry and perseverance, and stood high in the 
esteem of the pioneers. After a residence here of many years he sold out 
and moved to Wood Coimty. 

David and Christian Fox came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in the 
spring of 1833. The former had entered the northwest quarter of Section 12 
August 28, 1832, and here be built his cabin; his son, Daniel, is now residing 
upon the same land. David was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1796, 
and was married in Fairfield County to Elizabeth Bartoon. She was born 
in Maryland, in 1801, and was the mother of five children when the family 
settled on ' Tawa Creek, viz. : George, Daniel, Sarah, Joseph and Jonathan. 
Two were born here: Mary A. and Susannah. Mr. Fox died in the town- 
ship June 30, 1867, but his widow is still living, and though in her eighty- 
fifth year, she is quite hale and well preserved. Three of the four surviv- 
ing children are residents of the township, and one lives in Orange. Chris- 
tian Fox settled close to his brother, William, on Section 15, and died April 
28, 1865. His widow lives in Kawson, and three sons and two daughters 
are also residents of Hancock County. The Fox brothers were all worthy 
citizens, and deserve honorable mention in the pioneer annals of this 
portion of Ohio. 

Henry and Margaret Deeds, natives of Pennsylvania, removed to this 
township fx'om Fairfield County, Ohio, in the fall of 1833, and settled in 
the northeast quarter of Section 12, entered by Mr. Deeds September 21, 
1833. They reared a family of ten children, nine of whom survive and reside 
in this county. Mr. Deeds is yet living upon the old homestead where he and 
wife located over fifty- two years ago. His wife was blind several years before 
her death, which occui-red January 26, 1886. Her bereaved husband, 
though bending under the weight of old age, is fond of speaking of those 
early days which they spent together in the rude log-cabin, living on the 
plainest fare, and surrounded by forest trees on every side. 

The year 1834 ushered in quite a number of families, Henry Stover, 
Jacob Huffman, Nicholas and Dillard Dukes, Joseph Baker, John Flick, 
Abraham Watkins, Joseph Sorbie and Shedlock Pancoast, all coming during 
that year. On the 2d of November, 1833, Henry Stover, of Crawford 
County (now Wyandot), entered the southwest quarter of Section 7, Union 
Township, and the following spring located on his land. He was a native 
of Virginia, and his wife, Margaret, of Boss County, Ohio. In 1842 he 
was elected justice of the peace and served one term. He resided on 
his farm in Section 7 until his death in 1849. His widow and son, Heze- 
kiah, reside in Benton Ridge, and two of his daughters in Union Township. 
Jacob and Susannah Huffman, he a native of Virginia and she of Pennsylvania, 
located in Liberty Township in 1833, and in 1834 moved into Union, locat- 
ing on Section 15. They x-eared a family of ten childi'en, two of whom 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 489 

reside in the township. The mother died June 6, 1869, and the father on 
the 7th of November following, and both are kindly spoken of by those who 
knew them best. 

Nicholas and Dillard K. Dukes, of Franklin County, Ohio, entered several 
hun:ired acres of land on Sections 18 and 19, in 1833 and 1834. The latter 
first came to the county with his step-father, William Powell, and brother, 
Lewis Dukes, Sr., in the fall of 1827, but soon went back to Franklin 
County. In the fall of 1828 he again came to Hancock, with his brothers, 
Eichard and John, and after working for them about three years returned 
to his early home. In the fall of 1834 he accompanied his brother Nicholas 
to this township, where he has ever since resided. Nicholas settled on Sec- 
tion 18, and r-ied in 1850. Four of h.-s children are living on the old farm 
which he ent^^red and improved. Dillard R. located on Section 19, whence 
he removed to Section 4, where he and his family now reside. 

Joseph and Elizabeth Baker removed from Lorain to Wayne County, 
Ohio, and, in 1834, took up their residence on Section 13, Union Township. 
They were the parents of seven children, two of whom now reside in the town- 
ship. At the time of their settlement a few small clearings dotted the for- 
est, but they, like most of the fiist settlers, began right in the woods and 
endured all the hardships of pioneering. 

John Flick, of Franklin County, Ohio, etitered the southeast quarter of 
Section 15 May 22, 1833, and the southeast quarter of Section 3 
March 21, 1834. The writer has been informed by several pioneers that Mr. 
Flick and family settled on Section 15 in 1834, and he believes this to be 
the con-ect date, though some of the children give 1835 as the time of their 
coming. Mr. Flick was a native of Virginia, and a blacksmith by trade. 
He ma^Tied Elizabeth Fox, a native of Pennsylvania, and reared a fam- 
ily of seven children, and all the sons are residents of this township, ^Irs. 
Peter Schwab residing in Pleasant. IMr. Flick died Januaiy 12, 1807, in 
the sixty fourth year of his life, his widow siu'viving him till 1881. 

Abraham Watkins entered the northeast quarter of Section 26, May 26, 
1834, and settled upon it the same year. He was killed a few years after- 
ward while out in the timber "coon" hunting. Joseph Sorbie, of Guernsey 
County, Ohio, entered the southeast quarter of Section 24 November 27, 
1833. In 1834 he bropght out his family and resided upon this land till 
his death September 0, 1859. Shedlock Pancoast, of Fayette County, 
Ohio, entered 120 acres in the southeast quarter of Section 32 November 
12, 1833, upon which he located the following ye-ir. He subsequently sold 
out and went West. 

In 1835 Francis and Amasa Clymer, William Wade, Timothy Main. Eli 
Gilpin and Isaac ClrA^augh settled in Union. Amasa Clymer and Abraham, 
a son of Francis Clymer, came fi-om Franklin County, Ohio, in the spring 
of 1835, built a cabin and made a clearing on the west part of Section 19, 
entered the previous year by Francis Clymer, who took up several hundred 
acres of land in the township at the same time. A crop was put in, and in 
the fall of 1835, Francis and wife, Susannah, with the balance of the 
family, removed from Franklin County to the cabin previously erected in 
the forest of Union Township. They reared a family of six children, all 
growing to maturiLj'^, three of whom are yet living, two being residents of this 
county. Amasa and family removed to the AVest, but Francis and wife 
passed the remaining years of their lives in this township. William AA ade, 



490 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

a nephew of Wenman, settled on Section 27 in 1835, but subsequently- 
moved to Findlay, and died in that town. Timothy Main entered the south- 
west quarter of Section 25 December 15, 1834, and the next year brought 
bis family from Delaware County, Ohio. He was a Virginian whose par- 
ents had settled quite early in Delaware County. Mr. Main died while 
serving in the army during the Rebellion, but his widow yet occupies the old 
homestead. Eli Gilpin, also from Delaware County, entered the southwest 
quarter of Section 36 December 8, 1834. In the spring of 1835 he 
located on his land, which he sold to his son, Thomas, in 1837, though he 
still continued to reside upon it till May, 1839, when William McConnell 
purchased the property and the Gilpins removed to Illinois. In the fall of 
1835 Henry Clabaugh, of Crawford County, Ohio, entered land in Sections 
6 and 7. upon which his son, Isaac, settled about the same time. The latter 
was born in Virginia in 1 798, and in 1800 was brought by his parents to Ohio. 
In 1820 he married Margaret Houser, also a native of Virginia, born in 
1796, and came from Crawford County, Ohio, to the northwest corner of 
this township. They had a family of live children, only two of whom are 
now livino-. This pioneer coiiple walked the rugged path of life together 
for the extraordinary period of sixty-five years, and at the time of Mr. 
Clabaugh' s death, September 10, 1885, they were the oldest married couple 
in Hancock County. Though Mrs. Clabaugh is in her ninetieth year, she is 
still quite robust and bids fair to reach a much riper a-^e than four score 
and ten. 

Thomas Dewese, Isaac Wade, Collis Church, Charles Vermillion, Daniel 
Showalter, Daniel and David Stratton, Eleazur Perrigo, Harmon Baler and 
James Clark all located in the township in 1836. IVir. Dewese entered the 
west half of the northeast quarter of Section 22, May 26, 1834, but did not 
remove fi'om AVayne County for two years afterward. His wife, Sarah, bore 
him nine children, of whom Flavins J. , of Orange Township, is the only 
survivor. Mr. Dewese served one term as justice of the peace, and died in 
1853. His widow married Levi Showalter, and died in 1881. 

Isaac Wade, a brother of Wenman, a native of Virginia, came from Wayne 
County, Ohio, and settled on Section 28, where he resided until death. His 
brother, William, and uncle, Richard, a pioneer schoolmaster, also lived in 
this township, and though coming into Union at a much later date than 
Wenman, Isaac and William, Jr., were very early settlers of Hancock 
County. William located in Liberty Township in 1827, whence he moved 
into Union, and thence to Indiana. Richard was an itinerant pedagogue, 
and taught the earliest schools in several townships of the county, finally 
settling down northeast of the site of Cory. 

Collis Church emigrated from New York State to Wayne County, Ohio, 
where his wife, Elizabeth, died. On the 20th of April, 1836, while yet liv- 
ing in Wayne County, he entered the east half of the southeast quarter of 
Section 14, Union Township, and soon afterward settled on his land, now 
largely covered by the village of Rawson. Here he built a cabin and began 
the work of opening a farm. He finally moved into Orange Township, 
where he died August 18, 1870, in his seventy-eighth year. His eldest son, 
William, is one of the well-to-do farmers of Washington Township, and may 
also be termed one of Hancock's pioneers. 

Charles and Ann Vermillion were natives of Virginia and Ohio, respect- 
ively, and married in Champaign County, Ohio. In September, 1836, he 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 491 

entered the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 35, Union 
Township, and settled upon it the same fall. They were the parents of 
twelve children, nine of whom are living, and all residents of Iowa. 

Daniel and Susan Showalter located on Section 29 in the fall of 1836. 
They were natives of Pennsylvania, and first settled in Wayne County, 
Ohio, and thence removed to Hancock. Both resided till their death in this 
township, and two of their sons — Levi and Richard — are now among its 
leading farmers. Richard has been a resident of the county since 1830, and 
Levi settled here in 1837 ; they are among the honest, upright, straightfor- 
ward business men of the township, trusted and respected by its best people, 
and recogni'zed as kind neighbors and worthy citizens. 

Daniel Stratton, of Wayne County, Ohio, settled on Section 31 in the 
fall of 183C), where he and his wife died. His son, David, and family located 
on the site of Cory the same autumn, but removed West a few years prior 
to the Rebellion. Eleazur Perrigo, also of Wayne County, settled on Sec- 
tion 30 in 1836. Several years ago he sold his farm and went to Wisconsin. 
Harman Baler, of Richland County, Ohio, was also a pioneer of 1836. On 
the 24th of May, 1836, he entered eighty acres of land on Section 20, upon 
which he settled the same year. James Clark located on Section 3 about 
the same period, but he removed to Indiana many years ago. 

William and Susan Green, natives of Pennsylvania, settled in what is 
now Wyandot County, Ohio, in 1835, and in 1837 came to Union Township 
and built their cabin on Section 6. They reared a family of thirteen chil- 
dren, eleven of whom are now living, six being residents of Hancock County. 
The parents died on the old homestead. 

Benjamin and Jane Marshall were born in Pennsylvania, and married in 
Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1814. In 1838 they settled on Section 35, 
Union Township, where Mr. Marshall died August 25, 1861; his aged 
widow resides with her son, J. W. , on the old homestead. Of their family 
of nine children, four sons and three daughters survive. William M., the 
eldest son, settled in Orange Township in 1837, where he has served one 
term as justice of the peace, and has also been commissioner of Hancock 
County for six years. The Marshalls have always been one of the leading 
families of their adopted county. 

Rev. Richard Biggs, who died at Rawson in 1880, was a pioneer of 1838, 
settling near the site of that village. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1806, 
and was left an orphan in early childhood. Managing to obtain a fair 
knowledge of the common branches of an English education, he began 
teaching ere reaching his majority. In 1829 he joined the Methodist Epis- 
copal denomination, and soon afterward removed to Portage (now Summit) 
County, Ohio. In 1836 he was licensed to preach, and two years after set- 
tling in Hancock was admitted to the North Ohio Conference. He was an 
itinerant f)reacher about thirty years, and few men were better known 
throughout northwestern Ohio. Mr. Biggs taught the first school in Union 
Township, and many of the gray-haired men and women of this locality 
received their first schooling from him. 

Other settlers of this period were James Burns, Edward Taylor, Abra- 
ham Spangler and James Watkins. May 2, 1835, Mr. Burns, who was from 
Richland County, Ohio, entered the east half of the southwest quarter 
of Section 21, but Levi Showalter says he did not settle on his land till 
1888 or 1839, though his son, William, who lives upon the old homestead, 



492 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

thinks that his parents came at least two years prior to that time. He was 
a very worthy citizen, served many years as justice of the peace, and died in 
1874 on the farm which ho had redeemed from a wilderness. Edward Tay- 
lor settled on Section 33 about the same time as Burns effected a settlement, 
and resided here till death. Abraham and Elizabeth Spangler, native 
Ohioans, came to the township in 1839. He was a cabinet-maker and car- 
penter, and both he and his wife died in the coiinty, the former in 1879 and 
the latter in 1881. Fom- of their seven children are yet living. James Wat- 
kins also located here in 1839 and died in 1874. His widow. Elizabeth A., 
survives him. Several others might be mentioned who settled in the township 
between 1830 and 1840. yet those given comprise the great majority of the 
real pioneers. Many of them- after clearing up good farms, sold out and 
left the county, while many others spent their lives here, and their remains 
are moldering in the little cemeteries of the township. 

Justices. — The following citizens have filled this office in Union Town- 
ship : John Cramer, Wenman Wade, Ephraim Moody, Thomas Dewese, 
Henry Stover, Thomas Stratton, Samuel Dewese, C. F. Malahan, John 
West, John McConnell, William Stratton, Kial Beach, James Burns. Charles 
George, D. W. Cass, John Stratton, Peter Reckert, George W. Mull, S. J. 
Nowlan, A. J. L. Hartman and G. W^. Burket. The last mentioned and 
Peter Reckert are the present justices of Union Township. 

Grist Mills. — The small " corn- cracker " built by Philip Cramer on his 
farm in 1832, was the pioneer mill of this portion of the county. It was a 
very primitive affair, but served a good purpose at a period when any sort 
of a mill was a godsend. In 1845, Edson Goit, of Findlay, erected a flour- 
ing-mill on the south bank of Ottawa Creek on Section 11. The millwright 
and carpenter work was done by Thomas Pickens, of Pleasant Township, 
and the mill was operated by water-power. Mr. Goit also put up a saw- 
mill on the opposite side of the creek. These mills were purchased by James 
Teatsorth, who subsequently introduced steam-power, but after carrying on 
business here for many years the buildings were torn down and removed. 
This old property was known all over Hancock County as the ' ' Teatsorth 
Mill, ' ' and from the time of its erection proved a great convenience to the 
people of the surrounding country. The next grist-mill in this township 
was erected by Dr. H. P. Eaton, in Cory, in 1873. It began operations 
late that year, and has ever since that time continued to turn out a good 
grade of flour. It is a frame structure and run by steam-power. In the 
winter of 1880-81 a steam fiouring-mill was built in Rawson, by George 
Burket. It has a daily capacity of about thirty-five barrels, and is doing a 
successful business. 

Religious Societies. — A society of the United Brethren Chiu'ch was organ- 
ized in 1832 at the house of Philip Cramer, who was the first minister of 
that denomination in Hancock County. Philip Cramer and wife, and sons, 
John, Philip, Simon and Adam, George Burket and wife, William Lytle and 
wife, Jacob Fox, Sr. , and wife, William Fox and wife, Jacob Fox, Jr. , and 
Solomon Foglesong and wife were the organizing members of this society. 
In the next few years the membership was increased by the coming of David 
Fox and wife. Christian Fox and wife, Henry Deeds and wife, Jacob Huff- 
man and wife, Mrs. John Flick, Joseph Baker and wife, and Collis Church 
and wife. Services were held in private houses and the old log school- 
house for nearly twenty years. But in 1848 a frame building was erected in 



w '^t^^ 





(^^c<>^>^,^ C^^Z^ 



_i^^ 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 495 

the northeast corner of Section 11, on land donated for the purpose by Ed- 
son Goit, and known as the Union Church. It was not, however, completed 
till 1850, and no services were held therein until that year. The church 
was formally dedicated to Divine worship in 1852, and was used until the 
completion of their present fine building in Rawson in 1883. The old struct- 
ure is yet standing, but is fast going to decay. Another society of this 
denomination was organized quite early in the west part of the township, 
and known as the Clymer Church. In the fall of 1851 a building was 
erected in the northwest part of Section 19. This structure served the con- 
gi-egation for about twenty years, when the present brick edifice was put up 
immediately across the road on Section 18. 

The Associate Reformed Presbyterians organized a society at Cannons- 
burg in 1845-46, and in 1851 built a frame church in that village. Rev. 
Mr. Bonner was the first minister, and served the society for several years. 
In 1858 this society and the Seceder society of Orange Township were 
amalgamated under the title of the United Presbyterian Church. The latter 
organization has since owned and occupied the Cannonsbiirg building. 

The Methodist Protestants formed a class at an early day, and about 
1853 built a church on Section 21. In the fall of 1870 they moved this 
building to Rawson, where it is still in use. This denomination erected 
another edifice in Cory in 1880, and have a good congregation in each village. 

Prior to the erection of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at 
Cannonsburg, in 1851, the Seceders put up a building in the same village, 
but, ere its completion, sold it to the Methodist Episcopals, who had organ- 
ized a society in that locality. This society, however, had a very flickering 
existence, and finally became extinct, the chixrch building being destroyed by 
fire. In 1872 the Methodist Episcopals ere.cted a nice fi*ame edifice in Raw- 
son, and have now quite a floui'ishing society. 

Many years ago the Evangelical Association put up a frame church on 
the site of Cory, which was used till 1875, when a handsome brick building 
was erected in the village by the same society. The old structure was then 
sold, and is now doing service as a wagon shop. The Evangelists have 
another brick church in Cannonsburg, built in 1867, with a seating cai:)acity 
of about 400. This denomination is quite strong in Union Township, and 
embraces many of the leading citizens. 

The Christian Union denomination has two church edifices in this town- 
ship, one on the southeast quarter of Section 2, erected in 1871, and one on 
the northwest quarter of Section 20. Both are good buildings, and are sup- 
ported by fair sized congregations. The ' ' Church of God ' ' was the last 
religious society organized in the township. Their church stands on the 
northwest quarter of Section 8. This makes eleven churches in Union Town- 
ship, comprising seven different sects, all struggling to reach the same goal. 

Schools. — In 1838 a small log schoolhouse was built in the southeast cor- 
ner of Section 2, and a school opened by Rev. Richard Biggs. The Cramers, 
Falks, Burkets, Foxes, Deedses and Flicks were the pupils in attendance. In 
October, 1838, Wenman Wade gave a school site on his farm, in Section 15, 
to the directors of a newly organized district, Mr. Wade being one of the 
directors. A building was soon afterward erected, to which the pioneers of 
that locality sent their children. Other schoolhouses followed in quick 
succession, and in a few years every part of the township could boast 
of a school in full operation. Both schools and buildings improved with the 



496 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

passing years, until 1885 found Union Township with ten good schoolhouses, 
those at Rawsqn and Cory employing two teachers each. 

Villages. — Cannonsburg, the oldest village in the township, was laid out 
December 12, 1839, ou Sections 35 and 36, by Benjamin and James C. 
Marshall, Franklin Ballard and William McConnell, and soon got to be quite 
a brisk little hamlet. In 1841 a postoffice was established in the village, 
and Thompson Bartel appointed postmaster. His successors have been Dr. 
E. F. Leslie, Dr. H. P. Eaton, D. W. Cass, Fuller Ballard, Henry Lue, J. 
D. Buss, J. A. Combs, Sr., Isaac E. Steinman, Lydia A. Kossman, J. A. 
Combs, Jr. , and George W. Mull. The lack of railroad communication has 
been an unfortunate dr-awback to Cannonsburg, and with railroad towns in 
close proximity it can scarcely hope to advance beyond its present size, if, 
indeed, it can hold its own. Its population is not given separately in the 
official census of 1880, but its citizens claim about seventy-five inhabitants. 
The village contains a general diy goods, grocery and hardware store, a small 
grocery store, a wagon shop, two blacksmith shops and a hotel, and has one 
physician. The United Presbyterians and the Evangelical Association have 
each a church in Cannonsburg. 

Rawson was laid out by Frederick Keller and G. J. Kelly, on Sections 
13 and 14, in February, 1855, and named in honor of L. Q. Rawson, Esq., 
of Fremont, then pi'esident of the proposed Fremont & Indiana Railroad, 
now the Lake Erie & Western, previously surveyed through this county. 
A few houses were put up, stores opened by James C. Benham and George 
Weigle, and other evidences of a town soon sprang into existence; but as the 
railroad, the directing cause of all this activity, got little farther than a 
survey, the growth of the village came to a halt, and whatever business life 
it contained, existed in a flickering condition. In 1861 the road was finished 
as far as Findlay, but here it stopped, and it was not till September, 1872, 
that the long looked for improvement was completed to Rawson. Immedi- 
ately new life was infused into the town; speculation in village lots became 
rife; additions were made to the original plat, and the hum and bustle of 
business presaged a rapid growth. This excitement, however, soon died away, 
leaving Rawson a respectable country town, with a healthy increasing trade. 
In 1863 a postoffice was established here with James C. Benham as post- 
master. Since the expiration of his term the following postmasters have 
filled the. office : Jackson Miller, James Woods, John H. Ellis, George W. 
Fox, Thomas E. Woods, Nicholas Watson, J. D. Buss and C. C. Cramer. 

Rawson was incorporated August 6, 1884, and the first election for of- 
ficers held early in 1885, when George Burket was chosen mayor. The 
census of 1880 gives Rawson 227 inhabitants, but its citizens now claim about 
400. Its business interests consist of two dry goods and gi'ocery stores, 
one general grocery and drug store, one grocery and hardware store, one 
stove and tinware store, a furniture store and undertaker, a hardware store, 
a hotel and liveiy stable, a barber shop and two saloons. Two physicians, 
Drs. Thomas H. Woods and A. G. Herrington, are also located in the vil- 
lage. In the manufacturing line there is a good flouring-mill, a saw and 
planing-mill, a saw-mill and handle factory, and a saw and shingle-mill, all 
run by steam power ; two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, a harness shop, a 
shoe shop, a meat market and a large tile factory. There is also a grain eleva- 
tor on the track of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, as the town is in the cen- 
ter of a fine agricultural district, whence thousands of bushels of grain are 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 497 

shipped annually. A large amount of stock is also handled at this point, and 
shipped to the Eastern markets. The Methodist Episcopal, Methodist 
Protestant and United Brethren denominations have each a good church in 
Rawson, and there is also a two-story brick schoolhouse wherein two teachers 
find employment. The Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Kepublic and 
Freemasons have each a lodge here. Rawson Lodge, No. 504, I. O. O. F., 
was instituted January 27, 1874, with fourteen charter members, and has now 
a membership of over forty. The lodge owns a good hall well fitted up, and 
is in a flourishing condition. Swartz Post, No. 144, G. A. R., was char- 
tered September 23, 1881, and holds its meetings in Odd Fellows' Hall. 
It started with fifteen members, but now contains nearly thirty of those brave 
boys who assisted in preserving the integrity of their country's flag during 
the dark days of civil strife. The Benton Ridge Masonic lodge has recently 
been removed to Raivson, where its members will in future meet. 

Cory was laid out July 18, 1872, in Sections 22, 27 and 28, by Matthias 
Markley and Samuel Kemerer, on the line of the Lake Erie & Western Rail- 
road, then in process of construction. It lies about two miles and a half 
southwest of Rawson, and was named in honor of D. J. Cory, Esq., of 
Findlay. A few buildings were put up when the railroad reached here, 
in the fall of 1872, but the real beginning of the town was the erection, in 
1873, of a flom-ing-mill, by Dr. H. P. Eaton and a saw-mill by William D. 
Turner, both of which are still in operation. A postofl&ce named Mount Cory 
was established here in 1873, with Benjamin Wildemuth as postmaster. The 
successive incumbents of this ofiice since that time have been Alfi'ed Long- 
brake, W. J. Staater, J. L. Asire, W. W. Haldeman, W. J. Staater and 
Matthias Markley. In February, 1874, Hall & Harpster opened a general 
store, and soon afterward the Falks brought a stock of goods to the village. 
Dr. E. P. Leslie, the first resident physician, opened a drug store in 1874, 
and these constitute the pioneer business men of Cory. Several additions 
have been made to the village, which has grown slowly, and in 1880 con- 
tained a population of 199, but now claims nearly 300 inhabitants. There 
are two general diy goods and grocery stores, a hardware store, a stove and 
tin shop, a drug store, a fruit and. candy store, a harness shop, a hotel and 
livery stable, one saloon, a flouring-mill, a saw and planing-mill, an under- 
taker, a wagon factory, a blacksmith shop, a tile factory and one resident 
physician. Cory also contains a two -teacher brick school building, and two 
churches — the Evangelical Association and Methodist Protestant. It is a 
stirring little village and adds considerably to the wealth of Union Town- 
ship. 



HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 

Location, Eiiection, Name, Subsequent Changes in Territory, Area ani> 
PopiTLATioN— Streams, Wells Topography and Soil— First Settlers 
—Their Characteristics — Justices — Schools— Churches— Villages 
and Railroads. 

THIS subdivision lies in the southern range of townships, and is bounded 
on the north by Eagle Township, on the east by Madison, on the west 
by Orange, and on the south by Hardin County. Its present territory was 
embraced in Findlay Township until the erection of Liberty in 1830, when 
it became a part of the latter subdivision. On petition of sundry inhabi- 
tants, Townships 1 and 2 south. Range 10, were, on the 7th of March, 1881, 
set ofF from Liberty and Findlay, and named Van Buren in honor of Martin 
Van Buren, a leading Democrat of the nation, afterward President of the 
United States. The two eastern tiers of sections in both Townships 1 and 2 
were previously a part of Findlay Township, while the four western tiers of 
each belonged to Liberty. On the 3d of December, 1832, Township 1 south, 
Range 10 was cut ofP Van Buren and erected as Eagle, and March 4, 1834, 
Township 2 south. Range 9 was attached to Van Buren and so remained 
until its separate erection as Orange, December 5, 1836. Upon the erection 
of Madison Township, June 1, 1840, the two eastern tiers of sections of Van 
Buren were taken in the formation of that subdivision, leaving this township 
with an area of twenty- four square miles, or 15,360 acres. Its population by 
decades has been as follows: 1840, 432; 1850, 536; 1860, 713; 1870, 780, 
and 1880, 907, showing a slow but steady growth from 1840 to 1880 of 475 
inhabitants. 

The head-waters of Ottawa (locally called ' Tawa) Creek are located in the 
central portion of Van Buren, its several branches thoroughly draining the 
northern half of the township. The west branch of Eagle Creek,- heads in 
Hog Creek Marsh and flows across the southeast corner of Van Buren, unit- 
ing with the east branch in Madison Township. Riley Creek takes its rise 
on Section 29, and passes westward into Orange Township, which it trav- 
erses in the same general direction. The beds of these streams afPord good 
natural drainage. The wells range from ten to thirty feet in depth, and 
considerable sulphur water is found in this section of the county. The sur- 
face of Van Buren is gently rolling and sheds easily the usual waterfall. 
The uplands are composed of a clay soil and the balance of vegetable and 
alluvial deposits, forming a rich black loam of unusual fertility. The heavy 
forest that once grew upon the soil has given place to well-tilled farms and 
comfortable homes. 

First Settlers. — The pioneers of Van Buren Township were nearly all 
Germans, and the township has always been regarded as a German settle- 
ment. They brought with them from their fatherland those stern qualities 



VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 499 

of industry and rigid economy for which the German is celebrated. It has 
often been truly said, ' ' a German will live and grow rich where an Ameri- 
can or an Irishman would starve. ' ' The German emigrants who first settled 
in this county, like those who came at a later day, usually possessed vigor- 
ous constitutions, and were happy, living in the ru.dest cabins on the plain- 
est fare. Their one overmastering ambition was to accumulate property 
and become independent, and that they succeeded is amply illustrated by 
the hundreds of valuable farms of which they or their childi-en are now the 
proud owners. 

In May, 1833, Benjamin Sparr, Charles O. Bradford, Charles Herron 
and George Hart came together from Licking County, Ohio, and all settled 
in Van Buren Township. Mr. Sparr had entered the northwest quarter of 
Section 27, June 4, 1831, and upon coming at once erected a cabin on his 
land. He married Miss Lydia D. Clark, a native of Ma^ne, in Licking 
County, Ohio, in 1822, and eleven years afterward, with his wife and four 
children, came to this township. Six children were born here, and of the 
ten, seven survive. Mr. Sparr was one of the prime movers in the organi- 
zation of the first Methodist Protestant Society in this part of the county. 
In 1852 he was elected justice of the peace, and served one tei-m. He died 
on the old homestead April 6, 1860, and his aged Avidow survived him till 
January 8, 1886, dying in her eighty- seventh year. Mi's. William Troy, of 
Van Buren, is a daiighter of Mr. Sparr. 

Charles O. Bradford was a native of Maine, and married a sister of Mr. 
Sparr, in Licking County, Ohio. He was a minister of the Methodist Prot- 
estant church, and the main instrument in the organization of the first re- 
ligious society in the township. He and his family lived with Mr. Sparr until 
the fall of 1833, and then built a cabin on the southwest quarter of Section 
22, which he had entered June 4, 1831. In 1834 he was elected justice of 
the peace, and served until his removal to Champaign County, Ohio, whore 
he was called to take charge of a church. He died in that county, and his 
family returned to Hancock, where his children grew to maturity. The 
widow has since removed to Nebraska, but his son William is now residing 
on a part of the Abel Tanner farm in Section 23, Madison Township — the 
first land settled on Eagle Creek. 

Charles Herron married a half-sister of IVIi's. Sparr and settled on the 
southeast quarter of Section 22, entered February 3, 1832, where he resided 
till death. He was a local preacher of the Methodist Protestant denomina- 
tion, and was also one of the organizers of the pioneer class in this vicinity. 
George Hart settled on a part of Herron' s farm. He was twice married, 
his second wife being Herron' s widow, with whom he removed to Cham- 
paign County, Ohio. 

Clem Green and Samuel Stroud settled in the Sparr neighborhood in 
1833 or 1834. Green's father, Samuel, entered the east half of the south- 
west quarter of Section 27 in 1831, and here the son built his cabin. He 
subsequently sold out to Benjamin Pugh and left the township. Stroud 
and family came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and settled close to Sparr. 
His wife died, and the family removed from the county, the father dying in 
Hardin. 

In the fall of 1834 Nicholas Essinger, Peter Pifer and Adam Reddick, 
took up their abode in this township. All were natives of Germany, and 
had immigrated to Pennsylvania, whence they came to Hancock County. 



500 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Nicholas and Barbara Essinger left the fatherland in 1832, being then the 
parents of three children. Two were born during their stay in Pennsylva- 
nia and one after coming to this township. They settled on Section 10, on 
land entered in May, 1834, and here Mr. Essinger died in 1865, his widow 
surviving him till 1884. Of their six children only three are living, two 
being residents of Van Buren, viz. : Mrs. George Price and John. Peter and 
Catherine Pifer located on the northeast quarter of Section 8, entei'ed by 
him in May, 1834. Both died on the home farm, and of their six sons, 
three are residents of Van Buren Township, and two reside in other sec- 
tions of the county. Adam Reddick was a single man, but began a clear- 
ing in the south part of Section 5. He soon married and settled permanently 
on his land, where both he and his wife resided till death. They reared a 
family of four sons and three daughters, all of whom reside in this county 
except one daughter who is living in the West. J. E. Reddick lives upon 
the old homestead. 

Peter, Philip and Henry Heldman were born in Germany, and settled 
with their parents in Jefferson County, Ohio, whence, in the spring of 1835, 
they removed to this township. All were married ere coming here, and set- 
tled on Ottawa Creek in the north part of the township. Michael and 
Christian Heldman came later and located in the vicinity of their brothers. 
Hemy and Michael are still residents of Van Buren. 

In the fall of 1835 the township received two more German families, 
viz. : Adam Gossman and John Ranch. The former married Margai'et Price, 
and came here from Washington County, Penn. He settled on the north- 
west quarter of Section 10, entered in May, 1834. where he passed the 
balance of his days, and where his widow yet resides. Six of their chil- 
di'en are living in Hancock County — three sons and one daughter in this 
township. John Ranch married Christina Price and also removed here 
from Pennsylvania. They settled in the north part of Section 8, where the 
father died. The widow and son, Peter, live upon the old place. 

In 1836 Henry Hull settled on Section 22, where both he and his wife died. 
He served two terms as justice of the peace of Van Buren Township. In 
1837 and 1838 Robert Mathewson, George Pugh, Thomas Morrison, Will- 
iam Troy, Christian Schaller, Michael and Peter Wilch and William Bauer 
came into the township, followed, in 1839, by Daniel, Michael and Samuel 
Bosserman, nearly all of whom were Germans. But the township was now 
pretty thickly settled, and from that time onward every year brought in 
other families, and it was not long until the choice lands of Van Buren were 
occupied and cabins erected on every section in the township. Those 
pioneer cabins have given place to the more comfortable frame and brick 
residences, while fine large barns indicate that thrifty Germans have here 
found an asylum from the oppression and poverty of their native land. 

Justices. — This list contains the justices since the organization of Van 
Buren Township, and the reader will bear in mind that upon the erection of 
Madison the homes of some of the earliest ones were embraced in the latter 
subdivision. The first justice of this township was William Moreland, Jr., 
and his successors have been Jacob Bolenbaugh, Charles O. Bradford, 
Christian Welty, Andi-ew Ricketts, Thomas Morrison, Henry Hull, Michael 
Bosserman, George Rinehart, Alexander Hodge, Benjamin Sparr, John B. 
Pugh, Eliab Hassan, Adam Steinman, Christian Schaller, William Montgom- 
ery, A. B. Jenner and F. C. Pore. 



VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 501 

Schools. — The first schoolhouse in this township was built about 1842 
near the north line of Section 9, on the farm now owned by Michael Held- 
man. Another was erected soon afterward on the farm, now owned by Adam 
Steinman in Section 22. Miss Mary Welty was the first teacher in this 
school. As the township settled up other schoolhouses were built, and edu- 
cation became general. Van Buren now boasts of six good brick school build- 
ings, which are all kept open throughout the school year. 

Churches. — The advent into Van Buren of Benjamin Sparr, Charles O. 
Bradford and Charles Herron, in 1833, was the beginning of its religious 
history. The two last mentioned were preachers of the Methodist Protest- 
ant denomination, and the same year of their arrival a society was organized. 
Simeon Ransbottom, the first settler on Eagle Creek, was also active in this 
work. They worshiped at the homes of the members or at schoolhouses 
till 1854-55]^ when the little fi-ame on Section 22, known as Mount Moriah 
Chui"ch, was erected, and here the society has ever since worshiped. The 
German Reformed and Lutherans each organized a society quite early, and 
in 1852 erected a building on the farm of Jacob Traucht. The two societies 
held services together in this house for three years, but a misunderstanding 
finally arose, and the Lutherans put up a frame church on Section 10 in 
1855. In 1884 this was succeeded by the present commodious brick struct- 
ure. Van Buren also contains a German Baptist, a Mennonite and a Presby- 
terian Church, the last mentioned being organized in September, 1840, by 
Rev. George Van Eman, each of which have good congregations. 

Villages. — A small hamlet called New Stark on Sections 29 and 32, has 
been in existence for many years, though no plat has ever been recorded. 
We find here at present a general di-y goods and grocery store, a saw-mill, 
and a blacksmith and wagon shop. The place contains about a dozen build- 
ings. 

Jenera was laid out April 3, 1883, by Peter Traucht, Samuel Feller and 
John Heldman on Sections 4 and 5. It had its inception in the completion 
of the Cleveland, Delphos & St. Louis Narrow Gauge Railroad, which passes 
through the north part of this township. The road was commenced in 1881, 
finished through Van Buren in the fall of 1882, and reached Mt. Blanch- 
ard in December of that year. A postofiice was established here in 1883, 
with Dr. A. B. Jenner as postmaster. • He was succeeded in October, 1885, 
by John Price. The village now contains one dry goods and drug store, a 
hardware store, a general grocery store, a steam grist-mill, two saloons and 
a blacksmith shop, and has one physician. Dr. A. B. Jenner, after whom 
the town was named. A warehouse stands close to the railroad, and as soon 
as this road is changed to the standard gauge, Jenera will become the 
shipping point for this portion of the county. 



502 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 

Derivation of Name, Erection, Area, Boundaries and Population— Dis- 
appearance or the Forest, and Wildcat Thicket— Soil and Topog- 
raphy— Streams— Early Settlers— First Birth in the Township- 
Churches— Education— Early Election and Justices— Risdon and 
Arcadia— Their Past and Present. 

WASHINGTON received its name in honor of the commander-in-chief 
of the Revokitionary armies and first President of the United States. 
It is the northeast subdivision of Hancock County, and was erected March 
5, 1832, embracing the full Congressional Township 2 north, Range 12 
east, or an area of 23,040 acres. Wood and Seneca Counties bound 
Washington on the north and east respectively, while Big Lick Township 
lies on the south and Cass on the west. In 1840 it contained a population 
of 830; 1850, 1,222; 1860, 1,662; 1870, 1,579, and 1880, 1,945. 

Like the greater portion of Hancock County, Washington was covered 
originally with a heavy growth of forest, which through the past half cen- 
tuiy has gradually disappeared under the magic strokes of the woodsman's 
ax. Much beautiful timber was cut down and burned during the eai'lier 
years of settlement, as the pioneers never dreamt the time would come when 
those giant trees would be more valuable than the lands which bore 
them up. When the early settlers came to this part of the county, a wind- 
fall from one -half a mile to a mile in width, overgrown with undei'brush 
and rank vegetation, stretched about half way across the township from 
west to east, a little south of the center, which was named "Wildcat 
Thicket, ' ' because of the large number of those animals which then found 
refuge there. 

The soil and topographical features are very favorable to agricultural 
pursuits. Two ridges, composed of sand and gravel, cross the northern tier 
of sections from east to west, and unite on Section 5, thence continue west- 
ward into Cass as one ridge. On each side of the north ridge the soil is a 
rich black loam. A row of springs, locally called ' ' Spring Eow, ' ' origin- 
ally stretched along the base- of the north ridge, rendering the lands wet 
and marshy, but tile draining has long since brought them under cultiva- 
tion. South of the lower ridge the soil is a heavy clay interspersed with 
sections of vegetable deposits, usually called "black muck," the higher 
lands being composed of a mixture of clay and sand. The surface is gener- 
ally level, and inclines gently northward, the water-shed being wholly in 
that direction. Along the streams the country is slightly rolling, and on 
reaching the summit of the north ridge the fall toward the Wood County 
line is more rapid. 

The East and Middle Branches of Portage River drain the township from 
south to north. The Middle Branch, also called Arcadia Creek, rises south- 



f- 




^ 



^^^^..e^i/ ^a.^.n^/ii^^ 



> WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 505 

east of Arcadia, winds northward through the western portion of the toAvn- 
ship, passing through that village in its route, and leaves the county in Sec- 
tion 6. It receives several small tributaries in its passage through Wash- 
ington, and drains about two-thirds of the township. Where it crosses the 
ridge its bluffs are from tY\'enty to thirty feet in height. The headwaters 
of the East Branch, or Fostoria Creek, are in the east part of Big Lick 
Township, whence it flows northward into Washington, and winding up the 
east side of the township, strikes the Wood County line at Fostoria. These 
branches afford good natural drainage, and therefore add much to the agri- 
cultural advantages of the township. 

Early Settlers. — It is an admitted fact that John Gorsuch was the first 
settler, and erected the first cabin in this township, in April, 1831, on the 
northeast quarter of Section ], entered by him Deceml)er 17. 1880. Mr. 
Gorsuch had a wife and several grown chikh'en on coming to this township. 
His sons were Micajah, Nelson, Silas, and Lemuel, all of whom, excepting 
Micajah, subsequently removed from the county. The parents went into 
Wood County, where they spent the balance of their lives. 

James Swaney also settled in the township in April, 1831, a short time 
after Mr. Gorsuch. He located on the southeast cpiarter of Section 4, 
where he resided until his death, prior to the Rebellion. At the time of his 
settlement here, Mr. Swaney was in the prime of manhood, a fitting repre- 
sentative of those hardy pioneers who dared the privations of fi'ontier life. 
He was a local Methodist Episcopal preacher, and a very worthy man. His 
widow survived him a few years, but none of his childi'en reside in this 
county. 

James G. Wiseman was the next settler to locate in this part of Hancock. 
He entered the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 12, May 12, 
1831, and in the following month brought out his wife and eight children — 
seven boys and one girl. He entered the east half of the same quarter, 
August 15, 1831. Mr. Wiseman was a native of Greenbrier County, W. Va. , 
born August -4, 1 793, there grew to manhood, learned the blacksmith trade, 
and for a time served in the war of 1812, in the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, 
commanded by Col. Lewis, of that State. In 1811 he married Miss 
Elizabeth Summers, and in September, 1817, moved to Madison County, 
Ohio. After a two years' residence in Madison the family removed to 
Perry County, and in May, 1831, to this township, where six children were 
afterward born. He possessed a rugged frame, well fitted for frontier life, 
and like most of the j^ioneers he was genial and honest, and always ready to 
lend a hel})ing hand. Though an expert hunter he never wasted time in those 
attractive sports, but attended strictly to clearing up and improving his farm. 
His daughter, Eliza, born in March, 1832, was the first white child born in 
the township. In 1842 he built a saw-mill on his farm, which he ran several 
years. Of his thirteen childi'en, twelve grew to maturity , and he lived to 
see eleven of them cojnfortably settled in life. He died on the old home- 
stead April 3, 1872, his widow surviving him several years. Only six of 
their children are now living, Andrew and Joseph being two of the leading 
farmers of the township. The former is the oldest continuous settler of 
Washington, having lived in the township for more than fifty-five years. 

John Norris came fi-om Wayne County, Ohio, entered the east half of the 
northeast quarter of Section 2, March 19, 1831, and the following May 
located upon his land. In 1832 he was elected clerk of the township. 

27 



506 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. * 

After a residence here of a few years he sold his land and removed to Sec- 
tion 32, Portage Township; but in 1877 he again sold oiit and went to 
Texas. 

In the fall of 1831, Thomas Kelley, of Wayne County, Ohio, built his 
cabin on the northwest quarter of Section 1, entered by him the previous 
April. The following year (1832), his brothers, Ezekiel and Moses, settled 
in the townshij), the former on Section 4, and the latter on Section 2. 
Thomas served two terms as county commissioner, and now resides in 
Fostoria, but Ezekiel and Moses both died in the township. 

Qviite a large number of families came into the township in 1832, among 
whom were Elijah and John McRill, Francis Redfern, Jacob Heistand, 
Michael and Liverton Thomas, Oliver Day. David Heaston, Obediah Hunt, 
James Conley, William Norris, James Bryan and Isaac Wiseman. The 
McRills came here from Richland County, Ohio, in the spring of 1832, and 
located in the northwest corner of the township. Elijah subsequently went 
West, and John removed into Wood County; Benjamin J., a son of Elijah, 
lives in the southeast corner of Marion Township. Francis Redfern and 
family emigrated fi-om England to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1830, and in 
May, 1832, came to this township, and settled on the southwest quarter of 
Section 6. Besides the parents there were three sons and three daughters 
in the family, the sons being Peter, Francis and Joseph, all full grown. 
After a residence here of about fourteen years the family sold out and re- 
moved to Illinois, Joseph having previously married, and settled just across 
the line in AVood County, where he is yet living. Jacob Heistand, a 
native of Pennsylvania, first settled in Wayne County, Ohio, w^hence in 
the spring of 1832 he came to Hancock. He located on Section 17 north- 
east of Arcadia. His wife, Sarah, bore him a large family, all of whom, to- 
gether with the parents, are dead. The childi'en of Henry (the second son), 
who died in 1881, reside on the old homestead. 

Michael Thomas and wife, and sons, Liverton, Michael, Hugh and Jona- 
than, came here fi-om Wayne County, Ohio, in the spring of 1832. The 
parents settled on the northwest quarter of Section 3, and Liverton, who 
was then married, on the southwest quarter of Section 2. The latter was 
elected justice of the peace at an election held in Washington July 21, 1832. 
Michael, Sr. , and wife died on their farm, Liverton and wife in Fostoria, 
and Michael, Jr. , Hugh and Jonathan removed to Indiana. Oliver Day, 
a local Methodist Episcopal preacher, first settled in Wood County, 
whence in the spring of 1832 he removed into this township, settling in the 
northwest corner. In 1838 he was elected justice of the peace, and finally 
removed to Iowa. David Heaston and family, of Fairfield County, Ohio, 
located on Section 3 in the spring of 1832, where both he and his wife died. 
One of the daughters lives upon the old place. Obediah Hunt was a native 
of Vermont, and, previous to the fall of 1832, lived in Seneca County, 
whence he removed to the northeast quarter of Section 12, where he entered 
120 acres, July 17, 1832. He subsequently sold out and went to Michigan. 
James Conley, of Richland County, Ohio, entered the west half of the north- 
west quarter of Section 3, December 17, 1830, but did not settle on his land 
till 1832, and after a brief residence moved into Wood County. William 
Norris, of Perry County, Ohio, whence he had removed to Seneca County, 
settled on the southwest quarter of Section 1 in 1832, and died in the town- 
ship. James Bryan located about the same time on Section 5, and there 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 507 

died. Isaac Wiseman, a brother of James G., came in from Seneca County 
in the fall of 1882, and built his cabin on the southwest quarter of Section 
12. He possessed a fair English education and taught the first school in the 
township. In 1835 he was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected three 
times in succession. Both he and his wife, Susan, died in the township. 
They reared quite a large family, five of whom are living in the county, two 
being residents of the township. 

The year 1888 brought into the township William Eckels, Caleb Roller, 
Elijah R. Anderson, William Day, William Fox and Robert Hales. IVIr. Eck- 
els and his wife, Elizabeth, and eight unmarried children came fi'om Holmes 
County, Ohio, in the spring of 1838, and took up their residence on the 
southwest quarter of Section 7, near the west line of the township, which 
he had entered Jime 14, 1882. In 1885 he was elected justice of the peace, 
and served one term. Many years ago the parents and most of the chil- 
dren removed to Wisconsin. Caleb Roller was a native of Pennsylvania, 
but came here fi-om Fairfield County, Ohio. He entered land in November, 
1830, but did not locate till 1888. His house stood on the sou.theast qiiar- 
ter of Section 5, and shortly before the war he removed to Michigan. 
Elijah R. Anderson came here fi-om Richland County in the spring of 1833, 
and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 18. entered in August, 1832, 
where he resided till death. Several of his children yet live in the town- 
ship. William Day joined the settlement in 1888. locating on Section 4, 
east of his brother Oliver, with whom he subsequently removed to Iowa. 
William and Elizabeth Fox moved fi-om Fairfield County to Seneca County, 
Ohio, at an early day, and in 1827 came into Washington Township, 
where both spent the rest of their days. They had a large family, only one 
of whom, Elias, survives. He was born here in 1884, and is a leading 
farmer of his native township. Robert Hales settled on the northeast quar- 
ter of Section 21 in the fall of 1883. He and his wife died in Findlay, 
whither they removed fi-om the farm. 

Charles E. Jordan was born in what is now Belmont County, Ohio, May 
28, 1800, whither his father had emigrated fi-om Pennsylvania three years 
before. On the 21st of February, 1826, Mr. Jordan was married to Miss 
Margaret Moore, and in 1828 removed to what is now Harrison County, but 
then in Tuscarawas. He was a shoe-maker by trade, and followed that bus- 
iness a few years. Early in the fall of 1833 he visited Hancock County, 
and on the 26th of October entered the north half of the southeast quarter 
of Section 19, and the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 20, 
Washington Township. He returned for his wife and three children, whom 
he brought out in a wagon, arriving at the site of his future home early in 
November, 1888. Here he reared a family of nine children, five of whom 
are now living. He sent five sons into the army, one of whom (James) was 
killed at Dallas, Ga. His wife died May 21. 1873, and on the 10th of Sep- 
tember, 1874, he married Mrs. Elizabeth Winders, and removed to Find- 
lay, whence he has recently returned to this township. His second wife 
died October 7, 1881, leaving no issue by this marriage. IVIi-. Jordan was 
elected justice of the peace in 1859, and re-elected to the same office. He 
was one of the organizers and principal supporters of the Lutheran Chiu-ch 
of Ai-cadia. Mr. Jordan is one of the few living pioneers who have wit- 
nessed the transformation of Hancock County from a wilderness into its 
present prosperous condition. 



508 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Randle aud Ann Hales were natives of Maryland, whence they removed 
to Jefferson County, Ohio, and in the spring of ltS34 came to this township 
and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 9, where he had entered 120 
acres October 17, 1883. They had a family of ten children, Charles, Joel 
and Joseph being well remembered in the township, and Isaac T. is still a 
resident thereof. Joel was elected justice of the peace in 1841. Randle 
was a hotel-keeper in Fostoria for some years, but afterward returned to 
this township and here died. 

Baker Hales came from Brooke County, Va., in the spring of 1834, and 
located on the southwest quarter of Section 15, which he entered October 
17, 1833. His father, William, came with him, and died at his son's home. 
Baker reared a family of six children, two of whom reside in the township, 
and died upon the home farm. His widow lives in Fostoria. 

Grafton Baker and William Ferrall also came in 1834. The former was 
a native of Maryland, and his wife, Mary, of Pennsylvania, but came here 
from Carroll County, Ohio. Mr. Baker learned the carpenter's trade, and 
subsequently served in the war of 183 2. He and his wife were earnest Meth- 
odists, and both died in this county. Of their seven children, Garrett, now 
one of the aged j^ioneers of the township, is the only survivor, and lives 
upon the old homestead on Section 22. William and Jane Ferrall were na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, and the parents of twelve children. They settled on 
Section 6, and died many years ago. Some of their descendants yet reside 
in Hancock County. 

Other settlers of 1834 were John W^ickard, Peter Fulk and Martin, Hen- 
ry, John and David Brown. Mr. '\\'ickard and wife, Elizabeth, settled on 
Section 7, and reared a large family, none of whom now live in this town- 
ship. The parents died on the old place. Peter Fulk located on Section 
25, and the Browns on Section 36. All sold out and left the county, except 
Martin Brown, who resided in the township till his death. 

In March, 1835, Peter and Elizabeth Wyant came fi'om Carroll County, 
Ohio, and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 34. Here Mr. W^yant 
died many years past, but his aged widow is still living upon the farm where 
she began the life of a pioneer more than lifty years ago. 

In 1834 or 1835 three brothers, Ephraim, Ambrose and David Peters, 
natives of Virginia, settled on the site of Ai'cadia, and in 1854 the two last 
mentioned laid out that village. Ephraim was elected justice of the peace 
in 1844, and both he and David died in the township. Ambrose removed to 
Indiana and there died. Some of their children are residents of the county. 
Bartley Wyant and his wife, Mary Ann, and several children also came in the 
spring of 1836, and located where John Wyant now resides. George, an older 
son, was married when they came, and Peter had preceded them one year. 
The parents soon moved into Big Lick Township, where they died. Michael 
Roller came in 1837, served five terms as justice of the peace, and now 
lives in Arcadia. John P. Ebersole, a leading preacher of the German 
Baptist Church, settled in Big Lick in 1835, but in a few years removed to 
the southeast quarter of Section 25, W^ashington Township, where he is yet 
living. The father of Henry and George Slosser, built a saw-mill about 
1833, on Portage Creek in Section 5, which the Slossers operated at inter- 
vals, though the brothers did not locate permanently for several years after 
that date. Henry sold his land to William Church and left the county. 
George is still a resident of the township. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 509 

Churches. — This township contains six churches, viz. : two Methodist 
Episcopal, and one each of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, German Baptist 
and the United Brethren denominations. The lirst religions society in this 
part of the county was organized by members of the Methodist Episcopal 
faith in 1882, at the house of John Gorsuch. Services were afterward held 
alternately at the cabins of John Gorsuch, James G. AViseman, James 
Swaney. Elijah McRill and Oliver Day, all of whom were ardent Methodists. 
About 1833 the society undertook the erection of a hewed-log church near 
the center of Section 5, but during the raising William Eckels got one of his 
legs broken, and work on the building cease'd. It was not for several years 
afterward that the structure was completed. A frame church owned by the 
Methodists now occupies the old site. In the meantime, another hewed-log 
building 26x30 feet in size was put up on Section 1, in the northeast corner 
of the township, and now included in AVest Fostoria. The Methodists also 
erected the first church in Arcadia, in 1858, where regular services are still 
held. 

The Lutheran Church was organized by Rev. George Hammer, in the 
barn of Jacob Heistand, whose wife was the first Lutheran in the township. 
Among the organizers were Jacob Heistand and wife, Henry Heistand and 
wife, Charles E. Jordan and wife, John and Andrew Zimmerman and 
wives, Abel Smart and wife, and a Mx. Bultz and wife. The society first 
met at the houses of members and afterward in the hewed-log schoolhouse 
erected about one-talf mile north of Arcadia. A log church was finally built 
close to this schoolhouse, and used until imroofed by a storm. In Septem- 
ber, 1872, the present brick structure in Arcadia was dedicated. 

The German Baptists held meetings at an early day in this township, 
some of the pioneers adhering to that faith. Their church stands on the 
northeast corner of Section 35. 

The Presbyterians built their present fi'ame church in Arcadia, in 1862. 
Its first members came principally from Enon Valley Church, in Big Lick 
Township). The society was organized January 28, 1860, the original mem- 
bers being as follows: Samuel Creighton, Samuel McConnell, Rachel McCon- 
nell, Rebecca T. McConnell, Edward Wagoner, Eliza Wagoner, Margaret 
Achan, Margaret Thomas, William Warren, Rachel WaiTen, Jane Moore, 
Jemima A. Harbaiigh, Peter Millburn. Mary Millburn, and Margaret Fred- 
erick. Samuel McConnell and Peter Millbm-n were the first elders of this 
society. 

The United Brethren Church stands on Section 4, and is one of the 
later additions to the religious history of the township. The German 
Reformed denomination used to have a church in the southeast corner of 
Section 11, but the society built a new one in Fostoria, and the old structure 
was torn down and removed. 

Education. — In 1833 or 1884 a small round-log schoolhouse was built on 
the farm of James G. Wiseman, in Section 12. It was of the early 
regulation pattern, containing slab desks, benches and floor, and greased 
paper windows. Isaac Wiseman was the first teacher, and the Gorsuches, 
Wisemans, Swaneys, Thomases, McRills, Kelleys, Norrises. and Hunts were 
the pupils in attendance. Some two or three years after the erection of this 
little building, another similar in construction was built on Section 5^ in which 
the Days, Ferralls, Bryans, Rollers, and others received their instruction. 
Isaac Wiseman, David Headley, Anthony Strother and Clarissa Whitmore 



510 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

were the earliest school teacRers in this locality. It was not long until other ' 
schools were opened, and the interest in education kept pace with the growth in 
population. The township now boasts of nine schoolhouses, the one in 
Arcadia being a graded school with three teachers. The United Brethren 
Academy, in Fostoria, is also within the bounds of Washington Township, so 
that this portion of the county is well supplied with educational facilities. 

Early Election and Justices. — On the 21st of July, 1832, an election 
was held in this township for justice of the peace. James G. Wiseman, 
David Heaston and James Swaney were the judges; and John Swaney and 
John Norris clerks. Thirteen votes were cast as follows: Joseph Berdine, 
Michael Thomas, David Heaston, John Norris. James Swaney. Thomas 
Kelley, Oliver Day, James O. Wiseman, John McRill. John Swaney, Liver- 
ton Thomas. Micajah Gorsuch and Elijah McRill. Liverton Thomas was 
elected justice of the peace. His successors have been Isaac Wiseman, 
William Eckels. Oliver Day, Joel Hales. Michael Roller. Ephraim Peters, 
William Baker. Thomas Buckley. Charles S. Kelley, Wesley Bradford, An- 
thony Fox, Charles E. Jordan, Jacob Peters, James McCauley, Ezra B. 
Warner, George W. Grubb, D. P. Loyd, J. W. Fisher, Christian German 
and Joseph Dillery. 

Risdon and Arcadia. — On the 6th of September, 1832, the village of 
Risdon, named in honor of Daniel Risdon, the surveyor, was laid out by 
John Gorsuch, thirty lots being on the west half of the northwest quarter 
of Section 6, Township 2 north. Range 13, in the county of Seneca; and 
thirty lots on the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 
2 north. Range 12, in Hancock County, the center of Main Street being the 
county line. Risdon postoffice was established January 28, 1837, with 
Alvin Coles as postmaster; and his successors were William N. Morgan, 
Robert C. Caples, Alonzo Lockwood, Robert Russell, William Braden, 
William Thomas. Enos W. Thomas and William Weaver. The office was 
discontinued January 17, 1855, and Risdon and Rome were amalgamated 
the same year under the name of Fostoria, in honor of Charles W. Foster, 
one of the founders of Rome. That portion of Fostoria lying in Hancock 
had a population in 1880 of 371. Several manufacturing establishments 
are located here, also the United Brethren College, and it thus forms a very 
important addition to Fostoria. 

Arcadia was laid out on the southwest quarter of Section 20, by 
David and Ambrose Peters, in September, 1854, and the plat recorded 
July 17. 1855. Additions to the original plat have been made by Will- 
iam Wheland, William Jordan, D. Y. Searles and Dillery & Miniger. 
David Peters opened the first store in the village. Other early business 
men were A. W. Frederick, William Marvin, O. I. Garrl, Samuel Myers, 
Samuel B. Moore and Alfred Miller. In 1858-59, a steam grist-mill was 
erected in Arcadia by Samuel Blackford. After passing through several 
ownerships the mill was burned down in 1873 and never rebuilt. The town 
was incorporated May 19, 1859, and at the first election George W. Kim- 
mell was chosen mayor, and Dr. D. B. Spahr, recorder. The mayoralty 
has since been filled by the following citizens in the order named : Jacob 
Peters, Joseph Dillery. Ezra B. Warner, Charles E. Jordan, Jacob E. Bee- 
son, A. D. Harbaugh, George Stahl, J. W. Fisher, Joseph Dillery, Michael 
Roller and William Karn. In 1859 a postoflfice was established here, with 
A. W. Frederick as postmaster. His successors have been David Peters, 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 511 

Jacob Peters, William Karn, Joseph Smart, William Moffett, J. H. Beeson 
and Samuel B. Moore. 

Arcadia lies nine miles northeast of Findlay, at the crossing of the Lake 
Erie & Western, and the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroads. The 
former was completed through the village in the fall of 1859, and the latter 
in the summer of 1881. Its business interests consist of oae dry goods 
store, three grocery stores, one druggist, one hardware store, a harness and 
saddlery shop, two shoe shops, a cabinet and undertaker' s shop, a tin shop, 
a bakery, a barber shop, one wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, a saloon, 
one saloon and restaurant, a pump factory, a broom factory, a good steam 
flouring-mill and elevator, a steam saw and planing-mi]\ three handle 
factories and two hotels. Four physicians are located in the village: Drs. 
John Fisher, W. G. Brayton, M. S. Williamson and Abraham Bricker. 
The Methodist Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations have 
each a church in Arcadia, and there is also a fine two-story brick school- 
house of four rooms, where three teachers are employed in instructing the 
youth of Arcadia and surrounding country. Arcadia Lodge, No. 595, 
I. O. O. F., was instituted in July, 1874, with fifteen charter members, 
and now has a membership of forty-two. In 1870 the census gave Arcadia 
a population of 288, and in 1880, 396; while the town now claims about 
500. It is a very thriving village, and atfords first-class traveling and ship- 
ping facilities for the people of this portion of Hancock County. In the 
southeast suburb of the town is located a handsome little cemetery, beauti- 
fied by shade trees and containing many costly monuments. 




512 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



HISTORY OF FINDLAY 

Township— Village. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

FINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 

Erection of the Township, and Derivation of Name— Subsequent 
Changes in its Territory, and Present Area — Boundaries, 
Streams and Water Privileges— Topography and Soil— Pioneers- 
Coming of Ben.tamin J. Cox to Fort Findlay'— First White Child 
Born in the Township— Sketches of the Shirleys, Morelands, 
Simpsons, Chamberlins, Hamiltons, Slights, Gardners, Hedgeses, and 
all of the Earliest Settlers of the Township Outside of the 
Village— Suspicious Disappearance of Dr. Wolverton From Whit- 
lock's Tavern— First Elections and Township Officers, and ]>ist 
OF Justices— Churches and Schools— Roads and Population— Fac- 
tories. 

THE history of Findlay Township extends back to the 28th of May, 
1828, on which date the commissioners of Wood County, to which Han- 
cock was then attached, ordered, "That so much of the township of Waynes- 
field as is included in the unorganized county of Hancock, be set off and 
organized, and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of 
Findlay, and that the election for township officers be held on the 1st day 
of July, A. D. 1823, at the house of Wilson Vance, in the said township." 
The township derived its name fi-om the fort once standing on the site of 
Findlay, which was commenced by Col. James Findlay, in June, 
1812, and named in honor of that officer. Soon after the organization 
of the county, in the spring of 1828, Amanda and Welfare (now Dela- 
ware) Townships were formed from the southeast portion of Findlay, 
and then included the present townships of Amanda, Delaware, Jack- 
son and Big Lick, the east half of Madison, and a part of Marion; also 
the townships of Ridge and Richland taken fi'om Hancock, in 1845, in the 
erection of Wyandot County. September 17, 1829, Old Town Township was 
erected from the western portion of Findlay, comprising all of the county 
west of the section line one mile west of the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg 
Road. This act of the commissioners engendered considerable ill feeling, 
the final result of which was a suit to set it aside, and in November, 1830, 
the court of common pleas declared the erection and organization of Old 
Town Township null and void. Ou the 6th of the following month all of 
the county west of the present western boundary of Findlay Township was 
erected as Liberty, and on the same date the territory embraced in Marion 
and Cass Townships was cut off from Findlay and Amanda and organized 
as Marion. - 




V«4 








FINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 515 

Findlay Township then comprised the lands lying within the following 
boundaries: "Commencing at the southeast corner of Section 82, Township 
1 north, Range 11; thence north to the northeast corner of Section 5, Town- 
ship 2 'north'!' Range 11; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 2, 
Range 10; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 35, Township 2 
south; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 30, Range 10; thence 
north to the southeast corner of Section 36, Township 1 north; thence east 
to the place of beginning, which shall be a body corporate and politic, 
retaining the name of Findlay." These bounds embrace the present town- 
ships of Findlay and Allen, also a strip two miles wide, west of the Belle- 
fontaine & Perrysburg Road, extending from the south line of Findlay 
Township to the north line of Hardin County. This strip is now the two 
eastern tiers of sections of Eagle Township and the two western tiers of 
Madison Township. March 7, 1831. Townships 1 and 2 south, Range 10, 
were cut off of Liberty and Findlay and erected as Van Buren, the narrow 
strip previously spoken of being taken from Findlay Township. What 
is now Allen Township was taken from Findlay March 4, 1833, in the erec- 
tion of Cass and Portage, leaving this township with its present area of 
twenty-four square miles, or 15,360 acres, including the village of Findlay. 
Though being north of the center, Findlay is generally recognized as 
the central subdivision of the county, and as it was the nrst one settled and 
also contains the seat of justice, it is certainly the township around which 
centers the deepest historic interest. It is bounded on the north by Allen 
Township, on the east by Marion, on the south by Jackson and Eagle, and 
on the west by Liberty. ^ The township was originally covered with a heavy 
gro^vth of fine timber, though a considerable strip of prairie or bottom land 
extended along the river in the vicinity of Findlay. The Blanchard River 
passes through the center of the township from east to west, taking a gen- 
eral northwestward course. Its largest tributaries in this township are 
Eagle and Lye Creeks, which flow in from the south and discharge their 
waters into the Blanchard within the corporate limits of Findlay. Several 
small streams feed the river from the north, Strother's and Hedges' Runs, 
named in honor of Robert L. Strother and Joshua Hedges, two deceased pio- 
neers, being the largest. Whitney's Run, named after Jesse Whitney, a 
peculiar character who once lived" upon it, was a small tributary located 
west of town between the two brickyards, and di'ained northward into the 
river. It was an old-time fishing place for the youngsters of the village, 
but has since been converted into an open ditch, and the land that was in early 
days covered with water is now under tillage. Water for stock is abundant 
in every part of the township, and the several streams and runs furnish am- 
ple natural drainage facilities. Very good drinking water is found at a 
reasonable depth in the limestone formation underlying the upper soils, but 
many of the wells, especially in Findlay, do not go sufficiently deep to 
escape the filterings from the surface, and the water in such wells is very 
apt to breed disease. 

The topography of Findlay is little different from the adjoining town- 
ships. The Blanchard forms a bed toward which the surface tips from both 
the north and south, as evidenced by the course of the streams flowing into 
the river. South of the Blanchard the comparative level is broken by the 
limestone ridge, locally known as "Chamberlin' s Hill." This elevation 
lies about a mile south of the city, and stretches westward fi'om Eagle 



516 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Creek bottom. North of the river the surface is quite rolling, but not bro- 
ken, the lands being easily tillable, and well adapted for grazing purposes. 
Much of the township was originally quite wet, especially along Eagle 
Creek, but judicious drainage has brought these lands under cultivation. 
The soil on the bottoms along the water courses is generally a silt or sandy 
loam. Away fi'om the streams a vegetable soil, with sand or clay mixture, 
according to locality, predominates in the more level portions, while the 
higher lands are principally clay. Limestone underlies the whole township, 
and crops out so close to the surface south of the river that stone for foun- 
dations, roads, lime, etc. , is easily quarried, and therefore abundant. 

Pioneers. — In the general history of the county is mentioned briefly 
the coming of the first settlers to Findlay, and are given the names of 
those pioneers who located here prior to 1830. The first permanent settler, 
or rather "squatter," in what is now Findlay Township, as well as in the 
county, was Benjamin J. Cox. He was a native of Virginia, where he 
grew to manhood and married Mary Hughes. Early in the present century, 
with his wife and four childi'en — two sons and two daughters — he removed 
to Ohio, locating near Yellow Springs, in Greene County, where Elizabeth, 
now the wife of Jacob Eberly, of Portage, Wood County, was born Septem- 
ber 20, 1806. From Greene the Cox family removed to the south part of 
Logan County, where they lived during the war of 1812, four children hav- 
ing been born there, one of whom died. Mr. Cox, who was a one- 
eyed man, served as a scout in the armies of Hull and Harrison. Upon 
the close of the war and the evacuation of Fort Findlay, in 1815, Mr. Cox, 
who had often been to the fort, brought his family to this point and took 
possession of a story and a half hewed-log house, erected and previously 
occupied by Thorp, the sutler of the garrison, while the war lasted. Here 
in 1816 another daughter, Lydia, was born, she being the first white child 
born in the township, as well as in what is now Hancock County. She is 
at present a resident of Michigan, herself and Mrs. Eberly being the only 
survivors of the family. Mr. Cox was a typical backwoodsman — a man who 
never thought of the morrow, and was only happy when following the chase. 
He cleared and cultivated some land near the fort, and also kept a sort of a 
frontier tavern, but most of his time was passed in hunting. He lived in 
harmony with the Indians, who then dwelt at several points along the 
Blanchard, and in 1818 when they removed to their reservation around Big 
Springs, the chief, Kuqua, ofPered Mr. Cox a farm if he would go and live 
with them, but he refused the offer. The land upon which Mr. Cox lived 
was entered by Hon. Joseph Vance, William Neill and Elnathan Cory, in 
July, 1821, and in the fall of 1821 he had to give up his house to Wilson 
Vance and remove to a smaller cabin, which stood a little southwest of it. 
In 1823 Mr. Cox left Findlay and went to the Maumee, subsequently locat- 
ing near Portage, Wood County, whence he and his wife removed to Indiana 
and there died. 

Among the first settlers of Defiance County was the family of Robert 
Shirley, and his daughter, Mrs. Ruth Austin, widow of Rev. James B. Aus- 
tin, in her " Recollections of Pioneer Life in the Maumee Valley, " alludes as 
follows to their previous attempted settlement in Hancock County: 

" My father, Robert Shirley, and two other farmers of Ross County, 
Messrs. Moreland and Beaver, when viewing the country in 1820, had se- 
lected Fort Findlay as the place of their settlement, and in the spring of 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 517 

1821 they each sent out a four-horse wagon, with plows, etc., seed-corn and 
potatoes, also a stock of provisions and a few hogs. Two men were sent 
with each wagon, making a party of six. My brothers, James and Elias, 
took father's team. They cleared and fenced land, and put in corn and po- 
tatoes. When the summer' s work was done, one man returned with each 
wagon to Ross County, leaving a horse apiece for the three men remaining. 
Brother James remained and Elias returned. To fatten the hogs, slaugh- 
ter and pack them down, and to gather and store the corn and potatoes 
for the winter was the work of those remaining; then they left all in the 
care of Mr. Cox's family — the only residents there — and returned to their 
homes. The horse left for brother James had previously got away and 
went back to Ross County. The alarm at home was very great when the 
horse arrived without its rider; all were sure he had been killed until a letter 
was received from him explaining the circumstance. Having heard much 
of the Fort Defiance region, brother James went there before coming home, 
and was so captivated with it that, on his return, he persuaded father to 
change the location of his future home fi-om Fort Findlay to Fort Defiance." 

In the spring of 1822 the Shirley family removed from Ross County to 
the vicinity of Fort Defiance, and in her account of the trip Mrs. Austin, 
then a girl of eleven years of age, says : ' ' After accompanying us to our 
destination, brother James returned to Fort Findlay for the purpose of con- 
veying the provisions stored there, for the subsistence of the family, to Fort 
Defiance. He made the journey through the unbroken wilderness alone, on 
foot, provided with his compass, gun, ammunition, flints, punk and blanket. 
Our parents had great fears that James would fall a prey to wild animals or 
Indians, but he got safely through, and purchasing a pirogue at Fort Find- 
lay, took the provisions down Blanchard' s Fork to the Auglaize, and thence 
down that stream to Fort Defiance. These provisions had been raised the 
previous year in Hancock County, with the expectation that the future 
home of the family would be at Fort Findlay." 

The Morelands were the next family to settle in Findlay Township, the 
two sons, William and Jacob, having come out with the Shirleys from Ross 
County in the spring of 1821. They cleared a small patch of ground, put 
in a crop, and erected a cabin on the southwest quarter of Section 17. In 
the fall the whole family, consisting of the parents and two sons and four 
daughters, removed to this county. The father, William, Sr. , built a cabin 
on the north bank of the river, a little northeast of the dam which crosses the 
stream at Findlay. and all of the childi'en lived with him except Jacob, who 
kept "bachelor's hall" in the cabin up the river, on what is now the Aaron 
Baker farm. This tract was soon afterward entered by John P. Hamilton, 
and when the latter came out in the spring of 1822, Morelandwas compelled 
to remove fi'om the land which he had improved with the intention of enter- 
ing it when able to do so. William Moreland, Sr., was one of the judges 
at the elections held in Findlay Township in 1823 and 1824, being elected 
overseer of the poor in the latter year. In 1824 he was assessed for one 
horse and three head of cattle, but he never owned any land, and after 
residing in the county about eight years he removed to Michigan. In Octo- 
ber, 1828, Jacob Moreland entered the west half of the soiithwest quarter 
of Section 7, Township 1 north. Range 11, and settled upon it. He is 
found assessed in 1824 with four head of cattle. On May 4, 1826, he was 
married to Sarah Poe (a niece of Jacob Poe) by Robert McKinnis, justice of 



518 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the peace, this being the second marriage ia Hancock County. He was 
elected township treasurer in April, 1828, and removed to Michigan about 
the same time as his father. AVilliam Moreland, Jr., entered the north half 
of the northwest qviarter of Section 18, Township 1 north, Range 11, 
December 21, 182(3, and on March 12, 1827, he was married to Julia, 
daughter of Job Chamberlin, Sr., by Joshaa Hedges, justice of the peace 
of Findlay Township. He afterward sold his land to William Taylor and 
removed to a small farm on the west bank of Eagle Creek, in what is now 
Madison Township. In the spring of 1831, the territory now embraced in 
Eagle, Van Buren, and the west half of Madison Township was cut off Lib- 
erty and Findlay and erected as Van Buren; and at the first election held in 
the new subdivision in June, 1831, William Moreland, Jr., was chosen as 
justice of the peace. In May, 1833, he purchased the improvement of John 
Diller, but soon afterward sold out and settled on Section 36, Findlay 
Township. His wife died in March, 1836, and he subsequently followed 
his father and brother to Michigan. Two of his sisters, Susan and Eliza- 
beth, were married, respectively, to John and Joseph Gardner, pioneers of 
Hancock County, who also moved away at an early day. Another sister 
married John Simpson, Jr. , and removed to Michigan, while the remaining 
one married a Mr. Locke, who lived on the Tymochtee. 

John Simpson, of Ross County, Ohio, entered the east half of the north- 
east quarter, and the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 25, 
Township 1 north, Range 10, October 25, 1821, and with his son John set- 
tled upon it the same fall. About two years afterward the father was killed 
by a falling limb. While hoeing corn in a field which they had partly 
cleared up, a storm came on, and in running to the house for shelter he was 
struck on the head by the falling limb and killed instantly. A few years after 
the father's death another son, Thomas, came out fi'om Ross County, and 
they subsequently sold their land to Job Chamberlin, Sr. , and John Boyd. 
John Simpson, Jr., married a daughter of William Moreland, Sr. After 
selling the old homestead the Simpsons purchased of John Gardner, Sr. , 
the west part of the southeast quarter of Section 13, whereon a portion of 
Findlay now stands. On the 14th of March, 1828, they sold this tract to 
Wilson Vance, who subsequently laid it out in town lots. George W. Simp- 
son is also found among the electors of 1828, and it is presumed he was a 
member of this family. Soon after selling out to Vance they went to Mich- 
igan, toward which a considerable immigration was moving about that pe- 
riod. Daring their residence in this county the Simpsons did very little 
farming, but kept a pack of hounds and followed the chase like true back- 
woods Nimrods. It is said that one of their principal inducements in going 
to Michigan was a report brought back by a visiting wag that all sorts of 
crops produced abundantly in that region without cultivation, and wild 
game was very plentiful. Such a land of paradise for the hunter was what 
the Simpsons were looking for, and they went only to find it similar to the 
country they had deserted. 

Job Chamberlin, Sr. , comes next in the order of settlement outside the 
town of Findlay, having located with his family on the hill which bears his 
name, February 15, 1822. Mr. Chamberlin and his wife, Deborah, were born, 
reared and married in Colchester, Connecticut. Soon after marriage they 
removed to Cayuga County, N. Y. , where eight children were born to them, 
viz. : Deborah, Sally, Nancy, Lucy, Vesta, Julia, Norman and Job. The 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 



519 



eldest there married Benjamin O. AVhitman, who afterward removed to this 
county. In 1819 the parents, with the seven remaining children, boated 
down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to Lawrenceburg, Ind., and settled at 
Georcretown, a village about six miles fi'om Lawrenceburg. Here Nancy 
died,''and in the spring of 1821 Mr. Chamberlin removed to Urbana, Ohio. 
On the 4th of October, 1821, he entered the southwest quarter of Section 
80, Township 1 north, Range 11, and the following February arrived with 
his family at the site of his future home, leaving two daughters, Sally and 
Lucy, in Urbana, where they were soon afterward married, respectively, to 
Levi and Thomas Taylor, pioneers of Champaign County. Messrs. Vance, 
Cox, Moreland, Smith and Simpson, the only families then living in the 
township, assisted Mr. Chamberlin to build a log cabin, into which he 
moved with his family the third day after their arrival. He soon made 
a clearino- which he planted in corn, and from this crop raised sufficient 
to winteT his stock through the winter of 1822-28. Mr. Chamberlin 
took an active interest in all the early elections. In those held in 1823 
and 1824 he was one of the judges of election, and in the latter year was 
chosen treasurer, and also one of the trustees of Findlay Township, 
which then embraced the whole county. He was a candidate for com- 
missioner at the tirst county election in April, 1828, and was defeated, 
but he was elected township trustee at that election. In the first tax levy, 
made in 1824, Mr. Chamberlin is assessed for five head of cattle, viz. : 
three cows and a yoke of oxen. But in a few years he was able to furnish 
the pioneers, who came into the county, with hogs, cattle, sheep, wheat, 
corn, wool and other necessaries then very scarce in this part of the State. 
In 1827 he bought out John Simpson, paying for the eighty acres in hogs, 
and thus became the owner of 240 acres, covering a large portion of 
" Chamberlin' s Hill." His wife died January 8, 1829, and the next year 
he married Miss Sarah Criner. In 1831 he divided the old homestead on 
the hill equally between his two sons, Norman and Job, and removed to a 
farm on Section 7, Liberty Township, where he died September 4, 1847, 
his widow surviving him till December 28, 1854. In early life Mr. Cham- 
berlin was a Baptist, but his second wife being a Presbyterian he united 
with that church after his marriage to Miss Criner. Of the four childi-en 
who came with him to this county in 1822, all are dead except Job. Vesta 
married Joseph C. Shannon, who then lived on the Tymochtee, and died in 
about a year afterward. Julia became the wife of William Moreland, Jr. , 
in 1827,' and died in 1836. Norman married Elizabeth Baker in 1832. She 
died the following year, and in 1834 he was married to Eliza Watsx)n, sis- 
ter of Richard Watson, Sr., and died at his home on the hill in 1845, while 
serving as coroner of the county, leaving one son, John, who, in after 
years, "removed to Illinois. Job, with his wife and family, lived on the hill 
till 1874, when he moved into the village, where he is now residing— the 
oldest living pioneer of Hancock County. 

John P. Hamilton entered the west part of the southwest quarter of Sec- 
tion 17, Township 1 North, Range 11, October 8, 1821; and the east part of 
the south vvest quarter of the same section, June 10, 1822. In the spring 
of the latter year Mr. Hamilton brought out Matthew Reighly and wife, and 
settled on his land, taking possession of a cabin previously erected by Jacob 
Moreland, who intended entering the tract, but pvit it off until too late, and 
thus lost the land and improvements thereon. With the assistance of Mr. 



520 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Reighly a crop was put in, and in the fall Mr. Hamilton brought his family 
to their new home on the Blanchard. He and wife, Martha, were natives 
of Virginia, who had settled in Gallia County, Ohio, whence with three 
childi-en, Eliza, Robert and Mary B., they came to Hancock, where Lu- 
cinda, Julia, Emily, Parmelia and John were born. Of these Mrs. Job 
Chamberlin and Mrs. Emily Vandenburg, of Findlay, and John and Par- 
melia, of Kansas, are the only survivors. Tn 1824 Mr. Hamilton was as- 
sessed for two horses and two head of cattle. At the first county election in 
April, 1828, he was elected one of the three commissioners of Hancock Coun- 
ty, and re-elected the following October, serving until December, 1831. Mr. 
Hamilton was one of the progressive men of that day and took an active 
interest in all the early public business of the coimty. He died in Findlay, 
November 8, 1857. 

Bieuford Hamilton came out with his brother, John P. , in 1822, and re- 
sided with the latter till his marriage with Zibella Beard, about 1829. He 
was one of the voters at the first county election; but as he died in the 
spring of 1838, he is not very well remembered. 

Thomas Slight settled in Findlay Township early in the summer of 1822. 
He entered the south part of the southeast quarter of Section 17, Township 
1 north. Range 11, October 29, 1821, his land adjoining John P. Hamil- 
ton's on the east. Mr. Slight was assessed in 1824 with one horse and four 
head of cattle. In April, 1828, he was elected coroner of Hancock County, 
and re-elected in October following, serving till November, 1830. He was 
again elected to the same office in October, 1832, and once more in 1835. 
Mr. Slight was a native of Maryland. He reared quite a large family and 
some of his descendants still reside in the county. He had a brother 
named Joseph, who came with him to Hancock, whence most of the family 
removed to Indiana. 

John and Elizabeth Gardner and family settled on the site of Maple 
Grove Cemetery late in the fall of 1822. The parents were Pennsylvania- 
Irish and had a family of four sons and three daughters when they came to 
this county. The Gardner boys, Jonathan, John, William and Joseph, 
are remembered as well-developed specimens of physical manhood, who had 
few superiors in the backwoods sports of pioneer days. The father entered 
over 200 acres of land in Findlay and Liberty Townships in 1821 and 1822. 
John and Joseph Gardner married, respectively, Susan and Elizabeth More- 
land. In 1828 John Gardner, Sr. , sold his land near Findlay and soon after 
removed to Lagrange County, Ind. The whole Gardner family left the 
county soon after this time, some of them settling in Indiana and others in 
Michigan. At the second election, held in Findlay Township in April, 1824, 
John Gardner was elected one of the two fence viewers ; and the same spring 
was assessed for two horses and four head of cattle. He was also a voter at 
the first county election in April, 1828, and the family were residents of 
the county about seven years, 

Joshua Hedges came fi-om Fairfield County, Ohio, to this township in 
September, 1824, and settled north of the river on Section 11, where he had 
entered about 1(30 acres of land March 28, 1822. Mr. Hedges was born in 
Virginia May 24, 1793, and removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, with his par- 
ents when quite small, where he grew to manhood and, April 13, 1815, was 
married to Miss Hannah Reese, also a native of Virginia, born in Septem- 
ber, 1 796. They had a family of one son and five daughters when they came 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 521 

to Hancock County, and three cliildi'en were born here. Of the nine only 
one survives, though several of their grandchildren reside in the county. 
In April, 1826, Mr. Hedges was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected 
to the same office. He was the lirst treasurer of Hancock County, serv- 
ing from April to October, 1828. In 1840 he was elected coroner and 
served one term. Mr. Hedges died on the old homestead northwest 
of Findlay, in 18-15, his widow surviving him ten years, dying in 
1855. He was a tall, muscular, energetic man, very hospitable and strictly 
honest, a stanch Democrat and for many years a member of the Method- 
ist Church. 

David Gitchel, of Logan County, Ohio, settled on the southeast corner of 
John Simpson' s land, on ' ' Chamberlin' s Hill, ' ' about 1825. He built a 
cabin and cleared a few acres of ground, but when Simpson sold out to Job 
Chamberlin, Sr., in 1827, Gitchel moved to a piece of land about a mile south 
of the Simpson place, and finally went back to Logan County. 

In the spring of 1827 Isaac Johnson and wife, and sons, Joseph, Isaac, 
Miller and Eli, and daughters, Betsy and Lydia (the former of whom sub- 
sequently married Matthew Reighly, and the latter Peter Deamer), came to 
this township. The Johnsons removed from Virginia to Portsmouth, Ohio, 
in 1811, and thence to this county sixteen years afterward. The father 
leased a piece of land of Joshua Hedges, in Section 11 ; was elected overseer of 
the poor in April,1828, and after several years' residence in the county he re- 
moved to Indiana. His son, Joseph, though bending under the weight of old 
age, is yet a resident of the county, A sketch of him will be found in the 
history of Marion Township. 

John Boyd purchased the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 
25, now the property of Ross Bennett, of Thomas Simpson, in 1827, and at 
once settled upon it. He built a comfortable cabin, cleared up a good-sized 
farm for those days, and put out an orchard. We find his name among the 
voters at the first county election. Boyd was an ardent Methodist, and con- 
ducted prayer and class-meetings at his house. He could play the violin 
fairly well, and some of the lively, ' ' catching ' ' tunes he had learned on 
that instrument he adapted to a few of the hymns, which he sang at these 
meetings. It is said that one of his friends, who did not admire such music 
in worship, asked Boyd why he introdiiced these fast tunes, when the latter 
replied, " I do not believe the Devil should have all the good music." His 
wife was a very good woman, and upon her death, about 1831, Boyd fell 
away from the church, became rather dissipated, soon had to sell his farm to 
John Bishop, and finally left the county. 

John Jones located northwest of Findlay in the fall of 1827, whence he 
removed to a piece of land on Eagle Creek, south of the town. He was elected 
constable of Findlay Township in April, 1828. After a few years' residence 
in this county he went West, and is little remembered even by the oldest 
settlers. 

Jacob Foster was a native of Virginia who settled in Ohio, and in the 
fall of 1828, with his wife, Mary, and six children, located a short distance 
north of Findlay, where he resided till his death. His eldest son, Jacob, 
is a resident of Findlay Township, and one of the oldest living pioneers of 
the township. 

Judge Robert L. Strother was born in Virginia in 1801, and about 1819 
removed with his parents to Licking County, Ohio. In the summer of 1828 



522 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

he visited Hancock County, and, August 18, entered the northeast quarter 
of Section 21, Township 1 north. Range 10, which he afterward sold to 
Isaac Comer. In May, 1829, he again came to the county, and, June 1st, 
entered the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 12, in the same 
township and range, upon which he at once built a cabin and began an im- 
provement. He soon afterward brought out his mother and sister, Malinda 
v., the latter subsequently the wife of Joseph C. Shannon. His mother 
resided in the county till her death in 1851. In October, 1831, Mr. 
Strother was elected county commissioner; and in March, 1835, the General 
Assembly elected him an associate judge of Hancock County. He served 
one term in each office. In 1847 Judge Strother was married to Miss Eliza- 
beth Todd, who bore him one daughter, ere her death, now a resident of 
Columbus, Ohio. In 1851 he married Mrs. Sarah A. Merriam, nee Baldwin, 
to whom were born three children by this union, two of whom, with their 
mother, survive. Early in the fall of 1875 Judge Strother removed from 
his farm into Findlay, where he died October 8, of that year. 

Willif^m Dulin located immediately east of the old cemetery in January, 
1830, and died in 1832. He was an Englishman who had immigrated to 
Maryland, there married, and subsequently removed to Virginia. In 1816 
he settled in Pickaway County, Ohio, whence the family came to this town- 
ship. His widow survived him until 1866, and died at the home of her son, 
Sanfred F. , in Portage Township. The latter is the only survivor of a 
family of ten childi'en, and is one of the most intelligent pioneers now liv- 
ing in the county. 

Leonard Tritch, of Crawford County, Ohio, entered 160 acres of land 
east of Findlay, and now partly within the corporate limits, in October, 
1829, upon which he settled the following spring. He was born and reared 
in Maryland, whence he removed to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he mar- 
ried Miss Mary Hofheins, also a native of Maryland, subsequently settling 
in Crawford County. In the spring of 1830 he came to Hancock, accom- 
panied by his wife and three children. He was a carpenter, and followed 
that trade after locating here. His wife died in 1838, he surviving her till 
1842. They reared a family of six children, live of whom survive, and all 
residents of the township. The wife of Dr. Charles Osterlen, of Findlay, is 
one of the daughters, and it was at her home that Mr'. Tritch died. 

Abraham and Margaret Schoonover, he a native of Pennsylvania, and 
she of Virginia, located on the southeast quarter of Section 1, directly 
north of Findlay, in the spring of 1830. Mr. Schoonover entered the land 
in November, 1829, and January, 1830, coming here fi-om Franklin County, 
Ohio, where they had previously been living. They reared a family of four 
childi-en, three of whom are now living, viz. : John, Alfred and Mrs. 
Samuel Bergeman, all residents of Liberty Township. Mr. Schoonover 
died on the old homestead, in Liberty Township, February 11, 1863; his 
widow surviving him till March 13, 1878. 

John Baker, Richard Wade and Henry Folk all came into the township 
in 1830. Mr. Baker and his wife, Mary, were natives of Virginia, and located 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1812, removing to Franklin County in 1814. 
Early in 1830 he visited Hancock and entered land in Sections 6 and 7, 
Findlay Township, settling with his family on the southwest quarter of the 
former section in June of that year. His sons, Isaac and Jacob, were mar- 
ried before coming to this county, the latter locating in Marion Township, 




3^ 









|#* 





(y^a^^M/x/ ^ i^£yuJ-edAj> 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP. 525 

and the former on a part of liis father's land in Section 6, Findlay Town- 
ship. The parents reared a family of nine children, of whom only two, 
Aaron and Reuben, sui-vive. Mr. Baker died on the home farm in 1841, 
and his widow ten years afterward. Their son, Aaron, resides upon the old 
John P. Hamilton farm, immediately east of Findlay, and is one of the few 
living pioneers of the township. Richard Wade was a brother of William 
and Wenman Wade, two pioneers of Liberty and Union Townships, respect- 
ively. He came in the spring of 1830. and settled on the southwest quar- 
ter of Section 2(3. In a few years Wade removed to a farm east of Eagle 
Creek, Section 6, Jackson Township, where he struck gas while digo-ino- a 
well in October, 1836, the first gas discovered in Hancock County^ He 
subsequently sold out and went to Wood County, Ohio. Henry Folk came 
here fi'om Pickaw^ay County, Ohio, in the fall of 1830, and settled on the 
northeast quarter of Section 2(3, not far from W^ade. He had entered 
eighty acres in that section September 16, 1829. Mr. Folk was a cooper 
and continued to work at his trade for a few years after settling in this 
township. He was a large, muscular man, good-natured and affable, and 
resided in the county until his death, which occurred in East Findlay. 
Some of his childi-en are yet residents of the county. 

Robert Bonham, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania, April 5, 1793, and 
when two years old his parents removed to Hampshire County, Va. , where 
Robert spent his early years. In 1817 the family removed to Muskingum 
County, Ohio, and Mr. Bonham there married a Miss Fleming, who aft'er a 
few years died, leaving two children, viz. : John, a resident of Findlay 
Township, and Sophia, who is living in Minnesota. In 1829 Mr. Bonham 
visited Hancock County, and on the 5th of September entered the northeast 
quarter of Section 11, Findlay Township, upon which he settled in the 
Slimmer of 1831. He built a cabin and lived alone about four years, doing 
his own household work and opening up his farm. He then married a Mrs. 
Douglas, who bore him three children: Robert, Johnson and Ellen; of 
whom Johnson, a resident of Kansas, survives. Ellen married Dr. J. A. 
Kimmell, of Findlay, and died a few years ago. Several years after the 
death of his second wife Mr. Bonham was married to Miss Anna McCormick 
(the marriage occm-ring December 1, 1853). who still survives him. Mr. 
Bonham was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Chui-ch, of Findlay, for 
over forty years. He was a consistent Christian — a man who attended 
strictly to his own business— and died on May 11, 1875, in the eighty-third 
year of his age. ^ 

Daniel Andreck, John Bishop, John Harritt, Benoni Culp and Jacob 
Feller all settled in the township in the summer and fall of 1831. Andreck 
located in the north part of the township, in the summer of that year, and 
resided here several years, finally removing to Indiana. John Bishop 
bought John Boyd's farm on Section 25, in the summer of 1831, but did 
not remain long in the county, selling out to Thomas G. Whitlock the fol- 
lowing year. John Harritt settled on the southeast quarter of Section 23 in 
October, 1831, where he resided till his death, in the spring of 1875. The 
parents came here from Pickaway County, Ohio, and of their'six children born 
in this township, John, who lives in Findlay, is the only survivor. The 
aged mother lives with her son in Findlay. Benoni Culp 'and family came 
from Fairfield County, Ohio, in September, 1831, and settled in the north- 
west part of the township. About five years afterward he removed into 



520 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Portage Township and died in 18-1:1, leaving a widow and nine children. 
One of his sons, Samuel, is a resident of Findlay. Jacob Feller and wife 
are yet residing on the farm where they settled in October, 1831. He was 
born in Pennsylvania, in 180(), and the next year his parents removed to 
Fairfield County, Ohio, where Jacob grew to maturity. In November, 1829, 
he entered the northwest quarter of Section 26, Findlay Township. In 
1880 he was married to Miss Mary Powell, of Fairfield County, and the 
following year settled on his land. Seven sons and five daughters were 
born of this union, nine of whom are living and three sons residents of the 
county. Mr. Feller and wife are one of the oldest pioneer couples in the 
county, where they have resided a continuous period of fifty-five years. 

John Byal was perhaps one of the best known pioneers of the county. He 
was born in Baltimore County, Md. , July 25, 1791, and was the second son of 
W illiam Byal, a subsequent pioneer of the township. The family removed fi'om 
Maryland to Pennsylvania, and in 1809 to Stark County, Ohio. Here, in 1816, 
John was married to Miss Elizabeth Newstutter, and resided in that county 
till March, 1832, when he located in Section 11, Findlay Township, on the 
south bank of the Blanchard, about two miles northwest of Findlay, where 
some of his descendants still reside. Soon after coming he built a saw-mill, 
close to his home, which he moved a short distance westward in 1833. In 
1834 he erected the frame grist-mill yet standing and in operation near the 
old homestead. This mill was a great convenience to the early settlers, and 
Mr. Byal's enterprise deserves the highest praise. He was the father of 
nine childi'en, five of whom are living, viz. : Henry, in Findlay; William, in 
Iowa; Catherine, in Kalida, Ohio; Nancy and Rachel, in Kansas. Mr. Byal 
was elected justice of the peace in April, 1833. In October, 1833, he was 
elected county commissioner, and re-elected in 1836, and filled the office to 
the entire satisfaction of the people. He died July 13, 1859, and his widow 
January 22, 1859. Both are still well remembered by a large circle of the 
younger pioneer generation. 

Other settlers of 1832 were Thomas G. Whitlock, Alvin Schoonover, 
Peter Deamer, and Samuel Spangler. Whitlock bought John Bishop's farm 
on Section 25, and subsequently opened the " Green Tree ' ' tavern, which 
became a resort of the ' ' fast " youth of the surrounding country. A Cana- 
dian herb doctor named Wolverton lived at Whitlock' s back in the "thirties," 
and practiced medicine a year or two, when he suddenly disappeared and 
was never again heard of. Considerable suspicion was aroused against the 
Whitlocks, who appropriated his horse and buggy and collected some of his 
back accounts. They claimed he went to Wood County to gather herbs, 
which was the last they ever saw of him. This story was not credited by 
the neighbors, to some of whom Wolverton had expressed a suspicious fear 
of the Whitlocks; but the officers of the law took no cognizance of the doc- 
tor's disappearance, and the matter soon blew over. After a few years the 
Whitlock family sold out and left for parts unknown. Alvin Schoonover 
was a brother of Abraham, and with his wife and mother came from Frank- 
lin County in 1832, and settled north of Findlay on Section 12, whence, in 
1851, he removed to Iowa. Peter Deamer and Samuel Spangler settled 
northeast of Findlay. The latter is now living on the bounty of the people 
at the Infirmary. 

In the spring of 1833 Anthony Strother, of Muskingum County, Ohio, set- 
tled northeast of Findlay, where he was joined by his father, Benjamin, the 



fINDLAY TOWNSHir. o27 

next year. Some eight years afterward the latter removed to Van AVert 
County. In 1840 Anthony married Mary J. McRill, who reared a family 
of six children, all of whom are residents of this county. Mr. Strother 
died in 1868 and his widow in 1884. 

Frederick Duduit was born in Scioto County, Ohio, in 1807, and came 
to Findlay Township in the fall of 1833. His parents were natives of 
Paris, France, who came to the United States in 1790 with the colony of 
French Catholic emigrants who located on the ' ' French Grant, " one of the 
most stupendous swindles ever perpetrated on a confiding people. Mr. 
Duduit married Miss Helen H. Gilruth, a daughter of Rev. James Gilruth, 
a pioneer preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of this union were 
born ten children, four of whom are dead. Mr. Duduit came here after 
marriage and settled on a tract entered by his father-in-law immediately 
west of Findlay, his late residence being now within the corporation. 
Here his wife died January 12, 1886, and he on the 28th of March followino-, 
both dying on a part of the farm where they had spent more than half "a 
century. 

In September, 1833, William Byal, with his wife and four youngest chil- 
di-en, came from Stark County, Ohio, and finally settled within the present 
limits of Findlay, though at that time outside the village. One son was 
born after coming here, and two older sons by a former marriage, John and 
Peter, settled in the township in 1832 and 1833, respectively. ^The latter is 
still a resident of the village of Findlay where further mentis' n of him will be 
found. The father died on his farm in April, 1840, and his eldest son by 
second marriage, Absalom P. , is the present representative in the General 
Assembly fi-om Hancock County. 

Samuel K. Radebaugh, of Fairfield County, settled southwest of town, 
where he yet resides, in the sj^ring of 1834. Emanuel Phifer, also of Fair- 
field County, located on his present homestead southwest of Findlay the 
same year; and about that time Eli Thompson settled in the Radebauo-h 
neighborhood but did not remain long. Henry Baker and Samuel Snyder, 
both fi-om Fairfield County, came about 1834, both locating north of the 
river. The latter settled on Section 8, and several of his children reside in 
the county. George Hollenbeck, Samuel Switzer, Henry Bear and Aaron 
Alban came in along about 1835-36, and many others soon afterward set- 
tling in difPerent parts of the township. By this time the country around 
Findlay Avas quite thickly settled, and though later comers also suffered 
many of the hardships and trials inseparable fi-om pioneer life, yet they had 
not to undergo that feeling of loneliness and isolation which the earlier pio- 
neers felt and suffered. 

First Elections and Township Officers, and List of Justices. — In the erec- 
tion of Findlay Township the commissioners of Wood County ordered an 
election of township officers to be held on the 1st of July, 1823. We also 
find in the journal of the court of common pleas of Wood County, under the 
date of May 28, 1823, the following minute: "Ordered that there be al- 
lowed to the township of Findlay two justices of the peace, and that the 
election for said justices take place in said township on the 1st day of July, 
next, at the house of Wilson Vance. ' " This was the first election held in 
Findlay Township, which then embraced the whole county. The orio-inal 
poll book reads as follows : " No. 1 , Townshij) of Findlay, Countv of Wood, 
July 1, 1823, Job Chamberlin, Sr., William Moreland and Benjamin Chan- 



528 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

dler, judges; VN'ilson Vance and Matthew Reighly, clerks. Judges and 
clerks being duly sworn, entered upon their respective offices. Number of 
electors, thirteen. It is certified that Robei-t McKinnis has thirteen votes 
for justice of the peace, and Wilson Vance has twelve votes for justice of 
the peace." There is nothing on record in Wood County showing who 
were elected to the other township offices, thoiigh it is certain they 
were all tilled at that time. The second election took place April 5, 1824, 
with Job Chamberliu, Sr , William Moi-eland and Jacob Poe, judges; Wilson 
Vance and Matthew Reighly, clerks. Eighteen votes were cast, and Job 
Chamberlin, Sr., Wilson Vance and Jacob Poe elected trustees; Job Cham- 
berlin, Sr. , treasurer; Matthew Reighly, clerk; Wilson Vance, lister; Philip 
McKinnis, constable; John Gardner and John Hunter, fence viewers; and 
William Moreland and Robert McKinnis, overseers of the poor. At the 
election held in April, 1820, Joshua Hedges and William Hackney were 
chosen justices of the peace to succeed Wilson Vance and Robert McKin- 
nis. At the first county election, April 7, 1828, Findlay Township also 
elected officers, viz. : Job Chamberlin, Sr. , Wilson Vance and Edwin S. 
Jones, trustees; John C. Wickham, clerk; Jacob Moreland, treasurer; Isaac 
Johnson and William Wade, overseers of the poor; Robert McKinnis, Asa 
Lake, Sampson Dildine and Joseph DeWitt, supervisors; John P. Hamilton 
and Asher Wicldiam, fence viewers; and John Jones and Jesse Hewitt, con- 
stables. All of the foregoing are well remembered pioneers who then lived 
in different parts of the county. 

The following roster of justices of Findlay Township since its organization 
in 1823, together with the dates of their respective elections, have been com- 
piled from the official returns: Wilson Vance and Robert McKinnis, 1823; 
William Hackney, 1820; Joshua Hedges, 1826 and 1829; William L. Hender- 
son, 1831 and 1834; Elias L. Bryan, 1832; John Byal, 1833; John Camp- 
bell, 1830; Price Blackford, 1837, 1840, 1843, 1846 and 1849; Abraham 
Daughenbaugh, 1839; Hugh Newell, 1840; John Patterson, 1843; Paul 
Sours, 1846 and 1851; George W. Galloway, 1849; Jesse Wheeler, 1852 and 
1855; Henry Byal, 1854, 1857 and 1860; Daniel B. Beardsley, 1858, 1861, 
1864, 1867, 1870, 1873, 1876, 1879 and 1882; John H. Burket, 1863; Eli- 
jah T. Dunn, 1866; Ezra Brown, 1869; Absalom P. Byal, 1872; Oren A. 
Ballard, 1874, 1877 and 1880; G. C. Barnd, 1883 and 1886; Ezra Brown, 
1885. 

Churches and Schools. — There are only two churches in the township 
outside of Findlay, viz. : the Methodist Episcopal or ' ' Heck Church, ' ' on 
Section 11, and Zion Evangelical or "Feller Church," on the Lima road, 
in Section 26. The history of the former society is given in the chapter on 
Liberty Township, where it had its inception, the present building having 
been erected in 1851, twenty years after the society was organized. The 
first members of the Evangelical society worshij^ed at the Powell Chiu'ch, in 
Eagle Creek Township, but in 1857, Samuel, Hemy and Peter Powell, Ja- 
cob Feller, Jacob Wagner, Rev. C. M. Rinehart and a few other families, 
organized a separate society and built the present brick church, southwest 
of Findlay. The building cost about $1,000, and was dedicated in 1858. 

It was many years after the organization of the township in 1823, before 
there were any schoolhouses outside of the town, where the first school was 
opened in the winter of 1826-27. Most of the pupils attended school in 
Findlay, though a good many living along the line of Liberty Township 



^ FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, 529 

patronized the first schools opened in that subdivision. It is therefore im- 
possible to tell at what date the first school was taught outside the village, 
but it was prior to 1840; and with the steady growth in population school- 
houses made their appearance in every part of the township, which now con- 
tains seven buildings with a large attendance. 

Roads and Population. — This is the only township in the county that 
can be said to possess macadamized roads, which were built under a special 
act of the Legislature, passed on petition of the citizens, allowing a tax to 
be levied for that purpose. Several of the main roads have been macadam- 
ized to the township line and the good work is still going on. The stone 
was obtained from the quarries south of the river, and the solid roads con- 
structed from this material in this township have been of great advan- 
tage to the whole county. It would be an act of wisdom for the people of 
Hancock County to Iniild similar highways throughout every township. 
Such roads would enhance the value of real estate and render travel easy, 
even in the wettest seasons. Bad roads two -thirds of the year are a great 
drawback to the growing wealth of the county, and if Hardin County could 
afford to macadamize her roads there is no good excuse for Hancock to re- 
main long behind her neighbor in such necessary internal improvements. 

Outside of Findlay the township has about doubled its popiilation since 
1840, though the village has so greatly extended its corporate limits since 
that date that the township does not cover near the amount of territory it 
then did. Its population in 1840 was 464; 1850, 776; 1860, 879; 1870, 
758, and 1880, 920. Including the village it has been as follows: 1840, 
1,024; 1850, 2,032; 1860, 3,346; 1870, 4,073, and 1880, 5,553. 

Factories. — In 1861 F. J. Kevis bought a piece of land, on the hill south 
of Findlay, of Job Chamberlin, and erected a brewery thereon. He car- 
ried on the manufacture of beer at this point in connection with his Find- 
lay brewery till 1875, when the building was burned down and never re- 
built. 

In the spring of 1870 John B. Karst began the manufacture of tiles a 
short distance west of town. He has ever since continued the business, 
which, under his efficient management, has grown to large proportions. Mr. 
Karst employs from five to six hands throughout the year, and annually 
turns out about 250,000 tiles. This branch of trade has become one of the 
most important as well as one of the most valuable industries in the county, 
and thousands of acres have been brought under cultivation and rendered 
highly productive by the judicious use of tiles. Without tiling the great 
majority of the low flat lands in northwestern Ohio would be almost worth- 
less for agricultural purposes, and millions of dollars would thus be lost to 
the annually increasing wealth of the State. 



530 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 

Beginning of the Town-Site of the Original Plat Entered, and Com- 
ing OF Wilson VANfCE— Survey of tiik Town Plat— Selection of 

FiNDLAY AS the SKAT OF JUSTICE OF HaNCOOK (!ouNTV— DERIVATION OF 

Its Name, and ("okiiect Orthography of the Word— Brief Sketch of 
('(»L. James Findlay— The Plat as Acknowledged and Recorded— 
Amhiguity in the Acknowledg:ment Regarding thk Public Square 
Cleared I'p— Lots Donated by the Proprietors to Erect County 
BuiLDiN(is, and First Public Sale of the Same— Business Men of 
Findlay in 1829-30, and Appearance of the Village at that Period- 
Names OF those who have Laid Out Additions to the Original Plat, 
and Dates of Surveys— The Present Streets of the Toavn— Sketches 
OF Its Pioneer Business Men— First White Male Child Born on the 
Site of Findlay— Early Physicians of the Village, and the Diffi- 
culties OF Medical Practice During Pioneer Days. 

rpHE history of Findlay goes back over a period of sixty-five years, for 
JL though Benjamin Cox, the first white settler in Hancock County, lo- 
cated on its site in 1815, the town was not contemplated for six years after- 
ward. On the 3d of July, 1821, Joseph Vance, William Neill and 
Elnathan Cory entered the east part of the southeast quarter of Section 13, 
Townshij) 1 north, Range 10, and on the following day the same gentlemen 
entered the south half of Section 18, Township 1 north, Range 1 1. These 
were the first entries made in the county, and embrace all of the original 
town plat with which the history of Findlay, as a village, begins, and upon 
which most of its earliest settlers located. Joseph Vance lived in Urbana, 
William Neill in Columbus, and Elnathan Cory at New Carlisle, Ohio; but 
Vance & Cory subsequently purchased Neill's interest in these lands, and 
were the original proprietors of the town. In November, 1821, Wilson 
Vance, a younger brother of the Governor, took up his residence in the 
hewed-log house previously occupied by Benjamin J. Cox, which stood on the 
south bank of the Blaiichard River," immediately east of the old fort. 
He came from the Maumee, as the agent of his brother Joseph, and soon 
afterward laid out a town on a part of the land entered the previous summer, 
which he named Findlay. 

Though the plat was not recorded until nearly eight years afterward 
there is no doubt that the town was laid out in 1821, as Mr. Vance always 
asserted that was the year the survey was made. Squire Carlin gives the 
following testimony in support of this tradition: '* Prior to my settlement 
at Findlay, in November, 1826, a survey had been made, the lots numbered 
and the streets designated; but I do not know what year the plat was made, 
though 1821 has always been claimed as the date. Mr. Vance had a plat of 
the town at his tavern, where I )>oarded for a time after my coming, from 
which I and other pioneers of the village selected our lots. 'l built my first 
log store-room in 1826, on the same corner I have ever since occupied, which 
I purchased as a corner lot; but I did not pay for the lot or receive a deed 



KOI 

VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 



u . 9 18^1 " An impression prevails that the town was resur- 
until Nove^mber 2. 1831. An im^^^^ does not remember of a svu'vey bemg 
veyed m 1829, biit Mr i^aiim sd) ^ orio-inal town, from which 

r^'\*dtf ro^r.82t\™dSe*'iJf tfe »e ,.3Coraed by Vance & Cor>- 
he selected his lot i^/^^^' ^^''!^ ' „ - • , enmwrt of Mr. Carlin's recollec- 
three years later, f-f^-^^j^'^^ Crawford 

tionson this «^^b]ect is that l.ot i4i on . ^.^^^ 

and East Streets, was donated ^7 ^1^^ P^^P™°^^^ ^j^.^ ^^^ ^^, occupied 
which a hewed-log schoolhouse was ^^^\^ ;^ J^^;^ i/^f^ ^j the large brick 
by a school building from ^^^t time up to th^ ^almoved 

schoolhouse on East ^^^^^'^fl^^'f;^''^ 21 lot sold This at least proves 
to the west end of Crawford Street, and the lot sold. 1^^^ ^^ 

that no matenal change 1^- ^^^1 Tnd S it was re^Sed in 1829. it was 
surveyed by Wilson Vance "^1821 and it ^t w^ ^/eorners which had be- 

OwJ-JofSp^ County M«.>a„L^^^^^^^ 

est Meeker, o( Delaware County oomm.ssioneis to '°°»' j; ; Q^j^ber 

of justice in and for the county of Hancock. A*^^ "^ ^'"^mlissioner. 

r."c.trCL=e« 

was commenced by Col. James FimUay ^^^^^^f ^ .^^^^ ^ ,3 to the 
Considerable divergence of opinion has ex-tod ince^.^ being thetwo modes 
correct spelling of ^^^^'eariv se tle7s theLJeof thepostoffice, established 
in general use among tlie,ea,^\y ^®.^^^^^^ Findlev and in 1870 changed 

in 1823, being first spelled ''^-^y Jbj^ 

the Democratic Courier. Feeling that «ome ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 



532 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

years James became a Whig. John was a member of Congress from Penn- 
sylvania. AVilliam was in Congress from 1808 to 1817; Governor of Penn- 
sylvania from 1817 to 1820, and United States senator from 1821 to 1827. 
James married Miss Jane Irwin, and about 1705 removed to Ohio, traveling 
on horseback by way of Virginia and Kentucky, and settling in Cincinnati, 
then a small village. Here for a niamber of years he filled the position of 
receiver of yjublic moneys in the land office. In 1805-0(5 he served as 
mayor of Cincinnati, and again in 1810-11. When the war of 1812 broke 
out he was commissioned as colonel of a regiment, which was the advanced 
guard of Gon. William Hull's army on its march from the Scioto River to 
the Maumee. On this march he began the erection of Fort Findlay, named 
in his honor, and from which the city of Findlay derives its name, For 
meritorious conduct iii the war of 1812, Col. Findlay was afterward promot- 
ed to the rank of brigadier-general of the State militia, in which capacity 
he served for a considerable period. Col. Findlay was the member of Con- 
gress from Hamilton County from 1825 to 1883. In 1834 he was the Whig 
and anti -Masonic candidate for Governor of Ohio, but was defeated by Rob- 
ert Lucas, and died the following year. Naturally reserved in his manner, 
he presented to strangers an air of austerity; but to those who knew him he 
was the soul of kindness and geniality. Col. Findlay possessed great decis- 
ion of character, was just in all his dealings, and maintained through life 
an unsullied reputation. 

September 26, 1829, the original plat of Findlay, containing 156 lots, 
was acknowledged before Robert McKinnis, one of the associate judges, by 
Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory, and recorded October 12, following. It 
embraces that portion of the town bounded by Front Street on the north, 
Sandusky (then called Back Street) .on the south, and by East and West 
Streets on the east and west, respectively. In the center of the plat a small 
square was reserved upon which to erect public buildings, and certain lots 
donated to the county for that purpose. No changes have since occurred in 
the names of the streets as designated on the original plat except Back 
Street (now called Sandiisky), West Crawford (then called Putnam), and 
Broadway, which has been converted into a park, wherein a handsome mon- 
ument has been erected to perpetuate the memory of the patriots who fell 
in the great Rebellion. Main Street was laid out 1 00 feet wide, Broadway, 
115| feet; Main Cross, 82|^ feet, and Front, Crawford, Sandusky, East and 
West Streets, each 66 feet wide. 

In the acknowledgment of the plat the following language occurs: 
' 'And that the lots, j)ublic ground, streets and alleys are to the best of their 
knowledge correctly designated by the notes attached, and are to be appro- 
priated as public ways for the benefit of said town and to no other use what- 
ever." A certain ambiguity in the wording of the foregoing quotation has 
led a few persons to assert that the public square was donated for the use 
of the town. But applying a similar construction to the whole quotation, 
which is here given verbatim, woidd also give the lots to the town, and ap- 
propriate both square and lots as ' ^public ivays for the benefit of said town and 
to no other iise whatever. ' ' The words ' ' public ways ' ' are italicized to 
draw the reader's attention to the fact that the construction of the acknowl- 
edgement which gives the public square to the town also gives every lot in 
the original plat to the same corporation, and makes the lots, sqiiare, streets 
and alleys ' 'public ways, ' ' which every one will readily admit the two first 




4 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 535 

mentioned were not intended for. From tlie fact, too, that the proprietors 
gave to the county thirty-nine lots "for the purpose of erecting public 
buildings in said town, ' ' and that the square was designated as ' 'public 
ground, ' ' together with the fact that the latter has never been used for any 
other piu-pose than county buildings, and the evidence of Judge D. J. Cory 
who says his father told him they gave it for a court house site, is unanswer- 
able proof that the proprietors intended the public square for that purpose 
only, and for which it has been used continuously during a period of fifty 
six years. 

As already stated, thirty-nine lots of the 156 embraced in the original 
plat were given by Vance & Cory, ' 'in trust to the commissioners of said 
county of Hancock, for the purpose of erecting public l)uildings in said 
town." These lots were as follows: 2, 8, 9, 13, 17, 20, 26 29 32 39 43 
46, 51, 56, 61, 64, 69, 72, 73, 79, 86, 89, 92, 95, 98, 100, 104, 105 lOs' 
111. 116, 123, 127, 135, 137, 142, 146, 148 and 156. On the 10th of Octo- 
ber, 1829, the following action was taken in regard to these lots: "The 
commissioners of Hancock County met for the purpose of taking into their 
care the proportion of the town lots of Findlay which were deeded to said com- 
missioners by Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory, and said Charles McKin- 
nis and John P. Hamilton, present, ordered that the aforesaid lots be 
oifered at public sale on the 9th of November next. It is further ordered 
that the county auditor advertise said sale. ' ' The sale took place on the 
date designated, and twenty-seven of the thirty-nine lots were sold to the 
following purchasers, some of whom, however, did not pay up, and the 
lots reverted to the county, and were again sold. 

Lot. Purchaser. Prj^e paid. 

2 Squire Carliu | 43 00 

8 William Taylor 101 00 

9 Josiah Hedges 200 00 

13 Frederick Frutchey ~68 00 

17 George Bishop . . . ". 12 00 

26 Joseph Johnson 35 18 

29 Wilson Vance 50 00 

32 Squire Carlin 35 25 

43 Enoch Thompson 13 00 

46 Don Alonzo Hamlin 11 50 

51 Joseph A. Sargent ......!...... 8 50 

61 Squire Carlin 5 00 

79 Abel Rawson 70 00 

86 Squire Carlin .........!.. 82 02 

89 Bass Rawson 78 50 

92 Joshua Hedges 51 50 

95 James Coats 20 00 

98 Philip Strohl '.'.''.'.[y..]' '.'.'.[ 1000 

104 Don Alonzo Hamlin 16 00 

105 Jolin Mclntire 38 25 

108 John C. Wickham 20 00 

111 William Moreland '. 20 00 

116 Wilson Vance 10 00 

142 Thomas Slight .' . [,'_'/[ ' lO 00 ♦ 

146 Thomas Slight, Jr 8 25 

148 John Mclntire k no 

156 William Taylor '.'.''.'.'.''.'.'.'.'.'.['.'..['.'.'. 6 00 

Total amount of sales $1,025 40 

At this time (1829-30), Findlay was a straggling hamlet, made up 
mainly of log cabins, and a large portion of the original town plat was 



536 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

covered with forpst. Wilson Vance was county recorder and clerk of the 
court of common pleas, and kept a tavern in a hewed-log building which 
stood on the east side of Main Street near the river. This house was built 
by a man named Thorp, an army sutler in the war of 1812, and afterward 
occupied by Benjamin J. Cox till the coming of Mr. Vance. The latter 
also had charge of the grist and saw-mills across the Blanchard, which were 
completed in 1824. Squire and Parlee Carlin carried on one of the two 
stores of the village in a story and a half frame building, on the southwest 
corner of Main and Front Streets. William Taylor was coiinty surveyor, 
and kept the other store, and also a tavern, in a small log and frame struct- 
ure still farther south on the west side of Main Street, where Rothchild's 
liquor store now is. His brother, James, lived with him at that time. John 
C. Wlckham, the second school teacher in Findlay, was then postmaster 
and also sheriff of the county. His cabin was on east Main Cross Street, 
and his son. Minor T. , lived with him. Edwin S. Jones was county treas- 
urer, and operated a tanyard on Front Street, east of Main. The cabin 
and blacksmith shop of Joseph DeWitt stood on the west side of Broadway 
(now the Park), north of the site of the old brick jail. Dr. Bass Rawson 
was the only physician then living here, and his cabin was on the alley near 
East Street, directly east of where he yet lives. It was built by Joshua 
Powell, who rented it to the doctor and removed to Marion Township. 
William Hackney was county auditor, and lived in the southeast part of the 
village. William L. Henderson was deputy surveyor under William Tay- 
lor, and lived in a cabin north of the site of the Patterson Block. Thomas 
F. Johnston lived on the south bank of the river, west of the old fort, and 
followed farming. John Bashore M^as keeping tavern in a two-story hewed- 
log building where the Carnahan Block now stands. His brother-in-law, 
Philip Strohl, lived with him. Matthew Reighly was the carpenter of the 
village; James B. Moore, the brick-mason ; Reuben Hale, the miller of 
Vance & Cory's grist-mill, and John George Flenner the village tailor. All 
of these were then single and boarded at the taverns. James Peltier worked 
for the Carlins, and Thomas Chester had been in the employ of Wilson 
Vance since 1827. Henry and Peter Shaw came in the fall of 1829, and 
lived for a time in the old log schoolhouse on the northwest corner of Craw- 
forn and East Streets, but soon moved across the river to the farm of Rob- 
ert L. Strother, whence, in 1830, Henry returned to the village and fol- 
lowed carpentering. The foregoing are believed to have constituted the 
business interests and population of Findlay during the years 1829 and 
1830, though several other families came soon afterward. 

The town was not then, nor for years afterward, very inviting as a place 
of residence, and some families who lived here would have gladly returned 
to their previous homes but could not raise the means to do so. At a meet- 
ing of the Pioneer Association held in May, 1876, Jonathan Parker, in 
detailing the circumstances of his removal to Findlay in October, 1831, 
says: "When I came here I found the first swale at Main Cross Street and 
I think it extended to Chamberlin's Hill without a break. When we landed 
we wanted to get to the house of W^illiam L. Henderson, who then lived on 
the lot now occupied by Kunz & Morrison. We could not get along the 
street, but had to ' coon it ' on logs across the public square. Old logs 
were plenty then all over the town plat. I think the water was at least one 
foot deep between Main Cross Street and Crawford Street. ' ' 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 537 

The first addition to the original town was made by William Byal, Feb- 
ruary 19, 1834, on the southeast corner of Main and Sandusky Streets. 
Since that time the following additions (together with the dates of survey) 
have been made: Vance & Cory, June 13, 1837; Gist & Morrison, August 

19, 1837; John C. Howard, May 4, 1843; James H. Wilson (East Findlay), 
Aiigust 11, 1847; Vance & Cory, September 24, 1847; AVilliam H. Bald- 
win, April 15, 1848; Vance & Cory, in May, 1848; Jesse George, April 5, 
1849; Squire and Parlee Carlin, April and June, 1849, September 10, 1852 
and May 5, 1854; Nathan Miller, Jime 20, 1854; Wilson Vance, July 3, 
1854; James M. Coffinberry, July 12. 1854; William Taylor (North Find- 
lay), in July, 1854; western addition by William H. Baldwin, Simon Yer 
ger, Jonathan Parker, David Patton, Samuel A. Spear, Simon Wilhelm and 
Jesse Wolf, August 11, 1854; Amos Nye, August 11, 1854; George Biggs, 
August 21, 1854; Robert B. Hurd, July 2, 1855; William Detwiler, October 
6, 1855; David W. Naill, October 31, 1855; extension of town limits, Sep- 
tember 2, 1856; D. M. & A. F. Vance (North Findlay), in February, 1857, 
and in September, 1858; William Vance (North Findlay), Sejjtember 14, 
1859; Byal's Second Addition, in September, 1859; D. J. Cory (North 
Findlay), March 21. 1860; Wilson Vance, May 29, 1860; Edson Goit (North 
Findlay), October 16, 1860; James H. Wilson (East Findlay), November 2, 
1860; D. J. Cory, October 15, 1863; D. J. Cory (East Findlay), October 
16, 1863; Edson Goit (North Findlav), June 10. 1864; Taylor & Hall 
(North Findlay), May 28, 1866; D. J. Cory (East Findlay), June 20, 1866; 
D. J. Cory, June 20, 1866; Elijah Barnd, April 16 and November 24, 
1868; extension of town limits, September 9, 1869; Jones & Adams, Jiine 
6, 1873; D. J. Cory (East Findlay), November 15, 1873; Alexander Wither- 
ill (North Findlay), in January, 1874; Absalom P. Bval, May 25 and July 

20, 1874; D. J. Cory, November 4, 1874; D. J. Cory (North Findlay), 
November 4, 1874; Daniel George. November 11, 1874; Louis Adams, 
November 16. 1874; Parlee Carlin, April 21, 1875; Samuel Howard (North 
Findlay), July 26. 1877; P. & M. Taylor (North Findlay), in February, 
1878; Gage & Carlin, in May, 1878; Parlee Carlin, in May, 1878; Peter 
Hosier (Barnd's Addition). May 29, 1879; Davis & Bope, in Januaiy, 1881; 
Gray & Patterson (North Findlay), September 1, 1881; William L. Carlin 
(Rawson's Addition), April 15, 1882; Gray & Patterson (North Findlay), in 
June, 1883; extension of corpoi'ation limits in December, 1884; D. J. Cory 
(North Findlay), June 15, 1885. Findlay is now two miles and a quarter 
from its northern to its soiithern boundary, and two miles from east to west, 
and thus covers an area of about 2,880 acres. 

Main is the principal business street of Findlay, and the only continuous 
one fi'om the north to the south limits of the town. Commencing at the 
bridge spanning the Blanchard and going south, the streets running east and 
west are named Front, Main Cross, Crawford, Sandusky, Hardin, Lincoln 
and Lima. South of Lima the east and west streets are not continuous. On 
the east side of Main are Hancock, First, Second, Third, Foiu'th, Fifth and 
Sixth; and on the west side are two short streets, Elm and Locust. Wash- 
ington and Findlay are two short streets in the bend of the river west of 
Main, and north of and parellel with Front Street; and the continuation of 
Crawford Street fi-om Liberty westward is called Putnam. Between Main 
Street and Eagle Creek the parallel streets are Mechanic's Alley and East, 
with Rawson Street, Washington Avenue and Park Street running south 



538 HISTORY OF HANrOCK COUNTY. 

from Lima Street, also a couple of short, unnamed streets parallel with 
them. West of Main we find Farmer's Alley, West, Liberty, Western and 
several streets south of Sandtisky in Carlin's addition of out-lots with no 
names given on the maps. Main Cross, Crawford, Sandusky and Lincoln 
Streets continue eastward through East Findlay, which lies east of Eagle 
Creek. In that part of the city the east and west streets beginning at the 
river are Main Cross, Crawford, Sandusky, South, Lincoln and Walnut; 
while Blanchard, High and East run north and south. On the Lima road, 
in the southwest suburbs of the city, are Hurd Avenue and Summit Street. 
North Findlay lies on each side of Main Street north of the Blanchard. 
East of Main the parallel streets are Clinton, Taylor and North, and Cory 
on the west. From the river northward the east and west streets east of 
Main are Center, Cherry, Walnut and two or three unnamed; and on the 
west side Fair, High, Donleson, Corwin, Fillmore and Howard, none 
of which extend across Main. 

The pioneers of Findlay deserve more than a passing notice, for to them, 
in a large measure, the town owes its present prosperity. The first white 
settler on the site of Findlay was Benjamin J. Cox, but it has been thought 
more appropriate to give a brief sketch of him in the history of the town- 
ship. He left the county in 1823, and was never in any way connected 
with the founding or growth of the town, the history of which properly 
begins with the coming of Wilson Vance in 1821, whose subsequent life 
was mainly spent within its limits. 

Mr. Vance was born in Mason County, Ky., January 19, 1796, his 
parents, Joseph C. and Sarah (Wilson) Vance being natives of Loudoun 
County, Va. , of Irish ancestry. The family removed from Virginia to Ken- 
tucky in 1788, and thence to Greene County, Ohio, in 1800. Four years 
later they left Greene County, and took up their abode in Urbana, Cham- 
paign County, and here Wilson grew to maturity. In 1816 he went to 
Fort Meigs, where his brother Joseph was carrying on a store, and he re- 
mained there till his removal to Fort Findlay. On the 14th of March, 
1820, he was married in Champaign County, to Miss Sarah Wilson, by the 
Rev. John Thomas. She was a native of Pennyslvania, born June 28, 
1801. Mr. Vance returned with his young wife to the Maumee, where a son, 
Joseph C, was born December 14, 1820. In November, 1821, with his 
wife and child he started from Fort Meigs for Fort Findlay to look after 
the large landed interests of his brother Joseph at this point and lay out a 
town at the fort. He walked the whole distance, his wife riding on an 
Indian pony and carrying her babe in her arms. Upon reaching Fort 
Findlay Mr. Vance took possession of a story and a half hewed-log house, 
then occupied by Benjamin J. Cox, the latter moving into a smaller cabin 
which stood a little farther southeast. In the spring of 1822 Mr. Vance 
opened a tavern, his license being issued by the court of common pleas of 
Wood County May 20 of that year, for which he was charged $5. This 
old log tavern stood on the site of the present two-story brick (which he 
erected in after years), on the east side of Main Street, near the bridge. 
His second child, Mary L., was born in Urbana, September 11, 1822, and 
the third. Miles W., at Findlay, September 27, 1824, the latter being the 
first white male child born on the site of Findlay as well as in the county. 
The first grist and saw-mill was built under the supervision of Mr. Vance, 
in 1824. It stood on the site of Carlin's mill and was a small log stinicture 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 539 

of primitive construction and the machinery operated by water-power, but it 
was a great boon to the first settlers. In 1832 he put up a one-story frame 
south of the log structure, and in the south room of this building, now the 
residence of G. C. Barnd, on Front Street, Vance & Baldwin opened a gen- 
eral di-y goods store that year. Mr. Baldwin removed to New York in 1837, 
and Mr. Vance continued in the mercantile trade in Findlay till 1852, when 
he sold out and retired from business, though still retaining an interest in 
his son's store at Bluffton, Allen County. Besides merchandising he was 
engaged quite extensively in farming for many years. Mr. Vance and his wife 
were the parents of eight sons and four daughters, all of whom were born in 
Findlay, except the two eldest previously mentioned, and Horace M., of 
Findlay, is the sole survivor of the family. The official life of Mr. Vance 
began May 4, 182(), when he was appointed surveyor of Wood County, and 
he filled that office until his removal to Findlay. He was appointed the 
first postmaster of Findlay February 8, 1823, and held that position until 
July, 1829. At the first election held in Findlay Township, July 1, 1823, 
he was chosen one of the two justices of the peace; and at the second elec- 
tion, April 5, 1824, he was elected township triTstee and lister. In dis- 
charging the duties of the latter office he made the first assessment of tax- 
able projjerty in Hancock County, and has himself assessed for one horse 
and four head of cattle. Mr. Vance was clerk of the court o^ common pleas 
fi'om March, 1828, to March, 1835; county recorder from the spring of 
1828 to June, 1835, and from October, 1835, to October, 1838; and county 
treasurer fi-om June, 1845, to June, 1847. He was generally recognized 
as an upright man and a kind, good neighbor, but like all other men 
of strong individuality, sometimes awoke hostility in the hearts of his 
fellowmen by his unswerving determination, bluff manner and stubborn ad- 
hesion to his own opinions. He was dignified in character, and possessed 
a fine personal appearance. Both he and his wife were life-long adherents of 
the Presbyterian faith, and the Findlay Chiu'ch was organized at their house. 
Mr. Vance died at the home of his son in Orange Township September 30, 
1862, and his widow survived him till March 10, 1860, leaving behind them 
an example in many things highly worthy of imitation. 

The same fall in which Mr. Vance located at Fort Findlay a Kentuckian 
named Smith took possession of an old Indian cabin which stood immediately 
west of the fort. He cultivated a small patch of ground in the neighbor- 
hood, and spent considerable time in hunting, while his wife looked after 
the household duties. Smith claimed to understand the use of drugs, and 
kept a small stock of medicines on hand. When Mrs. Matthew Reighly, 
who lived on the John P. Hamilton farm, was taken sick with malarial fever 
in 1822, Smith was called on to attend her, but she died so suddenly soon 
afterward that suspicion fell upon the medicine Smith had administered as 
the direct cause of her death. In defense Smith claimed that he positively 
forbade the patient the use of cold water, but she disobeyed his instructions 
and drank copiously, fi-om the effects of which she died. As he was the 
only doctor( V) in the settlement his statement had to be accepted, as none 
could dispute its correctness. After a residence in Findlay of two or three 
years Smith and his wife left the county, and are supposed to have returned 
to Kentucky. 

Matthew Reighly was the next to cast his fortunes with the embryo vil- 
lage. In the spring of 1822 he and his wife accompanied John P. Hamilton 



540 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTV. 

to this county, and occupied a cabin bnilt the previous year by Jacob More- 
land on the soutliwest quarter of Section 17, up the river from the fort. 
Mrs. Reighly died the same year (being the first white person who died in 
Hancock County) and was buried in the old cemetery east of town. After 
his wife's death Mr. Reighly, who was a carpenter and possessed a fair ed- 
ucation for that day, removed to Findlay and boarded at Wilson Vance's 
tavern. He assisted in building the first grist and saw mill, also most of 
the first log and frame houses erected in Findlay. He was one of the clerks 
at the first two elections held in the township in 1823 and 1824, and was 
chosen township clerk at the latter. At the first county election in April, 
1828, Mr. Reighly was elected county auditor, and served until the follow- 
ing October, when his successor was chosen. He subsequently married 
Betsy, daughter of Isaac Johnson, and sister of the venerable Joseph John- 
son, of Portage Township, and finally removed to the West. 

Squire Carlin is the oldest continuous resident now living in either the 
village or county who had reached the age of manhood before locating within 
its limits. He was born near Auburn, N. Y. , December 25, 1801, and is a 
son of James and Susan (Davis) Carlin, the former a native of New Jersey 
and his wife of New York State. They were married near Aiiburn, and 
were the parents of four children ere leaving New York, viz. : Nancy, 
Squire, Zada and Parlee. In the winter of 1806-07 they left New York in a 
sled, and traveled westward to Erie, Penn. , and there spent the latter part 
of the winter. In the spring of 1807 the family left Erie in a sail-boat, 
and came up the lake to the mouth of Huron River, settling on the shore of 
Lake Erie, a short distance west of that point. The Carlins were the second 
white family to locate in what is npw Huron County, but they remained 
there only one year, removing to the River Raisin in the spring of 1808. 
They settled on the opposite side of that stream from Frenchtown, about 
two miles and a half east of the site of Monroe, Mich. Here they lived 
until the summer of 1809, during which time another child, Caroline, was 
born. They next located on the site of Maumee City, on the north bank of 
the Maumee, in what is now Lucas County, Ohio, and continued peacefully 
tilling the soil until after Hull's surrender in August, 1812, when the re- 
ported coming of hostile Indians caused the family to flee southward over 
Hull's Trace. The mother, with her children, mounted on two horses and, 
carrying provisions for the journey and a few household articles, accompa- 
nied a band of refugees to Urbana, her husband remaining behind with the 
hope of saving his stock, etc. , but his efforts proved futile, as they fell a 
prey to the Indians and their English allies. The family passed by Fort 
Findlay on the route, and our subject, who was then in his eleventh year, 
says the soldiers wei-e still working on the fort, which was commenced the 
previous June. After stopping in Urbana a couple of months the Carlins 
located on Buck Creek, east of the village, where a son, James, was soon 
afterward born. Here they lived till 1814, when the father and son. 
Squire, returned to the Maumee, built a cabin near Fort Meigs, and raised 
a crop on the island below the fort. In 1815 the balance of the family 
joined them, and they reoccupied the old homestead north of the river, 
though the buildings had been burned by the enemy, and new ones had to 
be erected. The parents spent the remainder of their lives on the Maumee, 
and there Squire grew to manhood, receiving no education whatever, what 
he now possesses having been acquired after locating in Findlay. He mar- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 541 

ried Miss Sarah Wolcoti, April 17. 1S21. and settled in a cabin on the 
old homestead. She was born in Toronto, Canada, and her parents set- 
tled on the Maiimee after the close of the war of 1812. Mrs. Carlin was 
the mother of ten childi-en, only three of whom lived to maturity, viz. : 
William D., Elliott and Sarah, the last mentioned being Mrs. George W. 
Myers of Findlay. William D. was for many years one of the county's 
leadino- physicians, and died December 26, 1802, while serving as surgeon 
of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment. Mr. Carlin had been to Fort Fmdlay sev- 
eral times before and after the settlement of Wilson Vance, and in Novem- 
ber, 1826, piu'chased a lot on the southwest corner of Main and Front 
Streets built a small log house, and opened the first store in the village. 
He boarded through the winter of 1826-27 at the tavern of Wilson Vance 
but in the latter year his wife and son, William D., joined him. In 1828 
his brother, Parl'ee, came fi'om the Maumee, and the firm became S. & P. 
Carlin, and' in 1831 their brother James obtained an interest, but remained 
only about a year. During this period a large part of Mr. Carlin' s time 
was spent in traveling through the forest buying furs from the Indians, 
white hunters and small traders, and in this way he laid the foundation of 
his subsequent fortune. While engaged in the fur trade he suffered many 
privations and hardships, which he loves to relate. In the winter of 1827- 
28, while out on a trip and very hungry, he came to an Indian camp in the 
forest where several dressed animals were roasting along a log fire, and 
jumping from his horse cut off a large slice of the roasting meat. One of 
the Indians present, seeing the avidity with which he ate, said: "You like 
um f ox ? " " Yes, ' ' said Mr. Carlin, ''' don' t you ? ' ' The Indian shook his 
head. ' ' Then why do you roast them r ' ' asked his guest. ' ' For my dogs, 
replied the Indian, who seemed much amused over the incident. The meat, 
however, tasted good to the hungry trader, who first supposed the animals were 
coons, a much prized dish among the pioneers. The Carlin Bros, carried on a 
mercantile business on the old corner until 1852, when they sold their 
stock, but still continued to operate the grist and saw mills on the river, 
which they had owned since 1837. They were also largely engaged in the 
real estate and banking business from 1854 until their failure in 1878. Mr. 
Carlin was the third postmaster of Findlay. which position he held from 
June, 1831, to March, 1849, a period of nearly eighteen years. He was 
also treasurer of the county fi'om June, 1831, to June, 1839. His wife died 
in October, 1850, and Juno 16, 1853, he was married to Mrs. Delia B. 
Gardner, nee Briggs, a daughter of James Briggs, Esq., of Cuyahoga 
County, Ohio. Three children have been born to this union, only one, 
Frederick P. , now living. Few men in this part of the State have led such 
an active business life as the now venerable Squire Carlin, the brothers be- 
ing at one time among the wealthiest firms in northwestern Ohio, and the 
second largest land owners of Hancock County. The building of the Lake 
Erie & Western Railroad was the direct cause of Mr. Carlin' s financial mis- 
fortune, for, though it has proven a blessing to the county, it was an unfor- 
tunate enterprise for him; yet he takes his reverses philosophically, and 
seems as happy as if they had never occurred. 

Joseph White located in Findlay, in 1826, and taught the first school in 
the village in the winter of 1826-27. This school was held in a small log- 
cabin east of the Sherman House site. White first settled in Liberty Town- 
ship, in 1823, whence he removed to Findlay. He left the county in 1827, 



542 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and Squire Carliu is doubtless the only man now living in the county who 
remembers him, as he attended the school taught by White in Findlay. 

Joseph DeWitt came to Findlay early in the spring of 1827, with his 
wife and nine children, and opened a blacksmith shop north of the site of 
the old brick jail facing the park. This was the first blacksmith shop opened 
in the village. Mr. DeWitt was a native of New Jersey, thence removed to 
Pennsylvania, where he married Catherine Hunt, a native of that State. 
About 1809, with his wife and two children, Elizabeth and William, he re- 
moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, settling near Cincinnati, where Sarah, the 
widow of Parlee Carlin, Esq. , was born. He subsequently lived in Fairfield 
and Pike Counties, whence he came to Hancock, some of his childi'en being 
then full grown. Mr. DeWitt carried on blacksmithing in Findlay till his 
removal to Wood County, in 1832. In the fall of 1830 he was elected cor- 
oner of the county, being the second incumbent of that office. From Wood 
County he went to Indiana, and there died. 

John C. Wickham, his wife, Barbara, son Minor T. and daughter, Lucy, came 
from Ross County, Ohio, in the spring of 1827, his son, William, coming out a 
few years afterward. Wickham built a cabin on east Main Cross Street, and in 
the winter of 1827-28, taught school in the old hewed-log schoolhouse, erected 
the former year on the northwest corner of East and Crawford Streets. In 
October, 1828, he was elected sheriff, and served two years; and he was 
also postmaster of Findlay, from July, 1829 to* June, 1831, being the sec- 
ond postmaster of the village. In 1832 his son Wjlliam located in Blanchard 
Township, and the next year the parents and Minor T. also removed to that 
subdivision. The daughter, Lucy, married James McKinnis. Mr. Wick- 
ham taught school there, and in 1835 was elected justice of the peace, but 
died soon after, while on a business trip to Wayne County, Ohio. 

Reuben Hale was a pioneer of 1827, in which year he was hired by Wil- 
son Vance, to attend to the Vance & Cory grist-mill. He was a brother of 
Alfred Hale, who settled at Ft. Mc Arthur, on the Scioto River, about 1818, 
where Reuben also lived till coming to Findlay, nine years afterward. 
At the first county election in April, 1828, he ran for sheriff, against Don 
Alonzo Hamlin, but was defeated. He married Emeline, daughter of Asher 
Wickham, and subsequently removed into Marion Township, thence to Union 
County, Ohio, where the declining years of his life were passed. 

Edwin S. Jones, started the first tanyard in the village on East Front 
Street. He visited Findlay in May, 1827, and purchased a lot on Front 
Street, and the following autumn, erected thereon a hewed-log house with 
shingle roof, the first shingles used in the village, the few other cabins then 
here being covered with clap boards. He subsequently erected a tannery 
close to his house. Mr. Jones was clerk of elections in April, 1828, and in 
October, 1828, was elected county treasurer, which office he filled two years. 
In 1831 he sold his tannery to Edward Bright, and removed to a farm in 
Marion Township, whence he afterward went to Chillicothe, 111. , where he 
died a few years ago. 

William Taylor was one of the most prominent pioneers of Findlay, 
where he settled permanently in June, 1828. He was born in Mifflin 
County, Penn. , May 12, 1798, and there grew to manhood, receiving a very 
limited education. He was married, in Bedford County, Penn. , April 25, 
1826, to Miss Margaret Patterson, and the following July removed to Rich- 
land County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming about eight miles from 





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VILLAGE OF FiNDLAY. 545 

Mansfield. In the spring of 1828 Mr. Taylor came to Findlay and engaged 
Matthew Reighly to build him a log house, 18x32 feet in dimensions, and 
complete the same for about $350. He then retui-ned for his family, with 
whom he arrived June 8, 1828. Mr. Taylor" brought along a small stock of 
dry goods, groceries, etc. , and opened the second store of the village in one 
end of the house, which stood on the west side of Main Street, where Roth- 
child's liquor store now is. He soon afterward weather-boarded the build- 
ing, and put up a fi-ame addition adjoining, and opened a tavern called the 
" Findlay Inn. " His brother, James, came out soon after and lived with 
him several years, subsequently residing in Putnam and Allen Counties, and 
thence removing to Oregon, where he is now living. In 188-l:-35 Mr. Tay- 
lor built the fi-ont part of the brick store-room now owned by Frank Karst, Sr. , 
on the noi-thwest corner of Main and Main Cross Streets, and removed his 
business and residence to that building. Besides attending to his store and 
tavern Mr. Taylor carried on a very profitable trade in peltry with the hunters 
and Indians who frequented the village. By judicious management, good 
judgment and strict attention to business he accumulated a large estate, and 
at the time of his decease he was regarded as one of the wealthy citizens of the 
town. He was the first surveyor of Hancock County, and filled that office fi-om 
April, 1828, to April, 1832. In 1835 he was elected county commissioner, 
and again in 1845. He served in the Ohio Legislature in 1838-39, and in 
1856 was the presidential elector fi-om this district on the Fremont and Day- 
ton ticket. In December, 1849, he was appointed postmaster of Findlay, 
and held the office till April, 1853. Mr. Taylor was one of the organizers 
of the Presbyterian Church of Findlay, and a ruling elder of the society 
until his death, which occurred September 13, 1867, in the seventieth year 
of his age. His widow survived him only eleven months, dying August 12, 
1868, she being also in her seventieth year when called fi'om the scenes of 
life. Four children survive the parents, viz. : Patterson, of Missouri ; Mil- 
ton, of Toledo, and Mrs. Milton Gray and Mrs. J. S. Patterson, of Findlay, 
all prominent in the material and social interests of their respective homes. 
Parlee Carlin was a pioneer of the fall of 1828, coming to Findlay fi-om 
the Maumee River, and forming a partnership with his brother Squire. He 
was born in New York State October 11, 1806, and followed the fortunes of 
the family, which have been related in his brother's sketch. July 29, 1830, 
he married Miss Sarah De AVitt, daughter of Joseph De Witt, the pioneer 
blacksmith of the village, who still survives him. Mr. Carlin was promi- 
nently associated with his brother in all his business enterprises, but at the 
time of their failiu-e he was more fortunate in saving something from the 
financial disaster which swept away his brother's fortune. He served as 
county recorder from June, 1835, to October, 1835, and served three terms 
in the State Legislature, viz. : 1837-38, 1856-58 and 1864-66, and also one 
term in the State Senate, to which body he was elected in 1866. IVIi-. Car- 
lin and wife reared a family of nine children, all of whom are living. He 
died July 7, 1883, in his seventy-seventh year, and is still kindly remem- 
bered by a large circle of fi-iends. 

James B. Moore and James Peltier came to the village in the summer of 
1828, both being single. The former was a brick-mason and a native of Vir- 
ginia. After several years' residence in town he settled in the southeast corner 
of Findlay Township, and thence removed to Jackson, where he died in the 
winter of 1845-46. Mr. Moore was twice married, and four of his children 



540 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

are living, two of whom are residents of Findlay. Peltier was a Frenchman, 
who entered the employ of Squire Carlin, and traveled over the country 
buying furs. In 1880 the Carlins set him up in business in Allen County, 
where he married and spent the balance of his life. Moore and Peltier voted 
at the October election of 1828. 

John George Flenner was the pioneer tailor of Findlay, where he located 
in the spring of 1829. He was a native of Frederick County, Md., born in 
April, 1776, and there grew to maturity. In his twenty-fourth year he 
enlisted in the United States Army and served two years. He then entered 
the navy and did service under Capt. John Rodgers, crossing the Atlantic 
four times during his term of one year. Quitting the navy he repaired to 
his early home, and was soon afterward married to Miss Elizabeth Yantiss. 
After several years spent in Alleghany and Frederick Counties, Md. , he 
removed to Ohio, and settled near Cadiz, Harrison County, soon afterward 
removing to the Pickaway Plains, near the Scioto River. Here his wife 
died early in 1826, and three years afterward he came to Findlay. Mr. 
Flenner married again and followed his trade from the time of his settlement 
up to within a few years of his death, whiph occurred November 17, 1861, in 
the eighty-sixth year of his age. 

Joshua Powell and family came in the spring of 1829, and built a log 
cabin on the alley north of Crawford Street and near East. He cleared and 
cultivated a small patch of ground about where the residence of E. P. Jones 
now stands, but the crop of corn which he put in proved a failure, because 
of the very dry weather which prevailed that season. In the fall of 1829 he 
rented his cabin to Dr. Bass Rawson, and removed to a tract of land in 
Marion Township, in the history of which township further mention of him 
will be found. 

Thomas F. Johnston removed from Crawford County, Ohio, to Findlay in 
the spring of 1829, and took possession of a small cabin immediately west of 
the fort. He entered 214 acres of land in Sections 11 and 14 the same 
year, and during his residence here did some farming. In October, 1830, 
he was elected auditor of the county, and served from March, 1831, until 
June 4, 1832, when he resigned the office. He owned the lot on which 
the Humphrey House stands, and erected a two- story frame upon it, but ere 
its completion, in 1832, he sold it to James H. Wilson, who finished the 
building. Soon after selling this property he went back to Crawford 
County. 

John Bashore was the third pioneer tavern-keeper of the village. He 
came here early in 1829, and erected a two-story hewed-log building on 
the northeast corner of Main and Crawford Streets, and opened "a place 
of entertainment for man and beast." His brother-in-law, Philip Strohl, 
came with him and died a year or two afterward. Rev. Thomas Thompson 
preached the funeral sermon, and Strohl was interred in the old cemetery 
on Eagle Creek. In May, 1832, Bashore so Idout to Maj. John Patterson, 
and removed to Lima. 

William L. Henderson was one of the few pioneers of Findlay who 
possessed what was then a rare accomplishment, viz. : a good education. 
At the time of his settlement, in 1829, he was doubtless the best informed 
man in the village. He was a native of the County Donegal, Ireland, born 
May 12, 1800, and in 1818 immigrated to New Brunswick, soon afterward 
removing to Mt. Eaton, Wayne Co. , Ohio, where he married Miss Phoebe 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAV. 547 

Patterson. In 1829 he came to Findlay and erected a log house on the 
west side of Main Street immediately north of Patterson's corner. Mr. 
Henderson was a practical surveyor, and first served as deputy under Will- 
iam Taylor, who then held the office of county surveyor. In April, 1832, 
he succeeded Mr. Taylor and served until October, 1838. In October, 
1831, he was elected justice of the peace of Findlay Township, and re- 
elected in 1834. In October, 1838, Mr. Henderson was elected auditor of 
Hancock County, and re-elected to the same office, but resigned Septem- 
ber 29, 1842, to accept the office of clerk of the court of common pleas, 
which he filled until July, 1848, when he resigned. Mr. Henderson was 
also one of the first, if not the first notary public apjDointed in the village. 
He was an honest, capable official, and recognized as a man of strong 
convictions and very decided opinions. He possessed that combination of 
pride and generosity so characteristic of the Irish race, and was ever ready 
to extend a helping hand in assisting suffering humanity. In the spring 
of 1855 Mr. Henderson removed to Guthrie County, Iowa, and in 1858 
located in Linn County, Kas. , where he died May 15, 1863, his widow sur- 
viving him about two years. They reared a family of five childi-en, viz. : 
Mrs. Sarah A. Whiteley, Mrs. Ellen E. Benedict, Mrs. Clara J. Carson, 
Mrs. Kate M. Selkirk and Patterson. Only two of these are now living, 
Mrs. Benedict and Mrs. Selkirk, both residents of Dixon County, Neb. 
Mrs. Whiteley, the deceased wife of Judge M. C. Whiteley, is, perhaps, the 
best remembered of any of Mr. Henderson's children, as she spent more 
than fifty years of her life in Findlay and died here only a few years ago. 

Henry and Peter Shaw came to Findlay in September, 1829, the former 
having a wife and five childi-en, and the latter a wife only. They were 
natives of Pennsylvania, whence they had removed to Richland County, 
Ohio, in 1812, and seventeen years afterward to Hancock. They lived for 
a short time in the old log schoolhouse and then took a contract fi'om Rob- 
ert L. Strother to clear oil* a piece of land north of the river, where both 
families spent the winter of 1829-30, and then returned to the village. Pe- 
ter subsequently located southeast of the town on Lye Creek. Heni-y was 
something of a carpenter, and in 1830 built the old log jail that once stood 
upon the public square. In 1832 he erected a horse-mill on Front Street, 
on the south end of the lot now occupied by the ' ' Church of God, " ' which he 
operated a few years. This old grist-mill is yet well remembered by many 
of the inhabitants of Findlay. In 1836 Henry removed to a farm near Van 
Buren, and in 1842 to Marshall County, Ind. , where he died in 1872. 

Frederick Henderson was one of the pioneer merchants of Findlay, 
where he settled in the fall of 1831. He was a native of Muskingum 
County, Ohio, and first visited Findlay in the summer of 1831, at which 
time he decided to locate here. Returning to Muskingum County for his 
family, which then consisted of his wife, Margaret, and one child, he was there 
joined by Jonathan Parker, who accompanied Mr. Henderson to this vil- 
lage, the trip being made in a wagon drawn by four horses. Mr. Henderson 
was a cabinet-maker, and followed his trade in Findlay for several years 
after coming, a portion of the time in connection with Hugh Newell.' In 
1840 he and Mr. Newell purchased the stock of William Taylor, and for a 
short time carried on a store in Mr. Taylor's building, now owned and oc- 
cupied by Frank Karst, Sr. They soon afterward erected a fi-ame store- 
room on the east side of Main Street, a little south of Crawford, to which 



548 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

they removed their stock. This ]mrtnership Listed till 38 40, when it was 
dissolved, Mr. Henderson retaining possession of the business. In 1849 
he took in J. S. Patterson, who continued as one of the firm until 1857. Mr. 
Henderson erected the three-story brick block on the southeast corner of 
Main and Crawford Streets, which he occupied at the time of his death. He 
was a very successful merchant, and did a large share of the business in his 
line. Courteous and affable at all times, he won and retained the good will 
of all with whom he came in contact. He was one of the i)ioneer Presby- 
terians of Findlay, and died in that faith August 21, 1866, in his sixty- 
first year. His widow survived him till January 13, 1870, leaving a family 
of four children, none of whom are now residents of the county. 

Jonathan Parker accompanied Mr. Henderson to Findlay, where they 
arrived toward the close of October, 1881. He was born in Loudoun County, 
Va., in 1808, and in the spring of 1814 removed with his parents to Morgan 
County, Ohio, where he learned the carpenter trade, afterward removing to 
Muskingum County, whence he came to Findlay. Mr. Parker followed his 
trade of carpenter and builder in this county for many years. He bviilt a 
steam saw-mill on the north bank of the river in 1846, which was in success- 
ful operation till March 10, 1874, when it was completely wrecked by its 
boiler exploding. It was then the property of J. C. Powell, and has not 
been rebuilt. In 1857 Mr. Parker erected a steam planing-mill in the 
southwest part of the village, to which he added a grist-mill, which began 
operations in the spring of 1858. These were known as the "Hancock 
Mills," and the flouring-mill is still operated by his son John. Mr. Parker 
took for his first wife Miss Elizabeth Hamilton, who died, leaving no issue. 
He then married Miss Lucinda Workman, who bore him three children (two 
of whom are living), and died May 15, 1844. In 1846 he was married to Miss 
Nancy A. Workman, to which union three childi-en were born, two of whom, 
with the mother, survive, the father having died September 27, 1879. Mr. 
Parker was one of the most enteri^rising citizens that Findlay has ever pos- 
sessed. He also took a deep interest in pioneer matters, and his reminis- 
cences delivered at the meetings of the Pioneer Association, of which he was 
a leading member, have been of much assistance in compiling this history 
of the village. Upright, straightforward, industrious and enterprising, 
he was highly respected l)y a very wide circle of the best people of Hancock 
County. He carried his Christian character into everyday life, and was a 
prominent example of practical Christianity. 

Joseph C. Shannon is said to have been a native of Ireland, who at an 
early day immigrated to Fairfield County, Ohio, and thence removed to the 
Tymochtee, in what is now Wyandot County. His first wife was a sister 
of George F. Algire, of Pleasant Township, whom he married in Fairfield 
County. Upon her death he was married to Vesta, daughter of Job Cham- 
berlin. Sr. , who also died after a brief married life. In 1831 he came to 
Findlay, and June 4, 1832, he was appointed auditor of Hancock County, 
vice Thomas F. Johnston (resigned). He was elected as his own successor 
in October, 1832, and re-elected to the same oflice. While holding the 
auditorship he was married to Miss Malinda V. Strother, sister of Judge 
Kobert L. Strother, and died in May, 1836, ere the expiration of his second 
term. 

E. D. Nightengale located in the village in 1831, and resided here many 
years. He was a clock repairer and a sort of "jack of all trades," and 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 549 

never amounted to much. In fact he was one of those peculiar characters 
found in every town, who in some way manage to eke out a living. Night- 
engale's name appears among the voters of Findlay in October, 1881, and 
his card can be found in the Courier of different years up to 1848, about 
which time he is believed to have left the county. 

Christian Barnd, though a pioneer of 1831, did , not settle in Findlay 
until the following year, his first residence being near Van Buren. He 
opened a small tavern and soon afterward a tannery on the site of the old 
brick jail west of the park, and carried on business there for several years. 
In 1884 he was elected sheriff and re-elected in 188fi. About 1839 he 
started a small grocery store on Main Street north of ^ Main Cross, which he 
carried on about eight years. Mr. Barnd died November 3, 1847. Three 
of his sons, John, Gamaliel C. and Elijah, are residents of the county, the 
last two mentioned having lived in Findlay for more than half a century. 

John W. Baldwin was a cousin of Dr. William H. Baldwin and came to 
Findlay from Champaign County, Ohio, in the spring of 1832. He opened 
a general store in partnership with Wilson Vance, which continued some 
time after he left the village. In March, 1835, Mr. Baldwin was elected 
associate judge, but resigned the office in July of the same year. He soon 
afterward went to New York, and subsequently sold his interest in the store 
to Mr. Vance. After many years spent in the great Eastern metropolis 
Mr. Baldwin returned to Springfield, Ohio, and there died a few years ago. 
He is best remembered in Findlay because of liis gigantic size, being the 
largest man that ever lived in Hancock County. 

James H. Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, is one of the few pioneer 
business men of Findlay who are yet living. He first came to the village in 
the summer of 1832, and purchased of Thomas F. Johnston the corner on 
which the "Humphrey House" now stands, and on which an unfinished two- 
story frame was in process of erection. In 1888 Mr. Wilson settled perma- 
nently, and being a carpenter worked at his trade for a short time. He 
then began clerking for the Carlins and afterward for B. L. Caples, also one 
of Findlay' s early merchants. Having finished the building on his lot he 
rented the property to Jeremiah Case, who kept a tavern in it one year. In 
the spring of 1834 he traded it to Maj. John Patterson for the Carnahan 
Corner and 160 acres of land, and the following year put up a frame store- 
room on the former. In 1838 he opened a general store in that building, 
where he continued in business for ten years, the frame being replaced in 
1848 by a three-story brick known as the " Melodeon Building," then the 
most imposing business block in Findlay, as its successor, the Carnahan 
Block, also is. Mr. Wilson conducted a mercantile business in his new 
building until retiring in 1854. He subsequently engaged in farming and 
has been a stockholder and director of the I'irst National Bank of Findlay 
since 1866. Mr. W^ilson has been a very successful business man, and is 
now enjoying the fruits of his early industry, inherent courtesy and business 
integrity. 

John Ewing was for many years one of the leading merchants of Find- 
lay. He came here from Pennsylvania in 1833, and at once engaged in 
merchaudising. At quite an early day he erected the three-story brick long 
known as the ' ' White Corner, ' ' and was a man of considerable wealth. In 
March, 1842, Mr. Ewing was elected associate judge and served on the 
bench seven years. He was the member who represented this senatorial 



550 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

district in the constitutional convention of 1850-51. Judge Ewing was 
dignified and exclusive in his habits, and not very popular in the social cir- 
cles of the village. In 1860 he removed to Springfield, Ohio, and after- 
ward to Wisconsin, dying in Milwaukee in 1880. He united with the Pres- 
byterian Church of Findlay in 1885, and remained a member of that 
denomination dm-ing the balance of his life. The people of Findlay claim 
if it had not been for Judge Ewing' s opposition and influence in favor of 
the Findlay Branch, the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad would 
have been located through the town, which ever since would have been 
enjoying the advantages of that great triTnk lino. 

Abraham Daughenbaugh and wife came to the village in the spring of 
1888. He was born at or near Williamsport, Penn., December 29, 1799, 
and there grew to manhood, thence removed to Canton, Ohio, and learned 
the carpenter trade. In the spring of 1888 he married Miss Mary Dewalt, 
of Canton, and soon after marriage came to Findlay and purchased William 
Taylor's tavern, which he ran a few years. He also followed carpentering 
and building. Three children were born to him, viz.: Ann, Dewalt and. 
Harriet, the last two mentioned being residents of Findlay. Mi\ Daughen- 
baugh died in 1866, and his widow the following year. 

Garrett D. and James Teatsorth came from eastern Ohio to Findlay in 
the fall of 1883. Their father, Isaac, an old Revolutionary soldier, came 
with them, and died December 25, 1884. James Teatsorth ran the old 
Shaw horse-mill on Front Street for some years, and in 1849 he went to 
California, whence in two or three years he retiu-ned to Findlay. He after- 
ward purchased the mills erected by Edson Goit, in Union Township, where 
he resided until his death. Garrett D. started a blacksmith shop soon after 
coming to Findlay, north of Main Cross Street. In 1837 he purchased the 
Rising Sun Hotel, built by Mr. Erb, the tailor, on east Main Cross, and 
turned over the blacksmith shop to his son-in-law, David Webster. He car- 
ried on the tavern for many years, but finally gave up the business, and 
died in Findlay September 8, 1872. The brothers each have a couple of 
children living in the county. 

Joseph D. Ford came to the village from Virginia with his mother in 
1832, but was then only a boy of sixteen. He learned the tailors' trade with 
Mr. Erb after coming, and about 1886 opened a shop. In 1889 he mar- 
ried Miss Mary Parker, sister of Jonathan Parker, who survives him. Mr. 
Ford continued to follow his business till his death in March, 1875. 

Peter Byal was born in Huntington County, Penn., July 8, 1806, and 
four years afterward his parents removed to Stark County, Ohio. In 1821 
he went to Cleveland and learned the hatter's trade, which he followed for 
twenty- seven years. He was married in Wooster, Ohio, in 1828, to Eliza 
McFall. and in December. 1888, located in Findlay, following his brother. 
John, and father. "William, to this county. Mr. Byal made the first hat that 
was manufactured in Findlay. In October, 1 88(). he was elected coroner, 
but served only one year, as he did not want the office. He removed to a 
farm soTith of town, but after several years came back to the village, and has 
been janitor of the high school building for the past sixteen years. Mr. 
Byal and wife reared a family of ten children, all of whom are living, but 
the mother died September 22, 1879. 

Maj. John Patterson, though dead over thirty-three years, is one of the 
well remembered pioneers of the town. He was born in Maryland, November 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 551 

9, 1784, and removed when quite yoving with his parents to Pennsylvania, 
and subsequently to what is now Jefferson Coiinty, Ohio, where they settled 
soon after the organization of the Northwest Territory. He there grew to 
manhood, and August 1 7, 1809, was married to Miss Elizabeth Alban. He 
served in the war of 1812, and at the close of that struggle removed to Har- 
rison County. In May, 1832, he visited Findlay and purchased the log tav- 
ern of John Bashore, which stood on the Carnahan corner. He did not set- 
tle here, however, till the spring of 1834, when he brought out his family, 
consisting of his wife and nine children — four sons and five daughters. He 
at once traded the property he had purchased of Bashore and IGO acres of 
land to James H. Wilson, for the "Humphrey Hotise" corner, upon which a 
two-story frame was standing, and opened the " Findlay Caravansary, " then 
the only tavern in the village where no intoxicating di-ink was sold. When- 
ever a thirsty traveler would call for something to drink, which of course gen- 
erally meant whisky, Mr. Patterson would point to the pump near the door 
and answer: "There's plenty of pump- water, sir, I do not sell whisky. " 
He soon got the nickname of "old pump-water," which stuck to him 
through life. In September, 1840, he traded the tavern to Samuel Leard 
for a farm in Washington Township, upon which he settled and lived about 
two years, and then returned to Findlay. In 1 843 he was elected justice of 
the peace of Findlay Township, and served one term. From that time until 
his death, March 8, 1853, he lived retired from the active duties of life. His 
widow survived him until October, 1877, and of his children only one son, 
Milton B. . and two daughters are living, all residents of the county. 

James Robinson was born in Lancaster County, Penn. , in 1809, and 
learned the carpenter's trade in Maryland. In March, 1834, he located in 
Findlay, and the following spring (1835) was married to Miss Delilah 
Bohart, a native of Carroll County, Ohio, who came to the village with her 
brother Jacob the previous fall. Of this union six children were born, four 
of whom are yet living, two, with the mother, being residents of Findlay. 
Mr. Robinson was elected sheriflp in 1852, and served one term. He died 
April 8, 1884. 

Price Blackford was also a pioneer of 1834. He was born in Pennsyl- 
vania in 1803, whence he removed with his parents to Columbiana County, 
Ohio, and subsequently to Stark County. Price learned the hatter's trade 
of his father, and upon reaching early manhood married Miss Abigal Slater, 
also a resident of Stark. They came to Findlay in 1834. where he engaged 
in theman uf acture of hats, in which line he did quite a biasiness for that 
day. In 1837 Mr. Blackford was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected 
four- times, serving fifteen consecutive years. He was a man of good judg- 
ment and strong common sense, and his decisions usually gave good satisfac- 
tion. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and assisted in organizing 
the first society of that faith in the county, which took place on Ten Mile 
Creek, about 1836. His wife bore him six childi'en, foiu' of whom are liv- 
ing, and two, Aaron and Jason, are leading attorneys of the county. She 
died in 1845, and on the Cth of April, 1851, he, too, passed away, leaving 
a record for sterling honesty that was proverbial. 

N. H. Ward was the second tailor who settled in the town. He was 
born in the Keystone State in 1812, and in 1815 his parents removed to 
Columbiana County, Ohio. He learned the tailor's trade, and in 1834 came 
to Findlay and opened a shop in a little log cabin near the residence of 



552 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Wilson Vance, where be followed tailoring several years. In 1844 he moved 
to his present residence in Big Lick Township, where he continued to work 
at his trade for sonn^ years afterward. Though coming to Findlay with less 
than $100, he has accumulated through the passing years one of the finest 
farms in the townshij) where he now lives. 

Paul Sours and John Campbell both located in Findlay in 1884. The 
former was a native of Adams County, Penn. , and manufactured furniture 
here for several years after coming. In 1885 he was married to Miss Leah 
Guise, and in 1887 united with the Presbyterian Church of Findlay. He 
served two terms as justice of the peace, and six years as county recorder. 
In 1855 he became cashier of the Citizen's Bank, which position he held 
iTutil his death, which occurred Jarmary 21, 1878, living and dying an up- 
right Christian man. Mr. Campbell purchased the Vance & Cory grist and 
saw mills. In the winter of 1884-85 he tore down the old log structure, 
and replaced it hj a fi'ame. He ran these mills until 1887, when he sold 
them to S. & P. Carlin, and subsequently removed to Richland County. In 
1886 he was elected justice of the peace, of Findlay Township, but is said 
to have left the county before the expiration of his term. 

John Adams was one of the early cabinet and chair-makers of the village, 
where he came from Pennsylvania in 1885. Ten years after that date is 
found his advertisement in the Courier. He was also a wheelwright, and 
sometimes did jobs of painting. Mr. Adams was the first mayor of Findlay, 
elected in April, 1888, and in 1844 he was elected recorder of the county, 
and served one term. He was a very worthy man and died in Texas, 
whither he had gone for the purpose of seeking a new field of labor. His 
family still reside in Findlay. 

The name of Capt. Hiram Smith is closely interwoven with the early 
history of Findlay, where he located in 1885. He was one of the most en- 
terprising, adventurous and generous men of his time, and was the first to 
manufacture fanning-mills in western Ohio, first at Waterville, on the 
Maumee River, and afterward at Findlay, where he was subsequently en- 
gaged in mercantile business. In 1851 he removed to Oregon, being 
one of the pioneers of that State. Capt. Smith was eminently practical, 
and was always ready to lend assistance to the needy. In the summers of 
1862-68 he went far out upon the plains to meet and succor immigrants 
to Oregon, and no privation or sacrifice was too great in order to assist and 
encourage the weary and often disheartened settlers. In October, 1863, 
while on a visit to Findlay, he sold a farm which he owned in Hancock 
County, and donated $1,()00 of the amount received in trust to the town, 
the interest to be annually expended in purchasing fuel for the widows, 
wives or mothers of volunteers living within the corporation limits. 
After ten years, one-third of the interest was to be annually added to 
the principal and the remaining two-thirds used in purchasing fuel dur- 
ing thirty years. But in case all of the said persons, for whose benefit the 
bequest was made, should die or move away before the expiration of said 
thirty years, all of the interest is to be • yearly added to the principal as a 
permanent fund. At the end of that time the interest on the whole fund is 
to be annually distributed among ' 'the indigent widows and sewing-girls, 
who keep house or keep shop, and who are under the necessity of using the 
needle as a siipport," within the l)ounds of the village. For this l^equest 
alone the memory of Hiram Smith should forever be revered by the people 



0'a 



jt'^^^^X 




^^^%^^f^fy^ C/-n^<Ceyyi^ 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. o5o 

of Hancock County. He died in San Francisco, Cal., January 17, 1870, 
leaving a large estate to his loved and venerated widow, Mrs. Hannah 
Smith, who now resides in Portland, Oregon. Her farm of 1,800 acres, a 
few miles from Portland, is carried on through a tenant. It is situated 
near the Columbia lliver, and in full view of Mount H(jod and much more 
of the grandest and most picturesque scenery of the State. 

William Porterfield came here from Knox County, Ohio, in 1835, and in 
1889, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Samuel Honn, began merchan- 
dising. The latter did not remain long in Findlay, but Mr. Porterfield was 
the second mayor of Findlay and carried on business in the village a good 
many years. He then removed to Williamstown, thence to Dunkirk and 
Gallion, Ohio, and subsequently to Council Bluffs, Iowa. He is now a 
resident of Fremont, Neb. 

A. H. Hyatt located in Findlay in the spring of 1836, coming here from 
Brownsville. Penn. He opened a store in a frame building, which he erected 
on the east side of Main Street, where Jacob M. Huber's di-ug store now is, 
and conducted business at that corner until his death, in the spring of 1859. 
Mr. Hyatt married a sister of Dr. William H. Baldwin, who bore him two 
children, one of whom, Benjamin F., survives and is a post trader in the 
West, but still calls Findlay his home. Few men of his day were more 
highly respected by the people of the county than A. H. Hyatt. Upright 
and honest in all his dealings, he was one of the most successful merchants 
of the village during his residence here of twenty-three years. 

B. L. Caples also began business in Findlay in the spring of 1836, com- 
ing from Ashland, Ohio, and establishing a store on the site of Totten's 
grocery. He, however, remained here only a few years, and is now a resi- 
dent of Fostoria. 

John Engelman and Joshua Baldwin were pioneers of 1836. The for- 
mer was born in Union County, Penn., September 16, 1810, there grew up 
and learned the carpenter's trade. In 1832 he came to Ohio, finally locat- 
ing in Tiffin, where he was married to Miss Margaret M. J. Julien, a native 
of Maryland, in July, 1885. In August, 1886, he removed to Findlay, 
where he has ever since resided, following his trade the greater portion of 
the time, and assisting in putting up many of the first buildings in the vil- 
lage. He was one of the builders and first proprietors of the Eagle Mills. 
His wife bore him thirteen children, eleven of whom are living, and died in 
1876. Mr. Baldwin came fiom Zanesville, Ohio, in October, 1886, with his 
wife Eleanor and three daughters: Sarah A., Eleanor and Melinda B. Mrs. 
Baldwin died in 1887 and he in 1858. His object in coming to Findlay was 
to be near his sons. Dr. William H. and A. C. Baldwin, and daughter, Mrs. 
Charles W. O'Neal. Mrs. Sarah A. Strother, of Findlay, is the only mem- 
ber of the family now living in the county. 

Hugh Newell was born in Washington County, Penn., April 8, 1804, 
and his early boyhood days were spent on the old homestead. His father 
was a veteran of the Revolution, and died in Pennsylvania. In 1814 the 
family removed to Mount Vernon, Knox Co. , Ohio, where Hugh subsequently 
learned the trade of a fanning-mill maker. He afterward clerked in the 
postoffice and kept a tavern, and sul^sequently removed to Belleville, Piich- 
land County, where he sold goods. December 2^), 1826, he was married to 
Miss Sallie' Thrift, and in the fall of 1836 brought his family to Findlay. 
Mr. Newell entered the store of Green & Reed, for whom he clerked about 



556 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

one year, and then began the manufactiiie of furniture with Frederick Hen- 
derson. In 1888 he opened a store, and in 1840 he and Mr. Henderson pur- 
chased the stock of William Taylor and for a short time conducted business 
on the Karst corner, then the property of Mr. Tayh^r. They afterward erect- 
ed a frame building on the east side of Main Street, south of Crawford, 
where they carried on business until 1846, when the partnership was dis- 
solved, and Mr. Newell removed to a building he put uj) on the west side of 
Main, north of Patterson's corner. Here he continued merchandising till 
November 1, 1 859, when hesold out to Henry Greer and retired from bus- 
iness. Mr. Newell was an honest, industrious, economical business man, 
and by judicious management during his mercantile career accumulated 
a handsome estate. He was a life-long Methodist, and a leading mem- 
ber of the Findlay society until his death April 10, 1883. Mrs. Newell 
survived him over two years and died October 16, 1885, leaving three chil 
dren, viz. : Mrs. Henry Brown, of Findlay, Mrs. Rev. Samuel Mower, of 
Cleveland, Ohio, and Sterling, of Indianapolis, Ind. 

Henry Lamb was also one of the early business men of Findlay. He 
was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, August 16, 1807, there grew to man- 
hood, and in 1830 married Miss Mary Lefler. Removing to Hancock County 
the same year, he settled on a farm northwest of Findlay; but in 1837 he 
bought out the stock of the Carlins and began merchandising. In October, 
1837, he was elected coroner and served one term. He purchased from 
John McCurdy, in Deceml>er, 1840, a two-story frame building, which the 
latter had just completed on the site of the Joy House, and opened the 
"White Hall" tavern. He ran this tavern till March, 1849, and it was 
burned down immediately after he moved out. Mr. Lamb next engaged in 
farming, and subsequently in the grocery trade for several years. He died 
May 7, 1882, and his widow December 27 following. Of their six children 
five are living, and two of them residents of Findlay. 

Among other early business men of the town whose names might be 
mentioned in this connection are Green & Reed, Dewalt & Rappee, Mark 
Delaney and Burger & Kling, merchants; John S. Julien, plasterer; Jesse 
W^heeler, George Plotner and John McCurdy, carpenters ; John Boyd, Peter 
Cogley, Garnet Whitlock, David Webster and Z. Surles, blacksmiths; 
Philip Shockey and John Schneyer, wagon and plow-makers; M. M. Nigh 
and Alonzo D. Wing, successive proprietors of the Findlay House; Daniel 
Erb, Jacob Bohart, Isaac J. Baldwin and Abraham Younkin, tailors; 
Abraham W. Schwab and Elijah Ash, shoe-makers, and Isaac Vail, tanner, 
all of whom were here prior to 1840 A few other names might be given, 
but little would be gained by extending the list, as Findlay was by this 
time quite a bustling little village with a population of between 500 and 
600 inhabitants. 

In the general history of the county, the chapter on the judiciary con- 
tains biographies of the pioneer lawyers of Findlay, and it only remains to 
mention briefly the early physicians of the village. The now aged and 
venerable Dr. Bass Rawson was the first member of the medical profession 
who settled in Findlay. The Doctor was born in Orange, Franklin Co. , 
Mass., April 17, 1799, and is now in his eighty-eighth year. He read med- 
icine in New York State and Massachusetts, and in the spring of 1828 re- 
moved to what is now Summit County, Ohio, where he began practice with 
his brother, Secretary. In September, 1829, he came to Findlay and com- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 557 

menced the practice of his profession in Hancock County, which he followed 
until his eightieth anniversary, in April, 1879, a period of nearly half a 
century. Findlay, at the time of his coming, was a small hamlet flanked by 
forest on every side, while the whole county contained a population of only 
about 800. In 1881 he and his brother La Quino were taxed on an income 
of $250. With the passing years Dr. Rawson grew into a large and lucra- 
tive practice, his professional circuit embracing a wide scope of country 
extending for many miles in every direction. By the judicious management 
of his annual income derived from his professional labors, the Doctor has 
accumulated quite a large fortune. Though the infirmities of old age are 
weighing heavily upon him, he nevertheless enjoys good health and bids 
fair to turn his four-score years and ten. 

Dr. La Quino Rawson was the second resident physician of Findlay, 
where he located in the spring of 1831. He was born on "Irvin's Grant," 
now the town of Irvin, Franklin Co.. Mass., September 14, 1804, and in 
1824 came to Ohio and began the study of medicine. In July, 1826, he 
commenced practice on the Tymochtee, in what is now Wyandot County, 
and five years afterward joined his brother Bass in Findlay. Here he re- 
mained two years and five months, and then removed to Lower Sandusky 
(now Fremont), where he followed his profession until 1855. From 1836 
to 1858 he was clerk of the common pleas court of Sandusky County, and 
was one of the prime movers in the construction of the Lake Erie & Western 
Railroad. He is yet a resident of Fremont. 

Dr. William H. Baldwin located in Findlay in the fall of 1832, coiliing from 
Fort Harmar, opposite Marrietta, Ohio. Dr. Baldwin read medicine with Dr. 
Flenner, of Zanesville, Ohio, where he was born January 16, 1810, and was a 
graduate of the Cincinnati Medical College. In March, 1835, he was appointed 
clerk of the common pleas court, and served in that capacity seven years. 
Dr. Baldwin continued in the enjoyment of a large and successful practice up 
to within a short time of his death, when failing health compelled him to 
relinquish the active duties of his profession. He died December 14, 1868, 
mourned by a large circle of friends, who regarded him not only as a good 
physician, but a warm and generous companion. 

Dr. Charles Osterlen was the next physician to open an office in the vil- 
lage, and the first of the homoepathic school of medicine. He was born in 
Germany, October 5, 1807, and is a graduate of the University of Stuttgart. 
Coming to the United States in 1832, he located in Ashland, Ohio, two 
years afterward, and in September, 1836, took up his residence in Findlay. 
Since that time up to the present he has continued in active and successful 
practice. He served one term in the Legislature, and has always taken a 
prominent part in furthering the best interests of his adopted county. To 
Dr. Osterlen, more than any other man, is due the credit of the first de- 
velopment of natural gas, which he has believed in and advocated during 
the past fifty years. 

Dr. David Patton came to Findlay in October, 1836, and soon succeeded 
in obtaining a fair share of patronage. He was born in Steiibenville, Ohio, 
December 14, 1799, of Irish ancestry; read medicine in Cadiz, Ohio, and 
l)egan practice in Carrollton. whence he removed to Fairfield Coiinty, and 
then to Hancock. The Doctor was a good physician, and after several 
years' residence in Findlay removed to Delaware, Ohio, but soon returned 
and resumed practice in this village. He subsequently went to Iowa, but 



558 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

came back to Ohio and died near Cleveland, August 80, 1874. During his 
residence in Findlay he purchased the FincUay Herald of James M. Coifin- 
berry, but did not publish the paper. Dr. Patton was a whole-souled, 
jovial man, possessing considerable mother wit, and was very popular with 
the people of the county. 

Dr. William D. Carlin was a son of the venerable Squire Carlin, and 
was born on the Maumee River, April 27, 1822. He read medicine with 
Dr. Bass Rawson, gradiiatcd from the Cincinnati Medical College in March, 
1843, and at once began practice in Findlay. Dr. Carlin served as surgeon 
in the Mexican war, and at the close of hostilities resumed his practice in 
Hancock County. He married Miss Harriet E. A. Rawson, daughter of 
his old preceptor, of which union two children survive. In the sj^ring of 
1862 Dr. Carlin was appointed surgeon of the Fifty -seventh Regiment, in 
which capacity he served until his death at Milliken's Bend, December 26, 
1862. He was a man of tine education, and a superior siu-geon, and at the 
time he entered the army he had a large and well-paying practice. 

Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, who is still a resident of Findlay, came to the 
village in 1841, and read medicine with Dr. Bass Rawson. In July, 1845, 
he opened an office, but in the spring of 1846 removed to Benton, where 
he practiced until July, 1847, and ihen returned to Findlay. Dr. Firmin 
continued in practice until 1865, when he finally retired, though for a few 
years prior to that time he had been gradually giving up the more active 
duties of the profession. 

Dr. William Stiles began practice in Findlay in the spring of 1846. He 
was a native of Franklin County, Ohio, read medicine in Fairfield, Huron 
County, and graduated from Willoughby Medical College and the Eclectic 
Medical College of Cincinnati. He commenced practice in Huron County, 
whence he came to Findlay and oj^ened a di'ug store, and formed a profes- 
sional partnership with Dr. Patton. In January, 1849, he married Miss 
Hannah E. , daughter of Hugh Newell, a leading merchant of the village. 
Dr. Stiles enjoyed a good practice up to the time of his death, in 1852. 
His only child, Harry N. , resides in Colorado, and his widow is now the 
wife of Henry Brown, Esq. , a leading member of the Findlay bar. 

Dr. James Spayth located in Findlay in June, 1847, and continued in 
practice here until the sickness came on which ended in his death July 28, 
1871. Dr. Sijayth was born in Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Penn., 
April 30, 1824, and when quite young his parents located on the site of 
Madison, Penn., which was afterward laid out by his father. In 1834 the 
family removed to Columbu^s, Ohio, and subsequently to Tiffin. Here 
James grew to manhood and read medicine, and in the spring of 1847 
graduated at the Philadelphia Medical College, locating in Findlay soon 
afterward. Dr. Spayth was a highly educated, respected and successful 
physician, and enjoyed a good practice up to his decease. His widow and 
family still occupy the same old home where he spent the closing years 
of his life. 

Dr. Belizur Beach was one of the old time pioneer physicians of the 
county, though he did not locate in Findlay until the spring of 1856. The 
Doctor was born in Northford, Conn., April 17, 1798, and read medicine in 
his native State. In 1822, with his wife, Rachel, he located near Ravenna, 
Ohio, and there practiced until September, 1844, when he removed to Ar 
lington, nine miles south of Findlay. Here he followed his profession near- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 559 



ly twelve years ere bis removal to Fincllay, where he died in May, 

Dr. Beach was a kind and attentive physician, and left many warm friends 

among the families in which he practiced. 

Several other physicians came to the village prior to 1858, among whom 
were Drs. Crow, Sprague, Beall, Armstrong, Green, Sorber, Turner, Rog- 
ers and F. W. Entrikin, none of whom remained long except the last 
one mentioned, who opened an office in 1855, and is yet one of the lead- 
ing physicians of the town. Later comers can not be called pioneer 
physicians, if indeed, some of those given can be classed as such, but 
they were among the earliest and for that reason their names are men- 
tioned. The practice of the earlier physicians encompassed a wide scope 
of country, necessitating long, lonely rides through the forest. In many 
places there were no roads, and those that existed were in a very primitive 
condition, many of them mere bridle paths. The pioneer medical practi- 
tioner was compelled to ford nearly every stream, as few bridges were built 
in this county prior to 1850. The younger physicians of to-day can scarcely 
realize the difficulties and ceaseless toil of their predecessors, for their' s is 
a life of ease in comparison with that led by those veteran fathers of medi- 
cal practice in Hancock County. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

FINDLAY CONTINUED. 

Progress of the Village— Postoffioe Established— List of Postmasters 
—Incorporation of Findlay, and its Subsequent Mayors and Clerks 
—The Old Graveyard on Eagle Creek— Maple Gkove Cemetery- 
California Movement of 1849— Underground Railroad— First Fire 
Engines, and Organization of the First Fire Company— The Fire 
Department Organized— Roster of Chief Engineers- Development 
AND Present Effkuency of the Department— Town Buildings— Ad- 
vent OF Railroads, Express, Telegraph and Telephone Lines— 
Findlay's .Sewerage System and its Benefits— Monumental Park- 
Organization of the Hancock Monumental Association— Brief His- 
tory and Description of the Soldier's Monument— The Old Findlay 
Gas Light Company— Erection of the Gas Works and First Lighting 
OF THE Town With Gas— The Works Closed Upon the Development 
of Natural Gas— Growth of Findlay Since 1831— Her Present Ap- 
pearance AND Business Interests, and Future Prospects. 

FROM the time that Wilson Vance laid out the village in the fall of 1821, 
there was a slow but steady increase in its population, though for years 
Findlay was an insignificant, forlorn looking hamlet. In the winter of 1822- 
23 the inhabitants living in the vicinity of the village petitioned the Gov- 
ernment for a postoffice, and on the 8th of February, 1823, an office named 
"Fort Finley" was established, with Wilson Vance as postmaster. For 
many years the office was a very poorly paying institution. In 1826 it 
netted Mr. Vance the extraordinary small income of $3.18, and by 
1828 this had increased to only $10, and not more than five newspapers 



560 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNT V. 

then came to the office. The name was changed in April, 1828, from 
"FortFinley" to "Finley;" in March, 1856, to "Findley," and in Feb- 
ruary, 1870, to"Findlay." There never was a particle of authority for 
any other orthography than the last mentioned, as Col. James Findlay, 
from whom the town derived its name, always wrote his name " Findlay," 
as did also his brother, Gov. William Findlay, of Pennsylvania. But the 
postoffice department adopted the same orthography as used in the petition, 
and the pioneers who sent it knew little and cared less about such matters. 
What they wanted was a postoffice in the village, and so long as that wish 
was com^Dlied with they were content. It has been heretofore claimed that 
an office was established at Findlay in 1821, but the following official letter 
in answer to our inquiry, definitely settles that point : 

Washington, D. C, Februarys, 1886. 
Sir: In reply to your letter of the 1st inst., I beg to say that the records of this 
office do not show that an office was established at Findlay, Ohio, prior to 1833. 

Very respectfully, A. E. Stevenson, 

First Asst. P. M. General. 

The following citizens have been postmasters of the village, the date of 
each appointment, as officially copied from the records of the department in 
Washington, being also given: Wilson Vance, February 8, 1823; John C. 
Wickham, July 27, 1829; Squire Carlin, June 4, 1831; Parlee Carlin, March 
1, 1849; Robert Coulter, June 1, 1849; William Taylor, December 26, 
1849; Abel F. Parker, April 12, 1853; Oliver Mungen, March 31, 1856; 
James Kobinson, December 31, 1857; Joseph B. Rothchild, March 20, 1861; 
Cloys B. Wilson, November 9, 1866, but the Senate refused to confirm him, 
as it was then at war with President Johnson, and Mr. Rothchild filled the 
office until the appointment of Col. James M. Neibling, as special agent. 
May 6, 1867; Amariah Ballon, March 20, 1869; Thomas E. Adams, June 
5, 1872; Eli G. DeWolfe, March 28, 1876; Winfield S. Hammaker, Novem- 
ber 5, 1885. On the 1st of November, 1864, the postal money order system 
was established in the United States, and in May, 1865, it was introduced 
into the Findlay office. Since that time the postmastership has been an 
office of much greater responsibility than in former years, and the recent 
adoption of the postal note system has also increased its revenues. 

The village of Findlay was incorporated by act of the Legislatm-e passed 
March 17, 1838, and an election ordered to take place the following month. 
At that time John Adams was elected mayor, and A. H. Hyatt, recorder. 
Mr. Adams was succeeded by W^illiam Porterfield. The charter was repealed 
March 13, 1843; but two years later (March 4, 1845) the act of incorpora- 
tion, passed in 1838, was declared in force. There are no official records in 
existence from which to obtain the names of the mayors of Findlay prior to 
1858, but by a careful perusal of odd numbers of the Courier we have been 
able to compile a complete list of the mayors and recorders of the village 
since its reincorporation in the spring of 1845. The mayors have been as 
follows: U. A. Ogden, 1845-47; Abraham Younkin, 1847-52; George W. 
Galloway, 1852-54; Jacob Carr, 1854-56; N. Y. Meffbrd, 1856-57; Josiah 
Powell, 1857-58; Charles C. Pomroy, April, 1858, resigned July 20, 1858, 
and Ezra Brown appointed to serve the unexpired term ; Ezra Brown, 1859- 
60; Israel Green, 1860-61; G. W. Twining, 1861-64; Jacob Carr, 1864- 
67; Nathaniel W. Filkin, 1867-68; James A. Bope, 1868-70; George F. 
Pendleton, 1870-72; Daniel B. Beardsley, 1872-74; William Gribben, 1874 



VILLAGE OP FINDLAY. 561 

-76; Jacob CaiT, 1876-78; William Vance, 1878-82; W. W. Siddall, 1882 
-86; W. L. Carlin, 1886-88. 

The following is a list of those who have filled the office of recorder or 
clerk of the borough since April, 1845: Mark Delaney, 1845-49; P. D. Big- 
elow, 1849 to October, 1854; Alonzo L. Kimber. October, 1854, to April, 
1856; S. H. Darst, 1856-57; Elijah Barnd, 1857-58; S. F. Gray, 1858-60; 
William Klamroth, 1860-62; Jule P. Dennis, 1862-63; Samuel Huber, 
1863-64; B. F. Kimmons, 1864-67; John C. Martin, 1867-69; D. H. Pugh, 
April, 1869, resigned the following month, and Eli G. DeWolfe appointed 
May 17 to serve until April, 1870; Lemuel McMannus, 1870, resigned in 
April, 1873, and W. Davidson appointed to serve until April, 1874; Jesse 
W^heeler, Jr., 1874, resigned in August, 1875, and Paul J. Soxirs, appointed 
to serve until April. 1876; John A. Meeks, 1876-78; William T. Piatt, 
1878-84; Jacob H. Boger, 1884-88. 

One of the first necessities of every village is a place of public burial, 
and when Findlay was laid out such a ground was selected on the east bank 
of Eagle Creek. A tradition exists that this old graveyard was started by 
the garrison of Fort Findlay diu'ing the war of 1812. Mrs. Matthew 
Reighly was interred in this ground in 1822, she being the first white per- 
son who died in Hancock County. Philip Strohl, brother-in-law of John 
Bashore, was also buried there about 1830, and, until the opening of Maple 
Grove Cemetery, nearly all who died in the village or vicinity found a rest- 
ing place on this small gravel knoll overlooking Eagle Creek. With the 
opening of Maple Grove the old cemetery was gradually abandoned and also 
neglected. In February, 1871, the town council passed an ordinance order- 
ing the removal, by their friends, of all the bodies then remaining in the old 
ground to Maple Grove Cemetery by the 15th of March following, and if 
not done by that date the town authorities would have them reinterred. 
There was some opposition to this measure, and though the great majority 
of the bodies were removed to Maple Grove, a great many neglected the 
work or refused to allow the bodies of their fi-iends to be disturbed. So the 
old cemetery partly remains, and several headstones on "the point" mark 
the resting places of those once well known in the busy scenes of life. 

Maple Grove Cemetery had its inception December 25, 1854, when 
under an act of the Legislature passed February 24, 1848, "making pro- 
visions for the incorporation of cemetery associations, " the following gentle- 
men effected such an organization: D. J. Cory, William Taylor, Hugh 
Newell, Jesse Wheeler, Aaron H. Bigelow, Benjamin Huber, John B. Hull, 
Parlee Carlin, George H. Crook, Da^dd Goucher, William H. Baldwin, 
Hanks P. Gage, James H. Wilson, John Ewing, Frederick Henderson, 
George W. Galloway, M. C. Whiteley and Henry Porch. On the 22d of 
January, 1855, the organization was completed by the election of John 
Ewing, Hanks P. Gage and Parlee Carlin, trustees, and William Taylor, 
clerk; and " Maple Grove Cemetery Association" was adopted as the name 
of the organization. The association purchased of George Biggs twenty 
acres of land lying in the northwest quarter of Section 13 and the northeast 
quarter of Section 14, Findlay Township, immediately west of town for the 
sum of 12,200, which they at once laid out as a cemetery. On the 3d of 
August, 1860, the association turned over its title in the cemetery to the 
town and township of Findlay, said town and township assuming an in- 
debtedness of $982, then owing to George Biggs. Twenty-two acres lying 



562 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

south of the cemetery were purchased of Jasper N. Lytle November 16, 1872, 
at a cost of |2,2(H). A roadway belonging to Frederick Duduit originally 
divided the two tracts, but in April, 1875, the trustees of the cemetery ex- 
changed with Mr. Duduit 4.45 acres off the southwest corner of the last 
purchase for the roadway, which contained the same amount of land, and 
thus the tracts were united. In July, 1878, the authorities resolved to 
authorize the cemetery trustees to erect a ' ' mortuary chapel ' ' for the re- 
ception of the dead before burial, at a cost not to exceed $2,000. The 
chapel was commenced in the fall of 1878, and the building was completed 
and accepted by the trustees in May, 1879. Ryland & WykoflP were the con- 
tractors, and it is a very substantial, handsome stone structure, with mass- 
ive iron doors, and adds considerably to the beauty of the grounds. The 
cemetery occupies an elevated, well-drained level site on the west bank of 
the Blanchard, along which a winding driveway leads from the village to 
the main entrance. The newer portion of the grounds surrounding the 
chapel are handsomely laid out, and the whole cemetery has a profusion of 
flowers, evergreens and shade trees which furnish an inviting place of i*est 
to the casual visitor. Many artistic and costly monuments attest the devo- 
tion of the living, and prove at least a fleeting reverence for those silently 
sleeping 'neath the grass-covered mounds dotting this beautiful city of the 
dead. 

There are two notable circumstances so closely interwoven with the his- 
tory of Findlay's progress as to deserve mention in this chapter — the 
California movement of 1849, and the peculiar workings of the "Under- 
ground Railroad. " We are indebted for our information on those subjects to 
Willis H. Whiteley, Esq. , of Findlay, who obtained the facts from active par- 
ticipants therein, which we ourselves have verified through the same sources. 

' ' The excitement, ' ' says Mr. Whiteley, ' ' caused by the closing scenes of 
the war between the United States and Mexico was renewed early in the 
spring of 1848 by the report of the discovery of gold, on the Aijierican 
Fork of the Sacramento River, in California. The news of the finding of 
the precious metal spread as if borne on the wings of the wind. The in- 
telligence went flying through the States to the Atlantic and then to the 
ends of the earth. Adventurers flocked from every quarter to the new El 
Dorado. Thousands of men were almost crazed with the excitement. 
Workshops were closed, business abandoned, farms left tenantless, and 
offices deserted, while moving across the great plains companies of advent- 
urous spirits traveled westward with hungry hearts, like Jason and his 
Argonauts of old in search of the Golden Fleece. Nor did the excitement 
and the eager desire to explore the new fields of wealth leave the people of 
Hancock County unscathed. Early in the year 1849 a company was organ- 
ized in Findlay for the purpose of crossing the plains and exploring the 
gold bearing regions of California. The names of the men fi'om Hancock 
County who were in the company are as follows: Squire Carlin, Dr. W. D. 
and Elliott Carlin (sons of Squire Carlin), William J. Dunham, George W. 
Myers, Frederick Duduit, Alonzo D. Wing, Hanks P. Gage, S. B. Han-ing- 
ton, James Fredmore, James Porterfield, Samuel Porterfield, James Teatsorth, 
Gan-ett Teatsorth, Gid. Nightengale, A. Nightengale, Charles Coffinberry, 

Shultz, James Smith, Michael Deopler, William Byal, Pearson Beardsley, 

Aaron Cromley, Isaac Vail, Elijah Ash, D. Austin, Isaac Miller, Isaac 
Johnson, — ^ — Krauss, George West, John Riddle, William Smith, Daniel 



Pi -"W^ 



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VILLAGE OF FINDLAV. 565 

Tremaine. Isaac Sharon, Henry Moffitt, Charles Moffitt, William Moffitt, 
William Downing, George Downing, John Stagmier, William Worden, 

Peter Messamore, Jacob Beam. Wagner, Dr. Haggerty (Mt. Blanchard) 

and Dr. Jesse Beason (Van Buren). There were also in the company Dr. 
Stanley and C. W. Butterfield (afterward the author of "Crawford's Cam- 
paign Against Sandusky"), from Seneca County, Peter Parks and 

Lathrop, from Sandusky City, and Messrs. Bagley, Blodget and Hubbard, 
and two brothers named Allen, from Putnam County. 

The party left Findlay on the 3d of March, 1849, going by the way of 
Carey to Cincinnati, and fi-om there by steamboat to St. Joseph, Mo. From 
there the company went to Independence, Mo. , then the great outfitting 
point for emigrants crossing the plains. Here they remained until May 3, 
1849, when they started westward with eight wagons. While en route 
William Byal died and was buried on Bear River. He was a brother of 
Hon. A. P. Byal, of Findlay. In September of the same year, six months 
after leaving Findlay, the Argonauts reached Weaverville, Cal. , where the 
company disbanded. While at this point Pearson Beardsley, a brother of 
D. B. Beardsley, Esq., also died, being the second after leaving home. The 
next year D. Austin died with cholera near Sacramento, Cal. After sep- 
arating at Weaverville, the members of the company scattered in all direc- 
tions, some to engage in mining, others to work at their trades, and many 
to pursue such employment as offered itself. Within two or three years the 
most of the company had returned, but a few remained on the Pacific slope 
and made for themselves permanent homes. More than half of the original 
company that left here for California in March, 1849, with light hearts and 
bright hopes of wealth, are dead, and of those who are alive a very few are 
now living in the county. Some are old and fast nearing the ' " golden 
shore," and all are far past middle life. Yet, withal, they speak with 
pleasure and recall with fervent interest the scenes and incidents and ad- 
ventures of the long, long journey, when they were a part of the Aro-onauts 
of '49." 

For many years prior to the Reljellion, there existed in this vicinity two 
' 'stations' ' on the ' 'Underground Railroad, ' ' where runaway negroes' were 
harbored, cared for and assisted on their journey toward Canada — then the 
slave's goal of liberty. The business of this institution was to aid the fugi- 
tives in their escape to that land of refuge. A line of ' ' stations ' ' existed 
at intervals of twenty-five or thirty miles, and the travel over the line was 
entirely at night. ''Conductors" were engaged to pilot the runaways in 
safety, while agents and sympathizers through the South enticed negroes 
from their masters, and furnished them with means to escape to the North, 
where they would be cared for and sent out of the country. The people 
who aided and abetted this work were called "Abolitionists," and were 
sincerely hated by the slave owners of the South. The two "stations" in 
this locality are said to have sheltered and furntehed means of further flight 
to over forty fleeing blacks during the ten years preceding the Rebellion. 
These were worth to their masters at least $40,000. Notice of a runaway's 
coming was generally sent in advance, so that the sympathizers and prompt- 
ers of the scheme would be prepared to receive them. The slaves invaria- 
bly reached Hancock County at night, were kept carefully concealed, and 
always sent away in the night time. Some of the runaways remained in 
the county from a week to ten days, so as to throw their pursuers off the 

30 



500 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

track, and none of those who came here were captured by their owners. 
Late in 1858 one of the parties engaged in the " Oberlin Rescue" — the 
taking of an escaped negro named John from his captors — came to Findlay 
to avoid arrest by the United States authorities of the Oberlin District, and 
remained here concealed for several weeks. But the war put an end to 
slavery, and the services of the Underground Railroad were no longer 
needed. Many of the persons who took part in its workings in this county 
are dead. It is not known that any of those who participated in that scheme 
of giving liberty to human beings ever regretted their action. Those who 
are dead did not, those who are living need not. II was not ambitious de- 
sire nor malicious intent that brought them into the work, biit their deep 
sympathy for enslaved humanity and their earnest zeal for the liberty of the 
despised race. 

The fire department is one of the most important and practical institu- 
tions of every town, yet Findlay was quite a good-sized village before she 
possessed a fire engine of any kind. In June, 1850, the "Tom Thumb," a 
small square box engine on four wheels, and operated by a hand crank, was 
purchased. As a fire extinguisher it was a failure, and in the fall of 1851 
a second-hand engine, the "Jenny Lind," was purchased in Cincinnati, 
where it had been previously used by ' 'Washington Engine Company, No. 
2." The Tom Thumb was then thrown aside, and in 1859 its running gear 
was sold to Ernest Bacher, who now uses it in the business of his bottling 
works. Prior to the purchase of the Jenny Lind no effort had ever been 
made to organize a fire company, but the preliminary steps were now taken 
in that direction. On the 3d of December, 1851, a meeting was held at 
the court house for the purpose of effecting such an organization. Judge 
D. J. Cory was called to the chair, and P. D. Bigelow appointed secretary. 
After the object of the meeting was explained, and the necessity of a fire 
company fully set forth, a committee was appointed to draft a constitution 
and by laws and report at a meeting to be held at the same place on the 
following evening, December 4. On that date the ' ' Findlay Relief Fire 
Company' ' was organized to man the Jenny Lind engine, with Eli Detwiler, 
captain; William C. Cox, first lieutenant; Henry Guntner, second lieuten- 
ant; P. D. Bigelow, secretary; James H. Wilson, treasurer; Jacob Carr, 
first engineer. This old engine, though almost useless, was a part of the 
fire apparatus of Findlay until the spring of 1866, when the mayor and 
chief engineer were ordered to sell the brass and copper on the engine and 
remodel the running gear into a hook and ladder truck, which was com- 
pleted in July. The Dreadnought Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, was 
then organized, and the truck has since been manned by this company. 

In October, 1855, the "Citizens' Gift Fire Engine No. 2" was purchased 
by Jacob Carr, then mayor of the village, fi-om L. Button & Co. , of Wa- 
ter ford, N. Y. The engine cost about $850, largely raised by subscription 
among the citizens of the town; hence the name adopted. A company was 
organized to take charge of the Citizens' Gift, and this engine is yet doing 
good service, having been removed to East Findlay, in June, 1873. 

The fire department was regularly organized under an ordinance passed 
April 27, 1856, and Robert S. Mungen elected chief engineer. He served 
until April, 1859, and his successors have been as follows: Joseph B. Roth- 
child, 1859-60; G. C. Barnd, 1860-62; Joel Markle, 1862-63; Charles B. 
'Hall, 1863-64; \Mlliam L. Davis, 1864-65; Mahlon Barnd, 1865-66; Jo- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 56? 

seph B. Rothchild, 1866-08; Philip B. Morrison, 1868-70; Thomas W. 
Taylor, 1870-71; Charles B. Hall, 1871-72; N. M. Adams, 1872-73; Will- 
iam S. Post, 1873-75; James Wilson, 1875-77; N. M. Adams, 1877-79; 
Peter J. Stoffel, 1879-83; Henry Glick, 1883-85; Charles Neumann, 
1885-87. 

The L. Button Fire Engine No. 1. was contracted for in the fall of 1858, 
to take the place of the Jenny Lind. and was also manufactured by L. But- 
ton & Co., of Waterford. N. Y. In the Courier of January 21. 1859. the 
following notice of this engine appears: "The new fire engine, ' L. Button 
No. 1,' For the No. 1 Fire Company, airived last Monday. It is a beauti- 
ful machine, and no doubt will do good service in quenching the devouring 
element. The company had it out practicing on Wednesday, and it per- 
formed to their satisfaction generally. In size and capacity it is very near 
the same as the Citizens' Gift Engine." The L. Button cost about $825, 
which was principally raised l)y. subscription. In June. 187/, this engine 
was removed to North Findlay. where the company was reorganized, to 
consist mainly of members residing in that part of the village. 

When the ' 'Jenny Lind " was purchased a room was rented from Ewing & 
Wheeler, which also served as an engine house for the Citizens' Gift, when 
that engine was bought. In August. 1854. a lot was purchased on the 
north side of West Crawford Street; and in the fall of 1857 a brick engine 
house erected thereon. Here all the fire department apparatus was kept 
until after the purchase of the first steam engine. More room then became 
necessary, and in May, 1872, the adjoining lot was bought, and an addi- 
tion erected to the old biiilding. It is now occupied by the apparatus of 
the Hook and Ladder Company, and also utilized as a village lock-up. 
In June, 1872. a site for an engine house was donated in East Findlay, by 
William W. McConnell and Parish W. Rockwell; and a year afterward a room 
was rented on East Sandusky Street, to which the Citizens' Gift engine was 
removed. The present brick building east of Eagle Creek was erected the 
same year, and dedicated by a supper given by the Citizens' Gift Fire Com- 
pany, December 26, 1873, to celebrate the occupancy of their new quar- 
ters. 

In the meantime the steam fire engine "Findlay," with two hose 
carts, hose, etc., had been purchased. On the 3d of August, 
1871, Parlee Carlin, J. T. Adams, Peter Kunz and W. H. Wheeler 
were appointed by the council, a committee, to negotiate for the 
purchase of a steam fire engine, and on the 7th they reported the pur- 
chase of an engine, two hose carts, and 1,000 feet of hose, etc., from the 
Silsby Manufacturing Company, of Seneca Falls. N. Y. , for the sum of 
$7,300. A company to man the steamer was organized the following year. 
By authority of an act of the Legislature. passed May 7. 1877. the "Centen- 
nial," another Silsby steamer, with hose reels, hose, etc., was pui'chased. on 
the 15th of June following, for $3,740, and a second company organized to 
take charge of the new engine. 

Upon the purchase of the last steamer the L. Button Engine was removed 
to North Findlay, where a room was rented for an engine house. In 
October, 1877, a lot was bought of David A. Elliott, on Main Street, north 
of the railroad crossing; and in the fall of 1879 the present two-story brick 
engine house was completed and occupied by the L. Button Fire Com 
pany. 



r)68 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

The apparatus of the lire depurtiuent has cost about $ir>,000, aud is 
kept in excellent condition. Good cisterns have been constructed, conven- 
ient to every part of the town, but the supply has sometimes proved insuffi- 
cient, and the lack of hose to reach the more distant cisterns has often been 
a great drawback in fighting the fiery element. Water- works are now talked 
of, and, if built, will be a wonderful improvement over the present system. 
Except the chief engineer, the engineers and firemen of the steamers, and 
the three messengers, the entire department, which averages about 325 men, 
is composed of volunteers, whose efficiency has often been fully demon- 
strated. 

■ The village authorities had been trying for some years to purchase a 
suitable location for a town building, but no final arrangement was arrived 
at until June 13, 1881, on which date the present two-story brick, on the 
southwest corner of th.> public square, was bought of James C. Garnett for 
the sum of $4,' 500. It was then a livery stable, but was at once remodeled 
and fitted up for town uses. In the second story are located the council 
room, and mayor's and marshal's offices, etc., while the lower story is occu- 
pied by the two steam fire engines, hose carts and other necessary apparatus 
of the department. A fire-alarm bell has recently been put up over the build- 
ing, which is a plain substantial structui-e in keeping with the wise economy 
that has heretofore characterized the successive governments of the village. 
Findlay now owns a good town property, extending from the public square 
to Crawford Street, and whenever its growth justifies the erection of more 
elaborate buildings than now occupy the ground there is plenty of room 
upon which to erect them. 

Railroads, express, telegraj^h and telephone lines came into Findlay in 
the order named, and furnished conveniences not previously enjoyed by its 
inhabitants. The branch railroad from Findlay to Carey was opened for 
business in the fall of 1849, and about eleven years afterward the Lake Erie 
& Western reached the village in its westward course. The Toledo, Colum- 
bus & Southern came in the spring of 1883, and thus have grown up the 
present railroad facilities of the town. With the advent of the branch rail- 
road, express matter began to be delivered regularly, the conductor of the 
road also attending to that branch of business. 

In Angust, 1857, Cunningham Hazlett opened a private express office at 
the Exchange Bank, which he was then operating. But the first regular 
office was established in Aju'il, 1858, by the United States Express Company, 
with A. R. Belden as agent. The office was at the depot of the branch rail- 
road, and though the Merchants Union had an office in Findlay several years 
ago, the United States soon absorbed it and has since held the field. 

The Western Union Telegraph Company built a line along the Lake 
Erie & Western Railroad, from Fremont to Findlay, in 1863, the money 
being furnished by the people living upon its route, to be paid back out of 
the earnings of the line. It was completed to Findlay late in 1863, and 
January 4, 1864. the first experimental dispatch was sent over the line by 
the operator at Fremont, to V. D. Green, the operator in charge of the 
Findlay office. The first business dispatch was ^ent from Findlay by Col. 
William Mungen, and the first one was received by Frederick Henderson, 
both January 4, 1864. The line was extended no farther imtil 1878-79, 
when it was completed to Lima. The successive operators of the Findlay 
office have been V. D. Green, Hiram S. Shannon, E. J. Totten, Theodore 
Totten and P. C. Sours, who at present holds the position. 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 569 

The Findlay Teleplaone Exchange Company was chartered Januaiy 27, 
1880, and a telephone line built in Findlay by Samuel D. Houpt, which was 
opened for business in the summer of that year. Mr. Houpt put in eighty- 
two "phones," and condixcted the business until August, 1882, when he sold 
out to the Midland Teleiihone Company of Chicago, 111. Early in 1884 the 
latter company took out the instruments and abandoned the field. Another 
telephone company has recently been chartered and a franchise granted, and 
a new line will probably be constructed in the village in the near future. 

The greater part of Findlay was originally very flat, wet and muddy, 
and the lack of proper drainage rendered it impossible to construct cellars 
of any utility within the village. Ponds and mud-holes were numerous; 
streets and lots had to be filled up, and surface drainage proved insufficient 
to throw off the surplus water during the wet seasons. The streets were, 
therefore,oftenina deplorable condition, and though considerable macadam- 
izing had been done through the passing years, yet very little improvement 
was discernible in many of them. The town authorities at last resolved to 
put in sewers, and July 5, 1869, the council appointed James A. Bope, E. P. 
Jones and B. F. Kimmons, a board of improvement to prepare plans for a 
general system of sewerage. Two weeks afterward the board submitted their 
report, which was adopted and the work ordered to bo commenced at once. 
The present sewerage system of the village dates from that time, and a 
wonderful improvement has been effected in every way. From year to year 
new sewers were put in and old ones extended, until Findlay now possesses 
very good sewerage facilities, while her streets are mu.ch superior to the aver- 
age town of the State. The health and comfort of the people have accordingly 
increased, and that much dreaded malarial atmosphere once infesting the vil- 
lage has almost disappeared. 

Monumental Park is a small, well shaded plat of ground west of Main 
Street, between Main Cross and Front Streets, and was originally laid out 
as Broadway. It has been said that the proprietors intended it for a market- 
place, but there is nothing on record to sustain such a tradition, and it is 
laid down on the original plat as a street and so designated in the surveyor' s 
notes attached thereto. The subject of converting this short street into a 
park first began to be agitated by the local press in the spring of 1864, but 
no definite action was taken on the matter for five years afterward. In com- 
pliance with a petition of the citizens, the board of improvement, on the 
19th of July, 1869, recommended that Broadway be graded, fenced and 
planted in trees, find on the same date the council ordered the improvement 
to be made. The work was soon after commenced and carried to com- 
pletion, a narrow roadway being left on each side of the park, extending 
from Main Cross to Front Street; but it has not yet been much used as a 
public resort and it is very doubtful that it ever will be. The park received 
its present name upon the erection of the base and pedestal of the soldiers' 
monument in the fall of 1871. 

The Hancock Monumental Association had its inception on the 14th of 
April, 1865 — -the date of President Lincoln's assassination. On that day a 
large concourse of people were in town celebrating the fall of Richmond and 
the capture of Lee's army, and a meeting was held in the Presbyterian 
Church for the purpose of taking steps toward the erection of a monument 
in Findlay to the memory of the brave men from Hancock County who laid 
down their lives in defense of the Union. C. A. Croninger was called to 



570 HISTORY OF HANCOl^K COUNTY. 

the chair, and D. R. Locke appointed secretary. After a free interchange 
of opinion, Messrs. C. A. Croninger, W. H. Wheeler, J. S. Patterson, 
Milton Gray. D. W. Clark and D. R. Locke were appointed a committee to 
devise a plan for raising the necessary funds to build a monument, and re- 
jjort at a meeting to be held April 20. The committee submitted their re- 
j)ort at that meeting, recommending "Hancock Momimental Association" 
as the name of the society, and that the oflficers consist of an executive 
board embracing a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and five 
directors, also an advisory board of eighteen members, one from each town- 
ship of the county. They also recommended that the sum of $10,000 be 
raised, each township to pay in proportion to its taxable property. The re- 
port was adopted and the following oflficers elected: C. A. Croninger, presi- 
dent; Milton Gray, vice-president; D. R. Locke, secretai-y; Hanks P. Gage, 
treasurer; W. H. ^^^heeler, George W. Galloway, J. S. Patterson. Aaron 
Blackford and John Ruthrauff. directors; also one member of the advisory 
board in each township. This mode of raising the money failed, and a 
lottery scheme was then got up, and an advertising sheet called the Soldirrs' 
Memorial, started to help along the enterprise. On the 4th of January, 
1870, after about $2,000 had been raised, "The Soldiers' Monument 
Association of Hancock County" was incorporated, with the following board 
of directors: Stewart Sprague, president; Albert Langworthy. vice-presi- 
dent; Charles E. Niles. treasurer; E. T. Dunn, secretary; H. B. Green, 
William L. Davis and William McKinnis. It is confidently claimed that 
about $0,000 were raised by this lottery scheme. During this period con- 
siderable trouble came to the surface, and much wrangling was indulged in 
and bad feelings engendered between some of the parties engaged in raising 
and handling the funds. Several sites for the monument were advocated, 
but in May, 1870, the members of the association decided by vote to locate 
it in the park. In August, 1870, the building committee consisting of 
George W. Galloway, Milton Gray and William L. Davis, were instructed 
to contract for the erection of a monument on the site selected the previous 
spring. They did not find suflficient funds in the treasurer's hands to carry 
out in full the proposed work, and therefore built a foundation, and con- 
tracted with W. D. McKean, of Cincinnati, to erect the Quincy granite 
bases and |)edestal, which were completed in the fall of 1871, at a cost of 
$1,900. The building committee soon afterward built an iron fence around 
the monument (which was subsequently taken down and sold), and thus it 
remained in an unfinished state for nearly five years. 

Early in the fall of 1874 the subject of completing the monument began 
to be talked of among the ]>eople of the town, and on the 14th of November 
a meeting was held in the court house for the purpose of effecting an organ- 
ization, also to make such arrangements as would be deemed necessary to 
finish the work commenced more than nine years before. Judge S. B. 
Huffman was chosen chairman, and after a few explanatory remarks and 
suggestions. Col. James A. Bope, William H. Schuler and William Welsh 
were appointed a committee to further the objects of the meeting. On the 
20th of November another meeting was held, and Col. James A. Bope, Gen. 
Moses B. Walker, William Welsh, James M. Byal and John ^\ . Davis 
appointed an executive committee, and empowered to appoint a sub-com- 
mittee of one citizen from each township. Col. Bope was directed to ascer- 
tain the cost of a statue and get full information on the subject for the 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 571 

association. Another object of this meeting was to organize a military 
company of old soldiers to assist in the production of a military drama. 
The following permanent officers of the association were elected November 
27: Capt. James Wilson, president; Judge S. B. Huffman, vice-president; 
John Adams, treasurer; Willis H. Whiteley, secretary. The military com- 
pany effected an organization December 17, with James Wilson, captain; 
James M. Byal, first lieutenant; William H. Schuler, second lieutenant. 
On Monday evening, December 28, 1874, a military drama called the 
"Union Spy" was produced in Wheeler's Hall before a large audience, and 
repeated six times during the week, realizing the handsome sum of $600 
toward the enterprise. A small paper called the Monumental Era was 
issued during this period, to advocate the completion of the monument. 
Another series of entertainments were given in January, 1875, and in this 
manner and by such means the association raised the money necessary to 
finish the work in hand. 

On the 23d of April, 1875, the contract for the marble statue now sur- 
mounting the pedestal was let to Thomas O' Hare & Co. , of Cincinnati, for 
the sum of $1,200, the statue to be completed and ready to unveil by the 4th 
of July following. The work was completed according to contract, and on 
Tiiesday, July 6, 1875. more than ten years after the project was first 
mooted, the monument was unveiled in the presence of one of the largest 
assemblies ever seen in Findlay. The day was one of rejoicing, yet mixed 
with a certain sadness which the memory of the fallen called forth from the 
depths of every honest heart. The town was crowded; flags were in pro- 
fusion on every hand; magnificent floral decorations and appropriate mot- 
toes embellished Main Street, and a grand parade preceded the unveiling 
ceremonies. Addresses were delivered in the co*rt house yard by ex-Gov. 
K. B. Hayes and Gov. William Allen, followed by Hon. Samuel F. Hunt, of 
Cincinnati, the orator of the day, who pronounced an eloquent eulogium 
on the patriotism and noble deeds of the gallant men who fell in the cause 
of liberty. At the conclusion of the oration the distinguished guests and 
officers of the association proceeded to the base of the monument, around 
which the military had formed a hollow square. Here an appropriate song, 
composed for the occasion by Col. William Mungen, was sung, and as the 
last note died away the drapery was quickly removed fi-om the statue by 
Martin L. Detwiler, the audience standing with heads iincovered. The 
band then broke forth in patriotic strains, the benediction was pronounced, 
and with cheers for the sculptor, Thomas O' Hare, the large assemblage dis- 
persed. 

The monument, as completed, stands on an elevated foundation, formed 
into a grass-covered knoll, and is seventeen feet three inches in height, consist- 
ing of three bases and a pedestal of Quincy granite ten feet high ; a plinth or 
base for the statue of pure Italian marble fifteen inches high, surmounted 
by an Italian marble statue six feet in height. The statue represents an 
infantry soldier standing at "parade-rest," and is a very handsome and life- 
like piece of sculpture. On the pedestal, surrounded by a beautifully-carved 
wreath, is the following sentiment : 



572 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

OUR 

HONORED 

DEAD. 

And on the third l)ase-stone the following inscription is engraved: 

IN MEMORY OF THE SOLDIERS OF 

HANCOCK COUNTY, 

WHO FOUGHT TO SUPPRESS THE 

GREAT REBELLION. 

1861-1865. 

The fonr cannon placed aronnd the monnmeut are condemned ordnance 
olitainod from the United States Government throngh a resolution introduced 
in the Senate by Hon. John Sherman. They lend to the whole a military 
aspect in harmony with the statue of the soldier surmounting the pedestal. 
The question of lighting Findlay with gas first took definite shape on 
the 1 5th of August. 1858, when the council granted a franchise to certain 
citizens to erect gas works in the village. In ivlay, 1860, this franchise was 
renewed by request of William Mungen and associates, but nothing further 
came of it. In 1867 Robert S. Mungen and associates were granted a 
franchise to build works and light the town with gas, but this effort also 
fell through, and the village continued to be lighted with coal -oil lamps for 
more than seven years afterward. On the 24th of May, 1871, "An ordinance 
to provide for lighting the incorporated village of Findlay with gas " was 
passed by the council, and the following July "The Findlay Gas Light 
Company " was incorporated, with a capital stock of 185,000. Samuel D. 
Frey, James J. Wheeler, William Anderson, Charles E. Niles and William 
L. Davis were chosen dir^tors of the company, with Mr. Frey president of 
the board, and Mr. Niles, secretary. Some attention was given at this time to 
the probable existence of natural gas in this locality, and Messrs. Frey and 
Anderson visited the gas regions of New York and Pennsylvania to investi- 
gate the subject. On their return they reported, fi'om what they had learned, 
that sufficient natural gas might be obtained to light the town. In August, 
1871, the company leased of George S. Mosher Lot 75, on Hardin Street, 
east of the Presbyterian Church, with the intention of sinking an experi- 
mental gas- well; but, as th© State geologists were pronounced in their views 
against the existence here of natural gas in paying quantities, the enterprise 
was abandoned, and the company subsequently turned its attention toward 
the construction of artificial works. 

On the '26th of August, 1874, the council passed "An Ordinance to pro 
vide for the erection and construction of gas-works in the incorporated vil- 
lage of Findlay," granting the Findlay Gas Light Company the right and 
privilege of laying gas pipe^ in any part of the town, also to erect works 
for the manufacture of gas, the same to be completed and in operation be- 
fore .the close of the year. On the 15th of September the company trans- 
ferred this franchise to Eobert T. Coverdale, who began active operations 
on the 27th, and vigorously pushed the work forward to completion. 
Buildings wore erected on East Sandusky Street, and the laying of mains 
progressed rapidly. On the evening of JDecember 24. 1874, between fifty 
and sixty citizens of Findlay met at the Joy House, by invitation of Mr. 
Coverdale, where a "grand spread" had been prepared, to celebrate the 
first lighting of the town on that night with the gas manufactured at the 






f 



i 






^V^ q)Uiyn€i 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 575 

new works. The town then contained tifty-two lamp posts, and two and 
three-fourth miles of mains, which were increased with the passing 
years. 

In 1875 Mr. Coverdale sold the works to the Findlay Gas Light Com- 
pany, in which he was a stockholder and director, but continued to manage 
the business until January 28, 1877, when the works were purchased by Y. 
Bickham, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who svibsequently disposed of stock in the 
company to J. G. Hull, Charles E. Niles, Samuel D. Frey, William An- 
derson and George W. Myers. The works, however, were principally 
owned by Mr. Hull, who continued to manufacture gas until the develop- 
ment of natural gas, and were closed down February 1, 1885. Nature's 
gas-works and gasometers were opened up to take their ])lace, and in com- 
parison those of men appear small indeed. 

Though the growth of Findlay has not been rapid, its history has been 
characterized by no backward movement. In 1881 the village possessed 
about fifty inhabitants; in 1840. 560; bS")!), 1,256; 1860, 2,467; 1870, 
8,315; 18.S0. 4.688; and its best informed citizens now claim a population 
of about (),000. Comparing Findlay with the average town of Ohio under 
10,000 inhabitants she stands pre-eminent. Main, the principal business 
street of the town, is esi:)ecially attractive. It is broad, level and well 
paved, lined and faced upon either side with good buildings, solid and sub- 
stantial business blocks and modern fronts, and since the development of 
natural gas it is the most birlliantly ill^^lninated street in Ohio, as the town is 
also the best heated. The richness and prosperity of the surrounding country 
are shown in the large and handsome stores, a few of them being as fine as 
any in the State outside of Cincinnati and Cleveland. In this respect the 
town is indeed remarkable, as her merchants carry larger stocks and do a 
larger business than is usually done in country towns. The business inter- 
ests of Findlay are embraced in two foundry and machine shops, three 
flouring mills and another large one now building, a linseed oil mill, a 
rake factory, a stave and handle factory, four carriage and wagon shops, a 
woolen-mill, two planing-mills, and sash, door and blind factories, two saw- 
mills, one saw and planing-rhill, one furniture manufactory, a novelty 
works, a hoop factory, a handle and fanning-mill factory, the only mask 
factory in the United States, an extensive edge-tool works just completed, 
a factory for working in metals, a glass factory in process of construction, 
two marble works, one pottery, five cigar factories, two grain elevators, five 
hotels, an opera house and a good hall, two national l:)anks, one daily and three 
weekly newspapers, several stone quarries, limekilns and brickyards, quite 
a number of blacksmith and repair shops, together with about 125 whole- 
sale and retail firms, embracing dry goods, groceries, clothing, notions, 
stoves and tinware, hardware, saddlery, drugs, books and stationery, 
queensware. jewelry, farming machinery, musical instruments, furniture, 
lumber, boots and shoes, commission business, livery stables, liquor stores 
and saloons, bottling works, undertakers, meat markets, gas fitters, bakeries, 
restaurants, jjhotographers, fruit* stands, barber shops, dress-makers and 
milliners, and several other kinds of establishments, which, with the 
members of the well filled agencies and professions, go to make up the ma- 
terial interests of a live, progressive town. Away fi-om the business center 
the streets are lined on either side with handsome shade trees, and the pri- 
vate residences are generally neat and substantial, a few of them bearing a 



576 HISTOKY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

favorable comparison with the better class of homes to be found in the 
larger cities. While Find! ay has quite a goodly number of manufacturing 
establishments there is ample room for many more, and her citizens are 
ever ready to encourage and assist any legitimate enterprise in that line that 
desires to take advantage of her wonderful resources. Findlay is compar- 
atively fi-ee of debt, while her schools, churches and other public buildings 
are generally large and solidly biiilt structures, fully in harmony with the 
progressive spirit of the age. The great natural gas discoveries have given 
to Findlay an inestimable advantage over every other town in the State, so 
that even her enemies must concede that while secure in her present busi- 
ness prosperity, her future is full of the brightest promise. 



CHAPTER XXX. 
FINDLAY CONTINUED. 

Schools and Newspapers— First School Opened in the Village— The 
Old Log Schoolhouse and Its Successor — Pioneer Schools and 
Teachers of Findlay— Progress of Education— Past and Present 
Schools of District No. 9. and Their Superintendents Since 1864— 
Organization of the Union School District-Its First Teachers and 
Schools— Early Members of the Board of Education— Superintend- 
ents of the Umon*Schools Since 1854— Growth of the Schools and 
Their Present Efficiency— Findlay Academical Institute— Han- 
cock Wesleyan Seminary— Findlay College— [Iistory of the News- 
papers of Findlay— The Han(;ock Courier— Hancock Republican- 
Hancock Farmer— Western Herald— Hancock Whig and Journal- 
Home Companion, and Findlay Weekly Jefkersonian— Daily -Tefker- 
soNiAN — The Reporter — Findlay Weekly Republican — Findlay 
Daily Star— Improvement in the Press Within the Past Thirty 
Years. 

EDUCATION is one of the most powerful factors in molding the future 
of every community, and without it man is not far removed fi'om the 
brute creation. An intelligent, well educated, moral man or woman is the 
highest example of an enlightened civilization, but even a limited educa- 
tion is a wonderful stepping-stone in the battle of life. The pioneers fully 
recognized this fact, and, thongh generally uneducated themselves, took 
advantage of every legitimate means to educate their children, as the first 
public building we find erected in every village or settlement was invaria- 
bly the little log schoolhouse. Findlay was no exception to the rule. The 
first school in the village was taught in the winter of 1826-27, by Joseph 
White, in a small log cabin east of the Sherman House site. Squire Car- 
lin, then a young business man of Findlay, attended this school, and is, 
doubtless, its only surviving scholar now living in the county. White set- 
tled down the Blanchard, in Liberty Township, in 1823, and three years 
afterward removed into Findlay. Soon after the winter term had closed 
he left for parts unknown. In 1827 a one-story hewed-log schoolhouse 
eighteen feet square was built on the northwest corner of Crawford and 
East Streets, on Lot 141, donated by Vance & Cory for that purpose, and- 



VILLAGE OF FTNDLAY. 577 

here a school was opened by John C. Wickham in the winter of 1827-28. 
This old log building was used about eight or nine years, Miss Melinda V. 
Strother. Edson Goit and a few others, whose names are not remembered, 
teaching there after Mr. Wickham. The building was utilized for various 
purposes, such as schoolhouse, court house, church and private residence, 
and seems to. have been admirably adapted to the wants of the struggling 
settlers. About 1839-40 it was" sold to Abraham Daughenbaugh, who 
moved it to the rear of Henderson's store, where it stood for several years. 

In 1880 a school was taught in the court house by Charles W. O'Neal 
and Miss Sarah Eldridge, and in 1837, 1838 and 1839 school was held in 
the same building. The whole village then composed one school district of 
Findlay Township, and the directors paid to the county at the rate of $20 
per annum for the use of a room in the court house. Miss Sarah A. Bald- 
win taught in the puljlic schools of the village about this time, and also 
some years afterward as Mrs. Merriam; and in 1839 George Patterson 
taught in a room on the east side of Main Street, immediately north of 
Sandusky. Alexander Adair taught in the old Methodist Church on Main 
Cross Street about 1840, while the old Presbyterian Church on Craw- 
ford was occupied for a public school in 1 839-40, with Daniel Woodward 
and John Sours as the teachers in charge. In 1840 a two-story fi-ame of 
foiir rooms was built upon the same lot on Crawford Street, where the log 
schoolhouse formerly stood, by Abraham Daughenbaugh and Jonathan Par- 
ker, which was opened in the winter of 1840-41. This was used some six 
or seven years, and for reasons now forgotten was then abandoned. Besides 
those teachers previously mentioned. Miss Hannah Rawson, Rev. Simon 
Peck, Erastus Thompson. Aaron H. Bigelow, Abel F. Parker and daughter 
Julia A., Miss Phoebe J. Wilson, William P. Wilson, Enos W. and William 
Thomas, Eunice Wade, Mr. Washburn, Miss Terry, Aaron and John Black- 
ford, Miss Jane E. Bigelow, Miss Clarinda Green. John M. Christian and 
wife, John H. Reid, Levi J. Flenner, Miss Ruth A. Wilson, Mr. Lowry, 
Miss Mary Vail, John Bowman, Miss Sarah Smith, Miss Ann Wright, 
Thomas Caton. Mr. Ballard, David Lamb, Samuel A. Spear and wife, P. D. 
Pelton and wife, James Hayes and wife, Alouzo L. Kimber, J. B. Hall and 
wife, John E. Morris, Hugh L. McKee, Miss Clara J. Henderson, Miss 
Mary Parsons, Abraham Harritt, Miss Sarah Peck, William Russell, and, 
doubtless, others, taught in either the public or private schools of the vil- 
lage at quite an early date, and may be classed among the pioneer teachers 
of Findlay. 

A few years after the frame on Crawford Street was built, Alexander 
Adair put up a building on Sandusky Street, and opened a private school. 
In 1847-48 the academy occupied this building, and it was subsequently 
utilized by the public schools. It was small and inconvenient, and, to in- 
crease its seating capacity, a gallery was built along the south and west 
sides. The Rumraell Block now stands iipon the site of this old school - 
house. 

In the meantime the village had been divided into three or foiu' districts, 
but upon the abandonment of the old fi-ame schoolhouse on Crawford Street, 
which all had previously patronized, none of the districts possessed a separate 
building. A school was then opened in the rear part of Jonathan Parker's 
frame, which stood on the site of Patterson' s Block, and taught by a Mr. Lowry, 
who was succeeded by Miss Mary Vail and John Bowman. The children of 



578 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

District No. 9 attended this school, until the erecticni of the brick on Hardin 
Street. In 1850 a proposition was Rul;)mitted to the voters of the town to 
organize the schools under the graded system, and to repair and reoccupy 
the old building on Crawford Street, which had been vacant for several years 
and fast going t o ruin, but the scheme was defeated. District No. 9 then 
decided to organize under the Akron School Law, and erect a schoolhouse 
in that district. On February 24, 1851, the directors of No. 9 purchased 
of John B. Hull, Lot 54 on West Hardin Street, built a brick house 
of two rooms and o})ened a two- teacher school, in the fall of that year with 
James Hayes and wife in charge. Two years afterward the Union School 
District was organized, but No. refused to become a part thereof. School 
was held in the Hardin Street building for thirteen years, and it was then 
sold to Michael Gaudert, and, remodeled, is now the home of Miss Julia A. 
Parker. In the spring of 1864 the directors of No. 9 bought an acre of 
ground on West Lincoln Street of D. J. Cory, and built a large two-story 
brick of four rooms, which was completed and opened October 5, of that 
year, with J. S. Vanhorn, as superintendent. His successors have been 
Wallace Taylor, F. H. Tufts, A. G. Crouse, C. N. Vancleve, J. N. Doty 
and C. B. Metcalf. In 1870 a mansard-roof was put on, furnishing the 
building with a good hall, while the heating apparatus in the basement 
heats the whole building. This school is in a very flourishing condition, 
and is regarded as equal to those in the Union School District. The site, 
building and furniture of No. 9 schoolhouse cost aboiit $20,000. 

In April, 1851, the directors of District No. 11 purchased Lot 45, on 
West Front Street, of D. J. Cory, and erected a small brick schoolhouse the 
same year. The balance of the village, outside of District No. 9, rented 
rooms for school purposes, and thus the school interests dragged along till 
the passage of the act of March 14, 1853, which gave an impetus to the 
cause of education all over the State. Under that law a general reorganization 
took place, and graded schools were established on a firm basis. 

The Union School District of Findlay was organized soon after the pas- 
sage of that act, and a board of education, consisting of Parlee Carlin, Ezra 
Brown and N. Y. MefPord, elected. In October, 1853, the board divided 
the district into three subdistricts, viz. : 1, 2 and 4, which embraced all of 
the village except that portion included in the independent District No. 9. 
They employed Alonzo L. Kimber to teach No. 1, John Bowman in No. 2, 
and John E. Morris in No. 4, each receiving a salary of $28 per month. 
Miss Clara J. Henderson was hired at $18.66 per month to assist John E. 
Morris, and Miss Martha O. Main as the assistant of John Bowman, at $12 
per month. The schools opened under the new regime in the fall of 1853, 
in the old Methodist Church on East Main Cross Street, and the little brick 
schoolhouse on Front Street, and the term lasted four months. The two- 
story frame s^choolhnise on Crawford Street, which by agreement had be- 
come the property of the Union District, was in a badly wrecked condition, 
and considerable repairing was necessary before it could be occupied. In 
1854 the building was repaired and fitted up by the board, several hundred 
dollars being exjjended upon it, and in the fall of that year, the schools took 
possession. Alonzo L. Kimber was appointed superintendent of the Union 
District at a salary of $35 per month. John Bowman was assigned to the 
Front Street building at $28 per month, and Mrs. Malinda Vance and Miss 
Martha J. Powell were engaged as assistants at $22 per month each. The 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 579 

schools kept opon for seven mouths in 1854-55, and the following year the 
frill school term of ten months was adopted. The schools were now on the 
road to success, and it was only a question of time when they would attain a 
high degree of efficiency. 

The successive members of the board of education of the Union District, 
up to April, 18()1, were Parlee Carlin, Ezra Brown, N. Y. MefFord, John 
Custer, Henry Guntner, Heniy Porch, George W. Galloway, W. K. Pray, 
G. J. Rogers, Daniel B. Beardsley, David Goucher and Henry Byal. These 
may be called the pioneer members of the Ijoard. which is the only reason 
we have for giving their names. 

With the growth of the schools more room soon became necessary, and 
an old salaratus factory on the corner of Hardin and East Streets was rented 
and fitted up for school purposes. In 1855-56 a school was opened here in 
charge of Miss Ruth A. Wilson, who taught there four years, and was then suc- 
ceeded by Miss Mary Mungen. This old schoolhouse was a low frame build- 
ing with but one room, yet, poor as it was. there are many men and women 
now living who remember with liveliest pleasure the days they spent there 
acquii'ing the rudiments of an education. Remodeled and rebuilt it is now 
occupied by Mrs. Kimmel as a residence. 

Mr. Kimber was succeeded as superintendent by a Mr. Thomas, and then 
came Profs. William K. Leonard, Samuel A. Spear, Ephraim Miller, Will- 
iam S. Wood, C. F. Palmer and J. W. Zeller in the order named, and these 
have been the superintendents of the district since its organization. Mr. 
Spear was appointed in 1859, and his assistants were John Bowman, Miss 
Harriet Alban. Miss Mary J. Watt, Miss E. Paisley, Misses Eliza J. and 
Mary Mungen and Miss L. Coffinberry. Mr. Spear is best remembered as 
principal of the Academical Institute, and subsequent founder of the Home 
Companion, of which the Jeffersonian is the lineal successor. 

In May, 1860, the board decided to establish a primary school in North 
Findlay, and the following July Lot 13, in Taylor's Addition, was pur- 
chased, upon which a small brick building was erected, at a cost of $650, and 
occu.pied in the fall of the same year. The old academy building on West 
Sandusky Street was siibsequently rented from Mr. Galloway, who had pur- 
chased the property, and this building was utilized by the Union District a 
few years. 

The time had now arrived when the Union Schools demanded better ac- 
commodations. But the board concluded to first try and unite the whole 
town under the Union School system, and in 1865 the authorities of District 
No. 9 were approached on the subject. That district again refused to unite, 
and replied that the people of No. 9 possessed good schools and ample ac- 
commodations, and had no desire to enter the Union District. In September, 
1865, the electors of the Union District, by a vote of 156 to 68, authorized 
the board to purchase a site and erect a two-story brick building estimated 
to cost $18,000. June 28, 1866. a plat of ground, then known as "The 
Park," located on East Sandusky Street, was purchased for the sum of 
$2,000, and the foundation constructed during the following autumn. Early 
in 1867 the work was pushed vigorously, but in August the plans were 
so changed as to include another story, wherein a fine exhibition hall is 
located, and in September, 1868, the structure was completed and occupied 
by the Union Schools. George W. Myers, George W. Galloway and James 
Harsh were the board under whose administration the r)uildiug was erected. 



580 HTSTOFlV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

It is a massive three-story brick with a tine basement and a mansard roof, 
and, including the lieating apparatus and furniture, cost aboiit $36,000. 
Two towers, each ninety-one feet in height, grace the front of the building, 
which it is claimed will accommodate 500 pupils. It is known as the " High 
School Building, " and ten teachers are now employed in this school, which 
takes a leading rank among the educational institutions of northwestern 
Ohio. 

The old brick schoolhouse and lot on Front Street was sold to B. F. 
Hyatt in May, 18G8; and the same year the frame on the corner of Craw- 
ford and East Streets was removed to the west end of Crawford, where some 
lots for a school site had been previously purchased. The old lot near the 
depot was sold in March. 1869, to George H. Crook, and thus, after being 
used for more than forty years as a school site, it i)assed beyond such staid 
purposes and is now the site of a saloon. The building, however, was des- 
tined for a much better fate. It was occupied as a school for about twelve 
years longer, and then removed to the rear of Buck & Reimund's carriage 
factory, where it is yet doing good service as a part of that establishment. 

February lli, 1877, the district voted in favor of erecting a new school 
building in North Findlay, as the old one had become too small for the 
growing wants of that part of the town. In August, 1872, two lots adjoin- 
ing the old site had been purchased by the board of education, and a good 
roomy site was now ready for a new building. In March, 1877, the contract 
was let to S. H. Cramer, to be completed the following August at a cost of 
$5,547.41. Its school capacity is about 200, and it is a substantial two- 
story mansard-roofed brick building of four rooms, with heating apparatus 
in the basement, and is fully adequate to the school needs of North Find- 
lay. 

Another school building was still necessary, to replace the old frame at 
the west end of Crawford Street, and in May, 1881, Joseph Fleming, of 
Toledo, was awarded the contract for the sum of $18,012. The structure 
was finished in the spring of 1882, and will compare favorably with any of 
the older buildings. It is a two- story brick with mansard roof, and con- 
tains eight rooms, all finished and furnished in the best and most approved 
style. It has a capacity of about 320 pupils. In the basement is the heat- 
ing apparatus which cost $2,000, and from basement to garret comfort and 
convenience pervade the whole building. 

The public schools of Findlay need not fear comparison with any other 
town of its size in the State. Twenty-three teachers are employed therein 
throughout the full school year, including the two superintendents. The 
enumeration in the Union School District is 1,363, and the average enroll- 
ment 960; while that of No. 9 is 217 and 160, respectively. The total 
school enumeration of the village is thus 1,580. and the total enrollment, 
1,120. 

The Findlay Academical Institute and the Hancock Wesleyan Seminary 
were two of the pioneer schools of Findlay. The former was chartered 
March 4, 1845. the incorporators being as follows: John Ewing, William 
Taylor. Frederick Henderson, William L. Henderson, Dr. David Patton, 
Hiram Smith, Edson Goit, Hugh Newell and Squire Carlin. On the 4th of 
September, 1847, the board of directors, of which Hugh Newell was presi- 
dent and Dr. Patton secretary, purchased a two-storv frame house and 
lot on East Main Cross Street, of N. Y. Mefford, for the'sum of $500. Here 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 581 

the institute was tirst opened on Monday, October 4, 1847, by John M. 
Christian, A. B. . principal, and Mrs. P. E. Christian, assistant. A high- 
sounding prospectus was issued in August. 1847, giving terms and setting 
forth the merits of the institute, from which we make the following quota- 
tion: 

"The course of instruction will embrace every branch of a complete 
English and Classical Education, and no efforts will be spared to furnish 
the pupils with every facility for acquiring a correct and thorough knowl- 
edge of those studies usually pursued in our best seminaries of learning. 
Students who may be desirous of entering college may be fitted for an ad- 
vanced standing of one or two years; and particular attention will be given 
to the preparation of teachers for the various and responsible duties of their 
profession. It is confidently believed, in view of the experience of the in- 
structors, the well known moral and religious character and healthy situa- 
tion of the village, that the institution will be found worthy of the confi- 
dence and patronage of the community. ' ' 

The building on Main Cross Street was soon found unsuited for the 
purpose, and the school was removed to the frame schoolhouse built by 
Alexander Adair, on East Sandusky Street, where Rummell's Block now 
stands. Upon the expiration of its first year, in the summer of 1848, the 
academy was closed, and not again opened for three years. In July, 1848, 
four lots on West Sandusky Street were boiight of Dr. \\illiam H. Bald- 
win; and in February, 1849, the property on Main Cross Street was sold to 
Jesse Wolf, and is now the site of C. A. Croninger's residence. A two- 
story brick of two rooms was subsequently erected on the lots purchased of 
Dr. Baldwin, and April 28, 1851, the academy was again opened with Sam- 
uel A. Spear, principal, and his wife, Mrs. M. L. Spear, assistant. The 
board of directors at this time were Hugh Newell, William Taylor, Jesse 
Wheeler, John Ewing, Frederick Hendei'son, Dr. David Patton, Jesse 
Wolf, Edson Goit and William L. Henderson. Mr. Newell was still presi- 
dent of the board, and Dr. Patton secretary. In the spring of 1853 the 
institute was reorganized under a legislative act for the incorporation of 
colleges, academies, etc., as "The Findlay Male and Female Seminary." 
The academy at this time contained a large number of students, and was in 
a very prosperous condition, as the Union School District had not yet been 
organized, and the children attended the academy; but with the organiza- 
tion of that district, in the fall of 1853, the attendance dwindled away, and 
the institu.te became non- supporting. In June, 1854, Mr. Spear started the 
Home Co)njyanion, and a year afterward resigned his position as superin- 
tendent of the academy. He was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Hugh 
L. McKee, who conducted the school one year, and it was then closed; the 
history of the academy ending at the same time. In November, 18G0, the 
property was sold to George W. Galloway for the sum of $800, and was 
subsequently rented for a few years by the board of education of the Union 
School District. The building was afterward torn down, and the material 
used by Mr. Galloway in the erection of his present business place on Main 
Street. 

The Hancock Wesleyan Seminary was started in the spring of 1851, by 
the Methodists, in opposition to the academy, which they regarded as a 
Presbyterian school. The seminary was held in the old Methodist Church 
on East Main Cross Street, with Prof. P. D. Pelton and wife as principal 



582 HISTORY OF IIANCOrK (Y)UNTV. 

and assistant, respectively; but though they were excellent teachers, the 
school had a brief career, yet it contributed its mite toward the cause of 
education during the year or two of its existence. 

Findlay College, the most recent addition to the schools of Findlay, 
will open its first term September 1, 1886, and we believe it is destined to 
be one of the leading educational institutions of Ohio. While the estab- 
lishment of a college, under the auspices of the "Church of God," has 
been in contemplation for many years, the initial movement looking to that 
end took definite shape in a resolution introduced at the general eldership 
held at Findlay in 1881. That body authorized the committee on educa- 
tion to take the proper steps to form an incorporation and to select a loca- 
tion for the proposed institution. Findlay was selected as the most appro- 
priate site for the college, and on the 23d of January, 1882, articles of in- 
corporation were filed with the Secretary of State, "Findlay College" being 
the name adopted. The incorporators were Jeremiah M. Carvell, Robert 
L. Byrnes, Isaac Schrader, Tobias Koogle, Jacob M. Cassel, Anderson C. 
Heck, John C. Strickler and George F. Pendleton, the four last mentioned 
being citizens of Hancock County. The board of incorporators met at 
Findlay, February 8, 1882, and the board of trustees, previously recom- 
mended by the executive board of the general eldership, appeared and 
signed their names to the articles of incorporation, and were duly qualified. 
The board then organized by the election of the following temporary offi- 
cers: Isaac Frazer, president; Eli G. DeAVolfe, secretary; E. P. Jones, 
treasurer. Executive, finance, b^^ilding, library and cabinet committees 
were appointed at the same time. The first annual meeting of the board 
was held at Findlay, June 21, 1882, when a permanent organization was 
effected, by-laws adopted, and a large amount of preliminary business 
transacted. 

On the 18th of October, 1882, the board again met for the purpose of 
considering plans for a college building, when those submitted by M. Rum- 
baugh were accepted. The architect was directed to prepare complete plans 
and specifications, and sealed proposals for the erection of said building 
were ordered to be advertised for. The bids were opened March 6, 1883, 
but none were accepted for the reason that they were not within the $50,000, 
to which the board had by previous resolution limited the cost of the build- 
ing. The contract was finally let June 20, 1883, to Pierce & Coleman for 
the sum of $49,000, to be finished according to the plans and specifications. 
The work was soon afterward commenced, and on Sunday, the 25th of May, 
1884, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies in the presence of 
a very large assemblage. Under the contract the building was to be com- 
pleted by April, 1885, apd the college opened the following autumn, but 
unforeseen obstacles prevented the consummation of these plans until the 
present year. The total cost of the building has largely exceeded the esti- 
mate, and when finished and furnished throughout will, doubtless, reach 
the sum of $60, 000. In comparison with other institutions in their infancy, 
Findlay College is unsurpassed in the rapidity of its growth and fortunate 
escapes from reverses, which threatened the very existence of some of our 
oldest and best institutions. From the beginning the work has moved 
steadily on, though perhaps not quite as fast at times as some not experi- 
enced in such work had anticipated. During the last year work upon the 
building ceased, owing to the pressure of the times and the unswerving res- 




*J^ f^^ 



il 




Jayi-n^zA^tM ^/i^iytAjt^--- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAV. 585 

oliitiou of the board to keep free from debt by paying as they went. But 
even during this time, other departments of the work went steadily forward. 
When we consider what has been already accomplished, together with the 
fact that one hundred cents have been paid on every dollar of indebtedness, 
and that no encumbrance whatever rests upon the college property, there is 
room for congratulations upon the success already achieved. 

The college is located in North Findlay, about one mile from the post- 
office, being conveniently near the business part of the city for all practical 
purposes, and sufficiently removed to secure proper attention to college 
work. From the third floor of the building one may get a commanding 
view of Findlay and its surroundings. The building is a large, commodious 
and elegant structure, and when fully completed will not only be massive 
and imposing in its appearance, but its convenience and adaptability cannot 
help but provoke favorable criticism. It is 171 feet 8 inches in length, 107 
feet 8 inches in depth, four stories in height, exclusive of the attic and includ- 
ing basement, with a main corridor in each story running the entire length 
of the building, from which other corridors lead to the various apartments. 
The building affords sixteen recitation rooms, labpratory, lecture room, 
museum, a unique library, a novel and well arranged chapel, capable of 
seating 800 students comfortably, and fom- large society rooms, 40x50 feet, 
besides double parlors and well arranged public and private offices. It 
stands in about the middle of a campus including ten acres of gi'ound, on all 
sides of which wnll be a di-iveway 50 feet in width, except Main Street, which 
is 100 feet wide and on which the college building faces. The campus is to 
be nicely graded, laid out with walks and drives and ornamented with shrub- 
bery, when it will be at once an attractive and inspiring place for the 
admirer of learning and art. 

The press and the school are so closely allied in the cause of spreading 
knowledge and enlightenment, that it will not be inappropriate to give the his- 
tory of the newspapers of Findlay in the same chapter with its schools. The 
Courier was the pioneer newspaper of the county, and is now in its fiftieth year. 
It was established by Jacol) Rosenberg and first issued, as The Findlay Courier, 
November 10, 1836. Mr. Rosenberg was a native of Bedford County, Penn., 
born October 13, 1811, and there received a fair ediication. He learned the 
art of printing in the office of the Farmer, in Millersburg, Ohio, whence he 
had removed from his native place, and in the fall of 1836 took up his resi- 
dence in Findlay. The Courier was first a five- column folio printed on a 
sheet 18x26 in size, but after a few months it was somewhat enlarged. 
From a copy of the paper handed us by its present editor, dated " Findlay, 
October 12, 1837," and headed " Volume I, No. 41," the average reader 
might infer that the Courier had its inception in January, 1837, but the 
paper was issued very irregularly during the early part of its existence, 
which accounts for the seeming contradiction between the number spoken of 
and the date of the first issue. As a matter of some interest to the investi- 
gating reader, we here give a verbatim copy of the terms under which the 
Courier was published in 1837: 

' ' The Findlay Courier will be printed every Thui-sday, at the moderate 
rate of 2 dollars per annum, payable within the year, or two dollars and 
fifty cents will invariably be charged if payment is delayed until the year 
has expired. No subscription will be taken for a shorter period than six 



586 HISTORY OF HAN(XJCK COUNTY. 

months, and no paper discontinued until all arrearages are paid up, unless 
at the option of the editor. 

"Advertisements not exceeding one square will be inserted three times 
for one dollar; and twenty- five cents for each subsequent insertion. A fair 
deduction will be made to those advertising by the year. 

' ' Country produce will be taken in payment of one-half of the sub- 
scription, if delivered in Findlay before the year expires. ' ' 

Upon the close of the first volume the name was changed to The 
Findlay Courier and Hancock and Putnam Democratic Shield, a title 
sufficiently lengthy, no doubt, to satisfy its readers. But it was then the 
official organ of Putnam, as well as of Hancock County, and the name was 
adopted to please its patrons in both. The Courier was also enlarged at 
this time to a six-column folio, 21x31 inches in dimensions, but printing 
paper was then very scarce, and the Courier would occasionally be issued at 
a reduced size, though for several years it remained a six-column paper. 
From 1836 to 1840, and perhaps longer, printing paper was $7 per ream 
delivered in Findlay, and difficult to purchase at that price, while the sheet 
was not half so large as it is to-day. In January, 1840, Mr. Rosenberg 
sold the Courier to Henry Bishop, and subsequently started the Hancock 
Farmer. He possessed considerable local influence in the Democratic 
party, and was elected sheriff in October, 1838, and re-elected to the same 
office, serving until November, 1842. It is said that he was a "plain, terse 
and forcible writer, ' ' but there is nothing in the old niTmbers of his paper 
from which to form such an opinion, as they are made up principally of 
selected matter, political and foreign news (copied) and advertisements, 
with occasionally a few lines of local news, or brief editorial comments. 
Mr. Rosenberg married Mrs. Delia Hollabaugh, widow of Martin Holla- 
baugh, and in the fall of 1840 opened a hotel in the old frame court house, 
which he had previously purchased and remodeled, and here died in Octo- 
ber, 1844. His widow married Jacob Carr, a pioneer dentist of Findlay, 
and is still a resident of the village. 

Mr. Bishop issued his first number January 24, 1840, as The Findlay 
Courier, thiis going back to its original title. He began a new series, and 
published the i^aper until July 1, 1845, when he was succeeded by William 
Mungen. In 1850 Mr. Bishop was elected to the Legislature to represent 
Hancock and Wyandot Counties, and in 1851 he was re-elected under the 
new constitution as the representative of Hancock. He had previously re- 
moved to a farm in Eagle Township, and was drowned in Eagle Creek, 
June 18, 1855. His brother, John D. Bishop, was one of the pioneers of 
that township, and both have descendants living in the county. 

Mr. Mungen, prior to purchasing the Courier, in June, 1845, had been 
engaged in publishing the Hancock Farmer. He took charge of that office 
in February, 1845, the paper, through the death of Mr. Rosenberg the pre- 
vious fall, being for sale, and condvicted the Farmer until he bought the 
Courier, when he consolidated the papers as the Democratic Courier, first 
issued July 1, 1845. From n file of the Courier of 1846 and 1847, now in 
possession of Col. Mungen, we find that during those years a vigorous polit- 
ical and personal warfare was waged between the Courier and Herald, the 
latter being the Whig organ, and then edited by James M. Coffinberry, now 
of Cleveland, Ohio. In January, 1849, Mr. Mungen rented the office to W. 
M. Case, who began a new series with many promises, but Mr. Mungen 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 587 

was finally ol)liged to do most of the editorial work, as ' ' Mood ' ' Case was 
one of those good-natured, lazy cases, who bother themselves ^very little 
about the active diTties of life. At the close of Case's lease Mr. Mungen 
rented the office to Benjamin F. Rosenl)erg, a son of the founder, and in 
January, 1851, sold the paper to Henry Brown and Aaron Blackford. Col. 
Mungen is yet a resident of Findlay, and a brief sketch of him will be 
found in the chapter on the judiciary. 

Messrs. Brown & Blackford intended to make their paper sufficiently 
Democratic without retaining that title at the head of their columns, so they at 
once changed the name to The Hancock Courier, and began a new series. The 
present name and numbering date from that time. The Courier was a six-col- 
umn paper from the fall of 1837 to July 28, 1852, when it was enlarged to a 
seven-column folio, printed on a sheet 24x36 inches, and so remained up to 
December, 1805. In January, 1854, Mr. Brown sold his interest to Mr. 
Blackford, who, in partnership with his brother, John, ran the paper one 
year, and then disposed of it to Mr. Brown. The Courier was printed by 
Alpheus M. Hollabaugh (a step-son of Jacob Rosenberg) from May, 1851, to 
July, 1852^ when he was succeeded by W. F. Gilkison, who ran the office 
until the close of 1855, and Benjamin F. Rosenberg then bought whatever 
interest he had in the material of the office. Mr. Brown conducted the 
Courier until December 20, 1856, and then sold out to Mr. Rosenberg. It had 
at that time a circulation of nearly 900 copies, and was a vigorous exponent 
of Democratic principles. The annual siibscription price was $1.50, $2 
and $2. 50, according to the time paid. A perusal of the files during Mr. 
Brown's editorial control will convince the most skeptical that he believed 
in no half way measures in politics. His blows were dealt with that earnest, 
peculiar vigor characteristic of the man, and if his articles did not always 
convert they generally implanted a large grain of doubt in the minds of his 
political opponents as to the justice and honesty of their views. Mr. Brown 
soon became quite popular with his party, and has received many favors in 
recognition of his services. 

Mr. Rosenberg was sole proprietor of the Courier until July 18, 1857, 
on which date Alpheus M. Hollabaugh bought the office. The latter pub- 
lished the paper until its purchase by Lewis Glessner & Son, in March, 
1861. Mr. Rosenberg died in Findlay in 1869, and Mr. Hollabaugh in 
1871. The former was a son of Jacob Rosenberg, and came to Findlay 
with his parents in the fall of 1836. Here his mother died, and his father 
married Mrs. Delia Holla1:>augh, widow of Martin Hollabaugh, a pioneer of 
1835, and mother of Alpheus M. Hollabaugh. The boys thus grew up as 
members of one family, and both were practical printers. 

With the advent of the Messrs. Glessner the Courier entered upon a 
more prosperous career than it had previously enjoyed. The first number 
under L. Glessner & Son was issued March 8, 1861, and a little more than 
a month afterward the civil war broke out. That was a trying period for 
newspapers, especially those of Democratic proclivities, but the new propri- 
etors were experienced newspaper men, and the Courier buffeted the wave of 
political passion and prejudice successfiilly. With the close of 1864 the 
father retired from the paper, disposing of his interest to his son and pre- 
vious partner, W. L. Glessner, and removed to Newark, Ohio, where he 
purchased and published the Newark Advocate. In December, 1865, with 
the beginning of Volume XVI, the Courier was enlarged to an eight column 



588 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

folio, 26x38 inches in size. It was successfully conducted by W. L. 
Glessner until May 3, 1800, on which date his last number was issued. 
His father again took the editorial helm, this time as sole proprietor, the 
son removing to Toledo and purchasing the Record of that city. The 
Courier'' 8 circulation at that time was 1,000 paying subscribers, and in two 
years this list was swelled to 1,300. In September, 18(58, the paper was 
enlarged to a nine- column folio, and has so remained up to the present. 
Mr. Glessner conducted the Courier until his death, March 13, 1809, pre- 
vious to which event he had erected the "Courier Block," on Sandusky 
Street, and occupied a portion of the building with his printing office. Since 
the death of Mr. Glessner the paper has been published by his widow, with 
Fred H. Glessner as editor and business manager. The Courier is in a 
prosperous and flourishing condition, claims a circulation of 1,800 copies, 
and a first-class job office is run in connection with the paper. It is the 
only Democratic paper published in the county, and as su^ch is the official 
organ, and receives the support of that party. The history of the Courier 
goes back to the days when Hancock County was just emerging from its 
primitive condition, and Findlay a straggling hamlet of cabins. It has 
published the obituaries of several opposition papers during the period of 
nearly fifty years that it has been doing battle for the Democracy, but it has 
never wavered in its allegiance to the best interests of the party, and from 
its infancy up to its present vigorous manhood has ever battled for what it 
regarded as the rights and liberties of the j)eople. 

The Hancock Republican was established by Arnold F. Merriam, in 
January, 1838, and was the first Whig pap^- published in the county. We 
have been unable to find a copy of the Republican, but Mrs. Sarah A. 
Strother, who was then the wife of Mr. Merriam, says it was issued about one 
year and was about the size of the Courier. Mr. Merriam was a bright young 
lawyer who came to Findlay in the spring of 1835, and practiced law until 
his removal to Mansfield, Ohio, in 1839, where he sold the press and material 
of the Republican. He married Miss Sarah A. Baldwin, of Findlay, sister of Dr. 
William H. Baldwin, and died in Kentucky in 1844. His widow returned 
to Findlay and taught school for many years, subsequently becoming the 
wife of Judge Robert L. Strother. She is still among the old and honored 
residents of the town. From a column of comments on the early press, 
published in the Journal, in 1852, we learn that the general appearance 
and typography of the Republican was very good for the time, and its 
columns singularly free from personal abuse. 

The Hancock Farmer was started by Jacob Rosenberg, in 1842, as a 
Democratic paper in favor of nominating candidates by the delegate system 
instead of by popular vote, the latter system being then advocated by Mr. 
Bishop, of the Courier. The Farmer was published by Mr. Rosenberg 
until his death in October, 1844, and afterward by the administrator, Jacob 
Barnd. Early in 1845 W^illiam Mungen took possession of the office, and 
issued his first number I'ebruary 19 of that year. Toward the close of 
June Mr. Mungen purchased the Courier and consolidated the papers as the 
Democratic Courier. The Farmer was a six-column folio, published at $2 per 
annum, but it did not have a very large circulation, as the county could not 
support two Democratic papers at that time. 

The Western Herald was the second Whig paper started in Findlay. It 
was established by John T. Ford in January, 1845, in the second story of 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 



589 



the old frame building yet standing on the southeast corner of Main and 
Sandusky Streets, and known as the Baldwin Corner. The Herald was 
edited and published by Mr. Ford until October 5, 1845, when James M. 
Coffinberry obtained an interest in the paper. Mr. Coffinberry was then a 
talented young lawyer of Maumee City, and had previously edited the 
Maumee River Times. In a copy of the Courier now before us, of October 
7 1845 the new editor of the Herald is spoken of in complimentary terms. 
In a letter received from Judge Coffinberry, who has been a resident of 
Cleveland since 1855, he gives the following account of his first connection 
with the Herald: "When I made the acquaintance of the Herald, m the 
fall of 1845 it was owned and conducted by John Tivis Ford. I purchased 
a half interest and we ran it jointly— he as publisher and I as editor. I 
subsequently bought him out and conducted it alone as long as I had money 
or credit to keep it going. I vainly hoped to convert the Democracy of 
Hancock County from the error of their ways; now I am glad to believe 
that they with their party everywhere will stand by their colors and live 
and die in the faith of true Jeffersonian Democracy. When I purchased 
Mr Ford's interest the Herald was printed on a little, old, decrepit wooden 
Ramacre press. I bought a Franklin press of John C. Gilkinson, of Mans- 
field, Ohio, which was quite an affair at that time and place. My predeces- 
sor Ford was an intelligent, sensible man, and afterward became a con- 
ductor on the Findlay branch of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad." 
In January, 1846, the name of the paper was changed to the Findlay 
Herald, and it was edited and published by Mr. Coffinberry until January, 
1848, when he sold the office to Dr. David Ration, and the paper was then 

^^^In^September, 1848, Robert Coulter came to Findlay, purchased the 
Herald office, and began the publication of a six-column folio paper called 
The Hancock Whig. He conducted the Whig until February, 18o0, and 
then sold out to William P. Resznor, a man of good education and con- 
siderable ability, but who at times would become demented and unfit for 
business on account of a serious injury to his brain caused by the kick of a 
horse. Mr. Resznor ran the Whig only about seven months, disposing of it 
to George G. Lyon in September, 1850. Mr. Lyon possessed great energy, 
and, with the hope of benefiting the paper, changed its name to The Hancock 
Journal. In July, 1851, Mr. Coulter, who on selling out to Mr. Resznor, 
had removed to Springfield, Ohio, returned to Findlay, and again be- 
came editor and publisher of the paper. In his salutatory, July 25, 1851, 
he says: "We shall not change the heading of our paper to what it was 
under our former administration, but let it remain as the Hancock Journal. 
But this much we will say, let no one imagine that we are less a Whig 
than if it was entitled the Hancock Whig. The paper now contains four 
columns of matter more than when we published it, and the columns are 
considerably longer, thus increasing at least one-third the amount of reading 
matter." The Journal was at this time a seven-column folio 24x36 inches 
in size, and its annual subscription was $1.50, $2.00 and $2.50, according 
to time of payment. Mr. Coulter was a man of some talent, and was post- 
master of Findlay about six months, but he was rather fond of the intoxi- 
cating cup, and after publishing the paper until July, 1852, he got "to the 
end of his rope" and the Joitma^ suspended publication. On the 21st of 
August, 1852, the office was sold by James M. Coffinberry, attorney for 



590 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

George G. Lyon aud certain other creditors, and thus closed the life of 
another journalistic enterprise. 

The Home Companion was established by Samuel A. Spear, and its first 
number issued June S, 1854. It was a seven-column folio, printed on a 
sheet 25x37 inches in size, and pul^lished at $1.50 per annum. In his 
salutatory Mr. Spc^ar says: "We have no definite line of policy marked out, 
as our paper will havc^ no party coimection. We shall, however, labor 
earnestly to sustain the prohibitory liquor law; and will at all times advo- 
cate the principles of the temperance cause. W"e will labor, also, to pro- 
mote the cause of education and the elevation and improvement of our 
schools, as we feel deeply interested in both those subjects. We shall 
oppose most strenuously every measure calculated to establish a debasing 
sectional interest at the expense of moral principles and the common good 
of the country; and, of course, will be found ever ready to combat anything 
of the character of the Nebraska bill." Mr. Spear came to Findlay in the 
spring of 1851, as principal of the Findlay Academical Institute, with which 
he was connected four years. He was a finely educated gentleman, and 
established the Companion with the idea of building up an independent, 
literary journal; but with the beginning of Volume II, in June, 1855, the 
Companion came out in support of the new-born Republican party. In the 
spring of 1856 his brother-in-law, Hugh L. McKee, obtained an interest in 
the paper, and was associated with Mr. Spear about one year, retiring 
April 24, 1857. Previous to his connection with the Companion Mr. McKee 
was superintendent of the academy, having succeeded Mr. Spear in 1855. 

On June 19, 1857, the name of the paper was changed to The Hancock 
Jeffersonian, which came out as an eight-column folio, 26x38 inches in 
dimensions, but remained at the old price, $1.50 per annum. In announcing 
the change of name Mr. Spear made the following explanation : ' ' The 
title we have adopted we consider more in conformity with the position we 
occupy on questions of a political character. When we established our paper 
in this county parties had become so completely revolutionized that it was 
diificult to determine what position would be finally taken. We, therefore, 
thought it prudent not to identify our paper with any party; hence the 
title assumed. The formation of the Republican party, subseqiiently, hav- 
ing in view the propagation of principles essentially Republican, met our 
entire approbation, and we therefore gave it our hearty support, as we in- 
tend to do in future, as long as it preserves its integrity." The Jeffersonian 
was conducted by Mr. Spear until November 22, 1861, when it suspended, 
the editor giving as the reasons therefor the experiencing "to the fullest 
extent, the pressure which the local press has been suffering since the out- 
break of the present war," and his patrons seeming "not to realize that 
monay is essential to the success of a publisher." In 1859 Mr. Spear be- 
came superintendent of the Union School District, and filled that position 
while at the same time conducting his paper. His last teaching was a private 
school in the Joy House Block. He died in Findlay, in 1863. Dnring his 
connection with the press Mr. Spear yras recognized as a high-minded, 
talented, scholarly writer of varied and wide information, while his social 
character was above reproach. 

After a few weeks Mr. D. R. Locke, of Buc3a-us, Ohio, came to Findlay 
and resuscitated the Jeffersonian. Under the new management the paper 
was reduced to a seven -column folio, Ijecause of the m-eat increase in the 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 591 

price of printing material. Soon after taking charge of the Jeffersonian 
Mr. Locke commenced writing the ' ' Nasby Papers, ' ' which won for him a 
national reputation. These letters first appeared in the Jeffersonian, and 
were extensively copied by the Republican press all over the Union. Mr. 
Locke is now editor and proprietor of the Toledo Blade, and one of the 
wealthy men of that city. In Septemljer, 1864, Irvin S. Chamberlin, of 
Findlay, purchased an interest in the Jeffersonian, and in February, 1865, 
Mr. Locke sold his remaining interest and removed to Toledo, Otis T. Locke 
and Irvin S. Chamberlin becoming editors and proprietors of the paper. 
The following April C. N. Locke's name appears in editorial connection 
with the Jeffersonian; but November 17, 1865, Mr. Chamberlin and C. N. 
Locke retired, and Messrs. L. G. Thrall and Otis T. Locke became sole pro- 
prietors, the former coming here from Columbus^ Ohio. For some years 
he had been one of the editors of the Columbus Gazette, and was afterward 
connected with the Ohio State Journal. The new firm at once enlarged the 
paper fi'om a seven to an eight-column sheet, the same size as it had been 
under Mr. Spear. In July, 1866, Mr. Thrall disposed of his interest to his 
partner, and C. N. Locke again became one of the editors. W. G. Blymyer 
bought an interest in the Jeffersonian in December, 1866, and the firm was 
then Locke & Blymyer. In June, 1867, they enlarged the paper to a 
nine-column folio. C. N. Locke obtained an interest in February, 1868, 
and Lockes & Blymyer were editors and proprietors until the following 
autumn, issuing their last number September 4, 1868. 

E. G. De Wolfe and Dr. A. P. Miller, under the firm name of E. G. 
De Wolfe & Co., then purchased the office. Mr. De Wolfe was an old, 
practical newspaper man, and understood the business in all its details. He 
had occupied a responsible post on the Ohio State Journal for some two 
years before coming to Findlay; was recognized as an incisive, vigorous 
wi-iter, of an extensive experience in newspaper work, and well fitted to fill 
the position of editor and publisher of one of the leading Republican 
papers in northwestern Ohio. On the 1st of April, 1870, the paper came 
out as The Findlay Jeffersonian, and enlarged to a ten-column folio. In 
referring to the change the editor says: "Our paper is now the largest 
country newspaper in the State, and we shall work hard to make it the 
best." In January, 1873, O. J. De Wolfe, a brother of the editor, bought 
Dr. Miller's interest in the Jeffersonian, and the De Wolfe brothers thus be- 
came associated in editing and piTblishing the paper. After continuing the 
Jeffersonian as a ten-column sheet until March 13, 1874, the publishers de- 
cided to reduce the paper to its former size, viz. : a nine -column folio. Two 
years afterward (March, 1876), O. J. De Wolfe sold out to his brother and 
removed to Fostoria, where he has since resided. E. G. De Wolfe con- 
tinued to edit and publish the Jeffersonian until April 28, 1876, after 
which issue he retired fi'om ihe paper, having previously sold it to his 
old partner. Dr. A. P. Miller. During his eight years' connection with the 
Jeffersonian Mr. De Wolfe largely increased its influence and value, and 
labored earnestly and faithfully for the best interests of the town and county, 
the dissemination of Republican principles, and the success of his party. 

■ Before issuing a single number Dr. Miller sold the office to A. H. Bal- 
sley, and May 5, 1876, the paper came out with the name of the latter at 
the head of its columns as editor and proprietor. Mr. Balsley is a practical 
printer and has for many years been in the newspaper field, as editor of the 



592 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Grand River Rrvicv\ at Painesville, Ohio; St. Clairsville Independent, 
Plymouth Advprtiser and Fremont Journal ere coming to Findlay. He 
was therefore no novice, and was well qualiiied for the work in hand. On 
the 5th of June, LSSl, the name was changed to the Findlay Weekly Jeffer- 
sonian, because the Daily was then called the Findlay Daily Jeffersonian, 
but no material change has been made in the size or general appearance of 
the paper, except that it has kept well up with the growing wants of the 
people. Mr. Balsley now claims a circulation for the weekly of about 
2.000 copies, and a good job office is connected with the paper. The office 
is located in the Jeffersonian Block, on the south side of the public square, 
erected by Mr. Balsley since taking possession of the Jeffersonian. The 
Jeffersonian is a good family newspaper, and politically devoted to what its 
editor regards as the best interests of the Repul)lican party. Under Mr. 
Balsley' s management the Jeffersonian has not been so extremely partizan 
as previously, and while giving its support to its party, has usually treated 
its political opj^onents with an impartiality not often found in the arena of 
politics. 

The Daily Jeffersonian is issued fi'om the same office, and was estab- 
lished as an experiment November 15, 1880, and then called the Findlay 
Daily Jeffersonian. The little five-column folio was received with such 
warm favor that Mr. Balsley soon decided to make the Daily a permanent 
institution. Considerable credit is due to the former local editor, W. S. 
Hammaker, for his efforts toward building up the Daily, and making it a 
newsy, readable little sheet, welcome in hundi-eds of homes. In February, 
1883, the Daily was enlarged to a six-column paper, at which size it 
remained till May 10, 1880, when it was enlarged to a seven-column folio. Its 
present circulation is })laced by Mr. Balsley at about 850 copies, the great 
majority of which are distributed in Findlay. 

The Rejjorter was the next journalistic enterprise established in Findlay. 
Its first number was issued June 18, 1872, by C. G. & J. K. Barnd, editors 
and proprietors, and was a five-column quarto paper i)ublished at $1.50 per 
annum. The Reporter was started as an independent, literary paper, and 
in their salutatory the editors say: " We shall reserve the liberty and exer- 
cise the right to comment upon all subjects, commending what we believe 
to be right and condemning what we regard as wrong, without stopping to 
ask what may be the effect upon the personal or political prospects of any 
man or set of men whose conduct or position bring them within the legiti- 
mate province of the journalist." It was a well conducted, bright paper 
during the early part of its existence, and soon attained a very respectable 
circulation. In October. 1872, it increased its subscri})tion price from $1.50 
to $2, and the following December J. K. Barnd sold out to his brother and 
subsequently removed to Kansas. At the close of the first volume The 
Reporter conniad 1 , 400 subscribers, but ifi*6titunately a large percentage of 
th em were bad pay. Nevertheless the paper was a brilliant success until early 
in its second year when it drifted into the Grange movement, hoping thereby 
to become a great organ and attain national celebrity among the farming com- 
munity. But the change finally proved a mistake, as in dropping, to a 
great extent, its independent, literary character, it also lost the majority of 
its paying supjiorters without getting an equitable return fi-om the Grangers. 
The name was finally changed to the American Patron, and when the 
Grange movement cooled off it became the Properf}/ Journal. It was pub 
lished some five years altogether, and then ceased to exist. 




G. L.Turner. M.D. 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 595 

Das Ohio Volksblatt, a German Democratic weekly paper, was started in 
1877 by Adolph G. Zwanzig. After publishing the paper about one year 
Zwanzig removed the office to Lima, where it was subsequently sold by his 
creditors. 

The Findlay Weekly Republican was established by J. M. Beelman and 
James E. Griswold, and the first number issued February 6, 1879. It was 
then a seven-column folio and was staiied in opposition to the Jeffersonian , 
many Republicans not regarding that paper as sufficiently "stalwart" to 
satisfy their ideas of a party organ. In July, 1879, Mr. Griswold sold his 
interest to his partner, who soon afterward enlarged the Republicayi to an 
eight-column folio. On the 8d of January, 1881, E. G. De Wolfe, then 
postmaster of Findlay, and Jason Blackford, a member of the Findlay bar, 
purchased an interest in the Republican. The following October Mr. ]31ack- 
ford sold out to Mr. De Wolfe, and the paper was subsequently enlarged to 
a nine column folio, printed on a sheet 28x44 inches, at which size it has 
since remained. Capt. H. H. Alban bought Mr. Beelman' s interest July 
28, 1882, and the firm of De Wolfe & Alban have edited and piiblished the 
paper up to the present. The long newspaper experience of Mr. De Wolfe 
and his well known unswerving devotion to his party, brought many sup- 
porters to the Republican, while the wide acquaintance of Capt. Alban 
largely assisted in building up a healthy subscription list. The editors of 
the Republican evidently believe in no half-way measui'es or weak-kneed 
policy, and while giving a large amount of local news and lending the aid 
of their paper to all public or private enterprises, which they look upon as 
a benefit to the town or county, they never forget their allegiance to those 
Republican principles of which their paper is such a vigorous exponent and 
defender. The Republican now claims a circulation of about 1,600 copies, 
and its proprietors I'un a good job office in connection with the paper. 

The Findlay Daily Star was the last newspaper enterprise of the village. 
It was established by W. S. Hammaker, and first issued Augiist 21, 1882. 
The Star was then a five-column folio, 20x24 inches in size, but November 
6 following it was enlarged to a six-column folio, printed on a sheet 22x80 
inches. It was a live, progressive little daily, thoroughly Democratic in politics, 
and during its career of less than two years became a welcome friend in 550 
homes and business places. "Scott" Hammaker was a very popular ed- 
itor, and possessed considerable experience in newspaper work. He labored 
hard to furnish his patrons with a good, readable paper, and during its ex 
istence it was generally recognized as such. On the 21st of April, 1884, he 
sold the Star to A. H. Balsley, of the Jeffersonian, and until his appoint- 
ment to the postmastership of Findlay, in the fall of 1885, was local editor 
of that paper. 

The growth and improvement in the newspapers of Findlay within the 
past thirty years have been fully in keeping with the increase in population 
and general wealth of the county at large. But we think the press has out - 
stripped all other institutions of the county; and if the quality and size of 
its newspapers are accepted as indications of its prosperity, Findlay need 
not fear a just comparison with similar sized towns throughout the State. 



596 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 
FINDLAY CONTINUED. 

Churches and Societies— First Religious Services Held in Findlay, and 
Names of Its Pioneer Preachers— Methodist Episcopal Church — 
First Presf.yterian Chitrcii— Evangelical Lutheran Church— St. 
Michael's Catholic Church and School— ITnited Brethren ('hurch — 

(jiERMAN ReFORMP:D CONGREGATION— GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN 

St. John's Congregation— First Regular Rai'tist Church— "Church 
OF God"— First Congregational Church— St. Paul Church of the 
Evangelical Association— Trinity Mission of the Protestant Epis- 
copal Church— "Church of Christ "—Secret and Other Societies- 
Odd Fellows— Masons— Knights of Pythias— Harmonia Society- 
Knights of Honor— Royal Arcanum— American Legion of Honor- 
Grand Army of the Republic— National Union— Good Templars. 

THE hardy itinerants of the Methodist Episcopal Church were the first 
to carry the glad tidings of salvation to the scattered pioneers of Hancock 
County, though they were soon followed by the ministers of other denomi- 
nations. In the spring of 1822 Rev. James Gilruth, a minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, came fi'om the East for the purpose of enter- 
ing lands in northwestern Ohio. Arriving at Fort Findlay he put up at 
Wilson Vance's tavern, and the following Sunday preached in Findlay by 
appointment to quite a good sized congregation, made up of the settlers 
then living in the county. Five or six years afterward Rev. Adam Poe and 
a companion, both Methodist ministers, preached in the old log school 
house, where they also slept overnight. In August, 1828, Rev. Josiah 
Root, a Baptist preacher, held services in the cabin of Joseph De Witt, a 
blacksmith of the village, who then lived on the west side of the park. 
Revs. Arza Brown and Jesse Pryor, of the Methodist Circuit, preached in 
Findlay in the fall of 1828, and Revs. Jacob Hill and Alvin Billings, of the 
same denomination, early in 1829. A Presbyterian minister named Barr 
held several meetings in the old log schoolhouse in the spring of 1829, and 
organized a Bible Society, with Wilson Vance, Edwin S. Jones and John C. 
Wickhara, directors. Rev. Barr returned the following autumn and held a 
two days' service in Findlay, administering communion to a few members of 
the Presbyterian faith, who then lived in this vicinity. About this time 
Findlay was visited by several Methodist ministers who were connected with 
the Wyandot Mission at Upper Sandusky, among whom were Revs. Jacob 
Hooper and AVilliam Sprague in 1829-30, and Revs. Thomas Thompson, 
Elnathan C. Gavitt and Benjamin Boydston in 1830-31. 

There is no record in existence of the organization of the first Methodist 
class in Findlay, but it was probably formed in 1829, as, according to Aaron 
Baker, a leading pioneer of Findlay Township, a class had been organized 
prior to his father's settlement north of the village in the spring of 1830. 
Thomas Slight and wife, Jacob Foster and wife, William Hackney, John 
Boyd and William De Witt were perhaps the earliest members of this 



VILLAGE -OF FINDLAY. 597 

class. But among other pioneer Methodists who joined the class soon 
afterward were -John Baker, Mary Baker, Isaac Baker, Catherine Swapp, 
Aaron Baker, Elizabeth Baker, Henry Baker, Parlee Carlin and wife, Mrs. 
Squire Carlin. Daniel Andreck and wife, Reuben Baker, Mary, Elizabeth 
and Isaiah Hartley, Sarah Foster, Robert Bonham, Nathan Frakes, Benja- 
min Strother, Johnson and Amos Bonham, Melinda C. Strother, Mrs. Fred- 
erick Duduit and Joseph D. Ford. In 1882 Fort Findlay Mission was es- 
tablished, and held its first quarterly meeting November 17 and 18 of that 
year. At that meeting a committee was appointed to estimate the cost of 
building a parsonage at Findlay, and another to ascertain the expense of 
erecting a church in "Greer's Neighborhood " —now Mt. Blanchard. 
The financial report at this first quarterly meeting of the Mission, from 
sixteen appointments — including $50 appropriated by the Missionary Soci- 
ety — was IG8.42, the sum of 118.42 being all that was received fi"om the 
classes. 

Revs. El am Day and Benjamin Allen were in charge of the Findlay 
Mission in 1832-88, and Revs. Day and -Joseph Newson in 1888-84. On 
August 20, 1888, lot 145 on East Main Cross Street was purchased for |20 
by the trustees of the church, and during the fall a small frame building 
was put up on the rear part of the lot, which was used as a meeting-house 
until the erection of their first church building in 1886-87. Revs. W. B. 
Bradford and McKendree Thrapp were the missionaries in charge in 1884- 
85, and Revs. Elam Day and Mark Delaney in 1885-86. We find by the 
church records that in 1886-87 the name of the Mission was changed to the 
"Findlay Circuit," with Revs. Henry Whiteman and G. ^\. Breckinridge in 
charge. During this year a frame church, 40x50 feet, was erected on East Main 
Cross Street at a cost of about $700. The successive ministers for the next 
thirteen years were as follows: 1887-88, Revs. J. C. Conway and E. R. Hill; 
1888-89, S. M. Allen and W. C. Huestis; 1889-40, James Wilson and 
Richard Biggs; 1841-42, John Tibbies and Henry Warner; 1842-43, Har- 
vey Camp and Philip Start; 184-3-44, H. G. Dubois and Luke S. Johnson; 
1844-45, John Orr and J. C. Russell; 1845-46, R. S. Kimber and J. S. 
Kalb; 1846-47, Wesley J. Wells and Samuel Mower; 1847-48, T. J. Pope 
and C. W. Brandeberry; 1848-49, T. J. Pope and J. Crabbs; 1849-50, W. 
S. Lunt and Alanson Foster. 

Through the passing years the church had rapidly increased, both in 
numbers and wealth, and the old building was deemed insufficient in size 
to comfortably accommodate the congregation. The society therefore 
decided to take two very important steps in advance, viz. : to ask to be 
made a station and to erect a new house of worship in a more convenient 
locality. The request was complied with, and in 1850-51 W. S. Lunt was 
returned as pastor. Lots Nos. 18 and 19 on West Sandusky Street were 
purchased in January, 1851, for $450, and a commodious brick building, 
48x80 feet, erected the same year at a cost of about $7,000. It faced 
Crawford Street, and was used nearly fifteen years. But that locality soon 
became a manufacturing neighborhood, and the congregation* finally saw 
their error in building on the north end of the lots. Mr. Lunt' s successors 
up to the erection of the present church were Revs. J. A. Kellam, David 
Gray, J. S. Holmes, Thomas Parker, L. B. Gurley, Gershom Lease, J. S. 
Kalb, Joseph Wykes and Isaac Newton. The last mentioned came in 1866, 
and under his pastorate the building was erected. 



598 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

The question of rebuilding the church had been agitated during Rev. 
Parker's pastorate, and during that of Rev. Lease an effort to raise the 
necessary amount by subscription was made, but the great Rebellion broke 
out, and the matter rested until 1864-65, when, in consideration of the 
absolute necessity of expensive repairs in order to continue worship in the 
old church, it was generally agreed that the wisest and most economical plan 
was to prepare to build. A subscription was accordingly circulated in the 
fall and winter of 1865-66, and nearly $15, 000 secured, which, with the mate- 
rial of the old building, gave resources to the amount of $17,500, and at a 
special meeting of the church it was agreed to proceed at once to build. C. 
A. Croninger, H. P. Gage and S. D. Frey were appointed a building com- 
mittee, and James Harsh treasurer. The corner-stone of the new structure, 
on Sandusky Street, was laid September 12, 1866. Prof. P. S. Donelson, 
president of the Ohio Wesleyan Female College, Delaware. Ohio, deliver- 
ing the oration. The same gentleman conducted the ceremonies, in which 
he was assisted by Revs. Isaac Newton, Joseph Wykes and David Gray. 
The building was originally intended to cost about $16,000, but ere its com- 
pletion in 1868, together with its subsequent remodeling, the total expense 
had reached about $40,000. It is quite a massive, handsome structure, 
with a towering spire 180 feet in height, and the main audience room will 
comfortably seat 700 people. The basement is utilized for Sunday-school, 
lecture room, etc., and the whole building is a great credit to the congre- 
gation. The Rev. Newton filled the pastorate three years, and his succes- 
sors have been as follows: Oliver Kennedy, 1869-72; Isaiah R. Henderson, 
1872-73; William Jones, 1873-76; Parker P. Pope, 1876-78; J. F. Davies, 
1878-81; E. D. Whitlock, 1881-82; William I. Yingling, 1882-83; Samuel 
L. Beiler, 1883-84; Andrew J. Fish, 1884-1886. The church now con- 
tains a membership of 540, also 60 probationers, and a flemishing Sunday- 
school with an enrollment of 457 scholars. 

The First Presbyterian Church of Findlay was organized December 
21, 1831, by Rev. Peter Monfort, who came that year as a missionary from 
the southern part of the State, and held numerous services in Findlay and 
other parts of the county. These meetings were always held in the cabins 
of the pioneers, as there were then no public buildings of any kind except 
the old log schoolhouse in Findlay, where the people could gather to hear 
preaching. This society was organized at the house of Wilson Vance, and 
embraced the following members: Wilson Vance and wife, Sarah; William 
Taylor and wife, Margaret; William Coen and wife, Sarah; Ebenezer Wil- 
son; Phoebe Henderson, wife of William L. Henderson; Asa Lake and wife, 
Chloe, and Mary Gibson. Messrs. Wilson and Coen were chosen and or- 
dained ruling elders of the new organization. All of the foregoing mem- 
bers w6re pioneers of the county, and are fully spoken of in the histories of 
the townships wherein they resided. Rev. Monfort continued his labors in 
this field for nearly three years, and the Findlay Church was then supplied 
by Rev. T. B. Clark, of Logan County, in the latter part of 1833 and the 
early part of the following year. Mr. Monfort spent some time with this 
church in 1835, and Rev. John L. Belleville, of Dayton, Ohio, also visited 
the Findlay congregation the same yeai*. 

Rev. George Van Eman, a member of the Redstone Presbytery of Penn- 
sylvania, who removed to Hancock County in 1835, was the first settled 
pastor of the Findlay Church, and he filled that position until 1841. 



VILLAGE OF PINDLAY. 599 

Irregular services were held in private houses, until the erection of the 
first court house, after which worship was more regular. During the pas- 
torate of Mr.VanEman a plain frame building was put up on Lot 132, East 
Crawford Street, where the oil-mill of McManness & Seymour now stands. 
A deed for this lot was made to the trustees of the church December 11, 
1837, the consideration being $250, and we presume the building was 
erected in 1838. It remained unpainted for several years, and was at first 
supplied with temporary slab seats without backs, and a rough platform 
fi-om which the preacher expounded the gospel. These benches in time 
gave place to more comfortable pews; while a square box about 4x6 feet 
in dimensions and five and a half feet high was constructed for a pulpit. 
During the passing years quite a number united with the church, among 
the best known of whom were John Ewing, Samuel Moorhead, John Burns, 
Frederick Henderson and Paul Sours. All of these men are fully spoken 
of elsewhere in this work. Mr. Van Eman was succeeded in June, 1841, 
by Rev. Simon Peck, who remained only one year. In 1842 Revs. F. A. 
Shearer and Alexander Cowan, both of Richland County, preached in 
Findlay, but neither became pastor. In the fall of that year Rev. R. H. 
Hollyday received a call from the church to become their pastor, which he 
accepted. This relation continued until May, 1854, during which period 
nearly 200 members were added to the church. Mr. Hollyday is yet a resi- 
dent of Findlay. In May, 1845. William Taylor presented the chui'ch with 
a bell — the first one brought to the village — purchased in Cincinnati by 
Frederick Henderson. It was shipped to Findlay on the canal via Dayton, 
Piqua and Defiance to Perrysburg, and thence hauled to Findlay in a wagon. 
It was hung in a belfry erected on the old church and first rang September 
11, 1845. 

After Mr. Hollyday retired from the pastorate, occasional services were 
held by visiting ministers, but in January, 1855, Rev. J. A. Meeks took charge 
of the church. By this time the growth of the congregation made neces- 
sary a larger place of worship, and soon after Mr. Meeks became pastor 
preliminary steps were taken in that direction. Two lots on West Crawford 
Street had been sold or rather given to the chm-ch in September, 1852, by 
J. S. Van Eman, the consideration being only 1 10. But these lots did not 
suit, and in August, 1855, Lot 16, on the northeast corner of Main and 
Hardin Streets, where the church now stands, was pm-chased for $700. In 
the spring of 1856 the lots on Crawford Street were sold, and that year the 
church resolved to enter upon the work of erecting the pi-esent brick struct- 
ure. The building committee were William Taylor, Frederick Henderson 
and Albert Langworthy, all well-remembered citizens of the village. The 
building was completed in the fall of 1857, at a cost of nearly $8,900, and 
dedicated free fi-om any encumbering debt, December 27, 1857. In May, 
1858, the property on East Crawford Street was sold to William Anderson 
and J. D. McKibben, who converted it into a woolen-mill. Mr. Meeks was 
pastor of the church more than ten years, retiring in the spring of 1865. 
He is one of the old and honored residents of the town and is highly re- 
spected by all good citizens. During the latter portion of Mr. Meeks' 
service considerable dissension arose as to his fiu'ther retention as pastor, 
which culminated in the secession of about forty -three members, who, in 1865 
organized the First Congregational Church of Findlay, and called Mr. 
Meeks to the pastorate. Though he served the new society long and faith- 



600 HISTORY OP HANCO(^K COUNTY. 

fully he still remaiued at heart a Presbyterian, and finally resigned and re- 
turned to his own denomination, accepting a call from the Presbyterian 
society of Ada, Ohio. 

Following Mr. Meeks, the Eevs. L. H. Long and J. M. Cross, of Ur- 
bana, Ohio, paid frequent visits to Findlay, and preached with much 
acceptance, and, in the fall of 1865, the latter was called to the pastorate. 
Mr. Cross filled the pulpit until October, 1860, and it was afterward sup- 
plied by Revs. D. B. Harvey and A. B. Fields occasionally. In November, 
1869, a call was extended to Mr. Fields and he was subsequently installed 
pastor. He served until April, 1872. Rev. Eban Muse was the successor 
of Mr. Fields and filled the pulpit for three years, commencing with the 
fall of 1872. In May, 1876, R. R. Sutherland was installed as pastor and 
held the position until November, 1880. A vacancy of one year now oc- 
curred in the pastorate, until the coming of Rev. John C. Watt, in the fall of 
1881. The present pastor. Rev. J. R. Mitchell, of Indianapolis, succeeded 
Mr. Watt in December, 1885. The present membership of this church is 
250, and there is also a growing Sunday-school with an enrollment of about 
300. In April, 1886, Mr. Mitchell began the publication of The Invitation, 
a small three-column folio monthly paper, published in the interests of the 
First Presbyterian Church. The Invitation will no doubt prove an efficient 
local aid in disseminating church news, to which cause it is exclusively de- 
voted. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church became a distinct organization Sep- 
tember 19, 1846, though it had been in process of formation for some years. 
In 1839 Rev. M. Coi-tex, a German Lutheran missionary, came to Findlay, 
and preached at intervals for about two years to the adherents of the Lu- 
theran and Reformed churches. His successor was Rev. Charles VVisler, a 
minister of the Reformed denomination, who served the people of both 
faiths from 1841 to 1843. In the latter year Rev. J. B. Hoffman took charge 
of the mission, and remained nearly two years. Early in 1845 Rev. George 
Hammer succeeded Mr. Hoffman, and the church record for February of 
that year gives a list of sixty communicants, made up, doubtless, of both 
Reformed and Lutherans. Pursuant to previous notice a majority of the 
members of the Lutheran faith met at the court house in Findlay, Septem- 
ber 19, 1846, for the purpose of appointing three trustees and a clerk, un- 
der the legislative act passed March 12, 1844, entitled "An act to provide for 
the appointment of trustees for the control of associated religious societies, 
and to define their powers and duties. " Rev. Isaac Livengood opened the 
meeting with prayer, when Isaac Teatsorth was called to the chair, and Rev. 
Livengood appointed secretary. It was resolved that the society should 
bear the name of the " Evangelical Lutheran Chui'ch of Findlay. " Samuel 
Snyder, Samuel Reber and George Welker were appointed trustees, and 
Andrew Newstetter clerk. Early in 1847 Lot 52, on West Crawford Street, 
was purchased for the sum of $200, and on the 8th of March Abraham 
Daughenbaugh, Simon Wilhelm and Samuel Snyder were chosen as a building 
committee, and a subscription taken up toward the erection of a house of 
worship, which was built that year. Mr. Hammer was pastor of the church 
fi'om 1845 until his resignation, in August, 1849, and during this period the 
congregation had largely increased in numbers and acquired a good church 
property. 

In 1850 Rev. Isaac Livengood became pastor, and served till the fall of 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 601 

1854, wliea he was sudcooded by Rev. Morris Officer. In December, 1850, 
the record shows 101 communicants, and in 1853, 118. Rev. Officer held 
the pastorate only one year, and in the fall of 1855 Rev. A. J. ImhofP be- 
came his successor, and remained pastor of the church ten years. Prior to 
April, 1858, the Findlay charge embraced the whole county, but at that 
time the Findlay and Eagle Township (Zoll's) congregations became one 
charge, separating fi-om Arcadia and Fostoria. In 1860 a bell was pur- 
chased, which is now doing good service in the new edifice. Mr. Imhoff 
resigned October 15, 1865, and Rev. S. A. Ort was the next pastor, and 
served until the spring of 1867. Rev. H. B. Belmer held the pastorate for 
the succeeding two years, resigning in March, 1869. Rev. Kiusell tilled the 
pulpit during the next three months, and was then succeeded by Rev. P. S. 
Hooi)er. In November, 1860, Lots 5 and 6, on the southeast corner of 
Main and Lincoln Streets, were purchased at a cost of $1,200, and a small 
frame parsonage erected thereon the following year. Mr. Hooper resigned 
in December, 1871, and in February, 1872, Rev. George W. Miller was 
chosen pastor. An eflPort was made by the congregation, in 1873, looking 
toward the erection of a new church, and also to unite the Lutheran and 
Congregational societies, but both failed. In January, 1874, the connec- 
tion with the Eagle Township society was severed, and the pastors of the 
Findlay church have since devoted their entire attention to this congregation. 
Mr. Miller resigned at the close of 1876, and in March, 1877, Rev. C. S. 
Sprecher was chosen as his successor, and filled the pulpit three years. 
Rev. J. W. Goodlin was the next pastor, coming in July, 1880, and serving 
about one year. 

On the 29th of November, 1880, the council of the church resolved to 
take steps toward the erection of a new building, as a larger and more mod- 
ern structure had now become an actual necessity. The parsonage was 
moved to the east side of the lots on the corner of Main and Lincoln Streets, 
and ground was broken for the new edifice May 9, 1881. The corner-stone 
was laid on Monday evening, August 8, 1881, Rev. J. F. Davies, of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, delivering the oration, and on Sunday, June 
4, 1882, the church was dedicated to the service of God. The dedicatory 
sermon was preached by Rev. A. S. Ort, D. D., who was then president of 
Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio. The old property on Crawford 
Street was sold in April, 1882, to John Shull for the sum of $1,300. In 
the meantime Mr. Goodlin was succeeded, in 1881, by Rev. E. K. Bell, 
who served until October, 1884. Under his pastorate the new building was 
carried to completion. His successor was the present pastor, Rev. William 
M. Smith, who came to Findlay in January, 1885. This chui'ch has a mem- 
bership of 200, and a Sunday-school enrollment of 225. The congrega- 
tion are especially proud of their house of worship, the total cost of which 
was about $15,000. It is a substantial, handsome brick and stone edifice 
of composite architecture, with a large sqiiare tower gracing the northwest 
corner, and possessing a beautiful, massive, stained-glass window in each 
end of the main audience room, and a similar one in the west side of the 
Sunday-school room. Large sliding doors separate these rooms, which can 
thus be thrown into one, giving a seating capacity of 600 — 400 for the au- 
dience room and 200 for the Sunday-school room. In harmony of design 
and finish, this building is regarded as superior to any other church of 
Findlay. 



602 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

St. MiehaeVs Catholic Cfuircli comes next in the order of time. In the 
fall of 1840 mass was celebrated in John Engelman's house by the Rt. 
Rev. John B. Purcell, bishop of the Cincinnati diocese, while on one of his 
missionary tonrs through the State. Michael Price, a deceased pioneer of 
Pleasant Townshi}), and Mrs. John S. Julien, yet a resident of Findlay, 
were the first practical Catholics who located in this county, both coming 
in 1834. Mrs. Martin Hollabaugh and Mrs. John Engelman were the next. 
The former, now Mrs. Jacob Carr, settled south of Findlay in 1835, and 
Mrs. Engelman came to the village with her husband in August, 1836. In 
1853 Mr. Engelman became a convert to the Catholic faith, and is yet 
among the most worthy members of the church. Mrs. Ellen Green, Mrs. 
James Fitzgibbons and John S. Julien came to Findlay soon after Mr. 
Engelman effected a settlement. Mr. Julien married Miss Mary C. Seacker 
in 1838, and the sacrifice of the mass was occasionally celebrated by Father 
McNamee. of Tiffin, and other visiting priests at the houses of Mr. Julien and 
Mr. Engelman. Other pioneer Catholics were Mrs. Jacob Barnd and Caroline 
Grate (sisters), Louis Adams and family, Michael Adams, John Hines and 
wife, Joseph Davis, Mrs. Peter Krebs, Hiram Vagley and family, Joseph 
Fleck, James Sheridan and family, Patrick Sweeney and family, and Mar- 
tin and Peter Karst and families, of whom Frank and John B. , sons of 
Martin and Peter, respectively, were young men, all coming between 1837 
and 1850. Of these Mr. Engelman, Mr. Julien and wife, Mis. Jacob Carr, 
Mrs. Fitzgibbons, Caroline Grate, Mrs. Louis Adams. Mrs. Hines, Joseph 
Fleck, Mr. Sheridan, Mrs. Sweeney and Frank and John B. Karst are yet 
living in Findlay and members of St. Michael's Congregation. Services 
were held at intervals, generally at the house of Mr. Julien and in a room 
fitted up by Mr. Engelman in a frame barn erected by him in 1848. Father 
Howard, a well remembered missionary priest, also preached in the court 
house to a large audience during one of his periodical visits, for the pur- 
pose of explaining Catholic doctrine, and thus assist in breaking down the 
strong prejudice which then existed against members of that faith. Rev. 
P. A. Capeder. now at New Riegel, came occasionally throughout 1850, and 
Rev. L. Molon in 1851. 

By this time quite a number of Catholics had settled in Findlay, and in the 
summer and fall of 1851 a small frame was built on Lot 65, on the southwest 
corner of Hardin Street and Farmer's Alley, and subsequently dedicated as 
St. Michael' s Church. This lot was purchased by Bishop Rappe, of D. J. Cory, 
for the sum of $75, though a deed was not obtained until 1861. In 1852 
Rev. Michael Sullivan was appointed to take charge of the Findlay Mission, 
and came regulai-ly until 1855. Rev. T. J. B. Uhlmann also visited the 
congregation in the latter year. Rev. Joseph L. Behn, of Tiffin, began 
visiting Findlay in 1856, and continued about two years. Revs. W. Bally 
and N. Gales celebrated mass here and baptized childi-en of the congrega- 
tion in 1858, but Rev. J. M. Roetzer was the first resident pastor of St. Mi- 
chael's Church. He came in 1859, and the same year opened a parish 
school in an old frame building on East Sandusky Street, and subsequently 
in a room erected for that purpose adjoining the Church. A Frenchman 
named Pettee was the first teacher. Father Roetzer was pastor until Feb- 
ruary, 1862, and was succeeded by Rev. A. Behrens. The latter remained 
about a year, and in 1863 Rev. M. Dechant took charge of the congrega- 
tion. The building in the meantime had been enlarged to meet the grow- 



<05^ 



^^ \ 



Xi 





^/yTfA^ 




VILLAGE OF FINDLAV. 605 

ing wants of the cliiTrcb. Early iu I'ebruary, 18(30, a fine Ijell, weighing 
1,800 pounds, was purchased at an expense of |1,0()0, and set upon a low 
trestle near the church ; but on the 1 6th of the same month the building 
was burned to the ground, the fire starting in a defective flue in the school 
room. The weather was extremely cold, but a united eflPort on the part of 
the citizens present saved the bell, which hangs in the belfry of the pres- 
ent church, and is regarded as the best bell in the county. Father 
Dechant began at once the preliminary work toward the erection of a new 
church, but the old lot was considered too small, and the present site of the 
church and pastor's residence on West Main Cross Street was donated for 
the purpose by Louis Adams. The foundation was commenced in the spring 
of 1866, and on Sunday, August 19, of that year, the corner-stone was laid 
by Rt. Rev. Amedeus Rappe, bishop of the Cleveland diocese, assisted by 
Father Dechant, Rev. Joseph L. Behu, of Tiffin, and Messrs. A. S. Sieben- 
foercher and M. Pietz. two students of St. Mary's Seminary of Cincinnati 
and Cleveland, respectively, subsequently ordained to the priesthood. 
(Father Siebenfoercher has been pastor of the Kenton Church since his 
ordination, and Father Pietz held services in Findlay after becoming a priest, 
and is well remembered by the congregation. ) Mass was celebrated in the 
morning in Wheeler's Hall, and in the afternoon Bishop Rappe laid the cor- 
ner-stone and delivered an impressive discourse to a large concourse of peo- 
ple, many of whom were from neighboring towns. The building was so 
far completed as to be occupied in the fall of 1867, though it is not yet en- 
tirely finished, and has not beon dedicated. During the process of erection 
services were held in a room in the Central House building. 

Rev. Edward J. Vattmann became pastor of St. Michael' s in the spring of 
1867, and the building was erected under his pastorate, which lasted two 
years. The old lot on Hardin Street was sold to James Sheridan in 1868 
for $325. Rev. N. Flammang came in 1869 and left in 1870. Rev. M. Pietz 
also visited the congregation in the latter year. In 1871 Rev. JohnB. Jung 
(pronounced Young) was appointed pastor, and soon after coming partitioned 
off a small room in the church and re-established the parish school, which 
had not been in operation since the burning of the old frame church in 
1866. In 1875 he built the present brick schoolhouse southwest of the 
church. Father Jung was an earnest, hard-working priest, and accom- 
plished a great deal of good dui-ing his pastorate. He was removed to 
Defiance in 1878. and Rev. M. Arnoldi, of Fostoria, ministered to the 
spiritual wants of the congregation until the advent of Rev. George Rudolf 
in 1879, who remained two years. The present pastor. Rev. Hemy 
Doerner, succeeded him in 1881, and has ever since continued to labor in 
building up the church in this portion of God's vineyard. St. Michael's 
congregation embraces some eighty families, and the parish school has an 
average attendance of seventy pupils. The usual branches of study tauo-ht 
in the primary public schools are taught in St. Michael's, and in connection 
therewith the pupil also obtains a thorough religious instruction iu the 
fundamental principles of Christianity. The congregation own a small 
cemetery of two acres adjoining Maple Grove, which was purchased in 
February, 1863, at a cost of $400. Though not entirely fi-ee of debt, St. 
Michael's may nevertheless be regarded as a prosperous congregation. A 
number of societies are connected with the church to assist in the promotion 
of charity and good works. St. Michael's Benevolent Societv, organized in 



006 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

1868, is one of these, but only practical Catholic m^iles between the ages of 
twenty-one and sixty years are eligible to membership. Mr. Frank Karst, 
Sr., has been president of this society since its organization, and it has 
accomplished much good during this period in rendering devoted attention 
and assistance to the sick, and in distribution of weekly benefits. 

The United Brethren Church of Findlaij can be traced back to Janiiaiy 17, 

1853, when Henry Hartman. Nimrod Bright, Joel Pendleton, Jesse Wheeler 
and J. T. Crites were trustees in charge of a subscription to raise funds to 
purchase a lot and erect a house of worship. At this time services were 
occasionally held in the little brick schoolhouse then standing on West 
Front Street. In May, 1854. Lot No. 78 on the southwest corner of West 
and Crawford Streets, was purchased for $250, and the present brick build- 
ing commenced that year and carried to completion in 1855. Rev. Chester 
Briggs was the minister in charge during the erection of the building. 
Joel Pendleton and wife, Robert Owens and wife, Jacob Powell and wife, 
and H. Van Gundy were among the first members of this society. The 
successors of Mr. Briggs have been Revs. Michael Long, William Mathers, 
Case, Dunn, Percy Moore, J. French, Alvin Rose, R. French, William 
Glancy, T. J. Harbaugh, T. D. Ingle, James Long, M. Shestler, A. W. 
Holden, J. P. Macklin, E. A. Star key, J. Kirk, E. B. Mam-er, I. Crouse 
and S. H. Raudebaugh, the present pastor of the church. The membership 
is about 160, with a Sunday-school enrollment of about 120. The society 
has now in contemplation the erection of a new house of worship during the 
present year, and is therefore in a prosperous condition. 

The German Reformed Congregation had its inception in February, 

1854, when they and the German Lutherans organized a society with Charles 
Dietsch, president; Henry Matthias, superintendent; John Schneyer, treas- 
urer; Abraham W. Schwab and Peter Roszmann, trustees. They jointly 
purchased Lot 54 on West Front Street February 3, 1854, for the sum of 
$278, and worshiped at intervals- in the old Presbyterian Church on Craw- 
ford Street, and sometimes in the court house. This state of things con- 
tinued until the spring of 1858, when a separation took place, and each 
subsequently formed a distinct organization. The members of the Re- 
formed denomination were at once organized by Rev. H. Kortheuer, the 
society then embracing some fourteen persons. On the 6th of November, 
1858. the following members met in Schwab's new building for the purpose 
of incorporating said society, viz. : Abraham W. Schwab, Michael Guntner, 
Samuel Schwab, William Gassman, Abraham Newhouse, ITlrich Weiger 
and Sebastian Baker. Michael Guntner was chairman, and William Gass- 
man, secretary. The society adopted "German Reformed Congregation of 
Findlay " as the official name of the church, and elected Abraham W. 
Schwab, Samuel Schwab and Ulrich AVeiger trustees, and William Gass- 
man, clerk. On the 21)th of the same month the society sold its interest 
in the lot on West Front Street to the German Lutherans for $114.50; and 
in February, 1859, purchased ground on East Main Cross Street at a cost 
of $300, upon which the present brick building was erected, in 1860, at a 
total expense of about $2,000. Rev. Mr. Schuette was then in charge of 
the congregation (having succeeded Rev. Kortheuer), which had usually 
worshiped in the court house prior to that time. The successive ministers 
since Mr. Schuette have been Revs. Martin Miller, John G. Ruhl (who came 
in 1863, served the society eleven years, and is yet a resident of Find- 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 007 

lay), A. Knotzky, George Behrents and C. Badetscher, the present incum- 
bent, who has filled the pulpit semi-monthly during the past eight years. 
The society embraces about fifty members, and has a Sunday-school with 
some thirty-five pupils. Sebastian Baker, Samuel Schwab, Christoph Voll- 
weiler, Abraham W. Schwab, Jr., John Weiss and Gottlieb Schwab are about 
the only members of the original society now belonging to the Findlay 
Church. 

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Congregation. — The 
original members of this society formed an organization with those of the 
Reformed faith in February, 1854, and worshiped together up to the spring 
of 1858, when they separated. The same month the joint organization 
was formed Lot 54 on West Front Street was purchased at a cost of |278, 
but after each faith had organized a separate society the Lutherans pur- 
chased the interest of the Reformed Church (November 29, 1858,) foi the 
sum of 1114.50. On the 29th of August, 1858, the German Lutherans held 
a meeting in the court house, with Ernest Kempf, chairman, and Michael 
Glauuer, secretary. /'At this meeting the " German Evangelical Lutheran 
St. John's Congregation" was organized; and Charles Dietsch, Peter 
Roszman and Michael Glauner chosen trustees, and Ernst Kempf, clerk. 
Rev. M. During was the minister who effected the organization, and the 
society met for worship in the court house semi-monthly. In 1862 the 
present brick church on West Front Street was built upon the lot purchased 
by the Reformed and Lutherans in 1854. The building committee was 
Charles Dietsch. Charles Hahn, Henry Lannert, Ernst Kempf and Ed- 
ward Dietsch, and the structure was completed at a total expense of $2, 500, 
and dedicated and first occupied on Whit Sunday in 1863. Revs. M. Dur- 
ing, H. Lang and G. Crownenwitt conducted the dedicatoiy services. A 
good bell has since been procured, and a parsonage bought on Front 
Street, not far from the church, at a cost of $1,900. Rev. Martin Buerkle 
succeeded M. During, and served the congregation eleven years. His 
successors have been Revs. J. T. Groth. J. B. Webber and E. L. T. En- 
gers, the present pastor. St. John's embraces some eighty- three families, 
and has a flourishing Sunday-school of about 100 scholars.' 

The First Regular BaptiM Church of Findlay, though now a defunct 
orgamzation, forms a part of the church history of the village. In the fall 
of 1854 a series of meetings were held in a schoolhouse on Chamberlin's 
Hill, by Rev. G. D. Oviatt, and those who then embraced the Baptist faith 
attached themselves to the Baptist Society in Amanda Township, and organ- 
ized a Sunday-school on the hill, of which Job Chamberlin was chosen 
superintendent. On the 2/th of January, 1857, they withdrew from the 
Amanda Township society, and February 21 following, organized the First 
Regular Baptist Church of Findlay, with Rev. G. D. Oviatt as pastor; 
Samuel A. Spear and Charles Swap, deacons, and Job Chamberlin, clerk. 
The organizers were Samuel F. Hull, Charles Swap, Job Chamberlin Sam- 
uel A. Spear, G. D. Oviatt, Emanuel Phifer, John Bechtel, Solomon Wolf, 
Joel Routson, ^John Dyche, Charles Twining and Irvin S. Chamberlin. 
Job Chamberlin, Charles Swap and Samuel F. Hull were elected trustees 
on the date of organization. The society then embraced forty-one mem- 
bers, and also a good Sunday-school, with Job Chamberlin. superintendent. 
The meetings were held in the court house, as the society never owned a 
building. Soon after the Rebellion broke out the church became disniem- 



608 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

bered, and, though the Baptists have held occaHional services in Findlay up 
to as late as 1877, the society has never been resuscitated. 

The "Church of God" is one of the later religious organizations of Find- 
lay. Elder AVilliam Adams was the pioneer minister of this denomination 
in Hancock County, and a small society was organized by him in 1848, at 
the house of John Bolton, six miles west of the village. For the succeed- 
ing eight years occasional services were held in the county, though very 
little progress was made. In August, Elder E. H. Bolton {son of John 
Bolton) began to preach, and a year afterward he was appointed assistant 
to Elder J. M. West, on the Blanchard Circuit. The following year (1857) 
Elders W. McCormick and R. H. Bolton traveled this circuit, which included 
Findlay. Occasional services were held in the old Presbyterian Church on 
East Crawford Street, a few adherents of this faith having previously located 
in the village. Here, on the 18th of January, 1858, a society of twelve 
members was organized by Elders George W. Harn, of Wooster, Ohio, and 
R. H. Bolton, of Findlay. who, for ten days, had been holding a series of 
meetings. Among the members of this society were J. C. Sherrick and wife, 
George M. Grauel and wife, Jacob Grose and wife, John T. Grose and wife, 
Emernder Geyer and Elizabeth Cunningham. Meetings were afterward 
held fi-om time to time in private houses, but the organization finally 
became extinct, and Findlay was abandoned as a regular preaching place. 

In the fall of 1861 Elder R. H. Bolton was again appointed to this 
field, and took up his residence in Findlay. He held a series of meetings 
in the winter of 18(31-02, in the North Findlay schoolhouse, which resulted 
in the formation of a society of nineteen members. The work was contin- 
ued, and in the winter of 1862-63, the membership was swelled to sixty. 
Mr. Bolton was succeeded, in 1864, by Elder W. P. Small, who preached 
every two weeks until the fall of 1865, when Elder G. W. Wilson came on 
the circuit. From 1863 to 1866 the society met in the United Brethren 
building. In April, 1866, Lot 37, on West Front Street, was purchased for 
1350, and the erection of the present brick church commenced. The build- 
ing was completed at a cost of about $4, 000, and dedicated December 30, 
1866, by Elder J. B. Soul, of Wooster, Ohio, and the minister in charge, 
Mr. Wilson. The church had been incorporated in the fall of 1866, and 
James Ferguson, Peter Sherrick and David Funk elected trustees, John 
Ferguson, treasurer, and John T. Grose, clerk. A Sunday-school was or- 
ganized, January 5, 1867, and is still in successful operation. In the sum- 
mer of 1867, Elder W^ilson resigned and Elder Adams came at intervals 
until October, when Elders J. W. Aukerman and W^arner were appointed to 
serve the Findlay society in connection with McComb Circuit. In October, 
1868, Elder Aukerman took charge, and his successors have been as follows: 
Elders T. H. Deshirie, 1869-70; J. M. Cassel, 1870-72; J. W. Aukerman, 
1872-73; W. P. Small. 1873-75; Solomon Kline, 1875-76; J. V. Updyke, 
1876-78. Large accessions to the church occxu-red under Mr. Updyke; but 
in January, 1878, he " professed to receive and began to teach the doctrine of 
sanctification, " which was regarded by many members as an innovation, and 
he was replaced by W. P. Burchard, who served till the following autumn. 
Then came W. P. Small, 1878-80; S. Dickerhoof, 1880-1881; J. M. Cassel, 
1881-82; R. H. Bolton, 1882-84; Charles Winbigler, 1884, and is the present 
pastor. In December, 1884, the society took possession of the Congregational 
Church, held services there until the spring of 1886, and then returned to their 



VILLAGE OF FINDLA.Y. 609 

own "Bethel," on Front Street. This society has had a steady, healthy 
growth, and, from small beginnings, it has gradually increased to a member- 
ship of 180, with a Sunday-school enrollment of 100. Besides their church 
building they also own a ' good parsonage on Main Street, in North Findlay, 
which was purchased in 1879. The opening of the new college during the 
present year will, doubtless, give fresh impetus to the growth of this church 
in Hancock County, and under the labors of Elder Winbigler, its present 
able and eloquent minister, the Findlay sfciety will, we predict, go forward 
on a still more prosperous career. 

The First Congregational Church was organized October 21, 1865, in 
Gage's Hall, by Rev. Robert McCune, of Kelly's Island. The society had 
its inception in the spring of 1865, through the disagreement of the mem- 
bers of the First Presbyterian Church over the further retention of Rev. J. 
A. Meeks as pastor of that body, those opposing that gentleman being sub- 
sequently upheld by the Presbytery. His friends then applied to the 
Presbytery for authority to organize a "Second Presbyterian Church," but 
the application was refused, the result of which was the secession of about 
forty-three members, with the old pastor, and the formation of the First 
Congregational Church. On the day of organization the following officers 
were chosen: Paul Sours, John Eckels, James Davidson and Aaron Hall, 
deacons; J. S. Ballentine, treasurer, and James A. Bope, clerk; while Rev. 
J. A. Meeks was called to the pastorate. In March, 1866, the church was 
incorporated as "The First Congregational Church of Findlay," and Lot 27, 
on the west side of the public square, was purchased for the sum of $2, 500. 
The erection of a building thereon was commenced in the spring of 1867, 
the committee in charge being Paul Sours, James P. Kerr, Jesse Guise 
and J. C. Powell, and the following December the present commodious 
brick structure was completed at a cost of about $17,000. Mr. Meeks 
served the congregation faithfully about five years, and left the church in a 
flourishing state. He was succeeded by Rev. W. S. Peterson, under whose 
pastorate, in January, 1872, a chime of bells was put into the belfiy at an 
expense of over $1,000. During Mr. Peterson's term of service consider- 
able trouble arose in the church, which was the entering wedge of its present 
disorganized condition. His successors were Revs. Thomas Gordon, H. D. 
Kutz, D. F. Davies and E. B. Chase. The last mentioned left in 1884. 
since which time the congregation has been without a pastor. In December, 
1884, the "Church of God" took possession of the building, and occupied 
it until the spring of 1886. 

St. Paul Church of the Evangelical Association dates back to the annual 
conference of said association held in May, 1870, when an English mission 
consisting of the Findlay, Fellar's, Porter's and Union Chapel societies was 
organized, and Rev. E. B. Crouse placed in charge. Services were gener- 
ally held in the United Brethren Church. On the llth of July, 1870, "The 
Findlay Society of the Evangelical Association of North America' ' was in- 
corporated, and John Powell, John Crites and L. W. Hankey, elected 
trustees, and L. W. Hankey, clerk. At this time it was decided to erect a 
house of worship, and Lot 137 on East Sandusky Street was purchased for 
$1,000. The present brick building was at once commenced, and in 
October, 1870, was completed and dedicated at a total cost of about $6,000. 
The congregation have recently built a neat frame parsonage upon the same 
lot but facing on Crawford Street. Mr. Crouse served the society until 1872 



610 HISTORY OF HANOoCK COUNTY. 

and his successors have lieen as follows: Revs. William Whittington, 1872-74:; 
W. A. Shisler, 1874-76; Samuel Cocklin, 1876-77; John A. Hensel, 1877- 
79; Charles L. Crowther, 1879-80; C. H. Dreisbach, 1880-82; W. W. 
Sherick, 1882-8."); A. N. McCauley, 1885-86. The church has now a mem- 
bership of eighty-two, and a Sunday-school with an enrollment of 100 
scholars. 

Trinify Mission of flit' Protestant Episcopal Church was organized on the 
19th of July. 1 88 1 , ' by Rev. D. W. Coxe, of Fremont. This gentleman 
held the first Episcoi)al service in the old Lutheran Church on West Craw 
ford Street, May 16, and in June he and Rev. J. L. Taylor, of Lima, began 
holding alternate services in Findlay, which culminated in the organization 
of " Trinity Mission. " Thirty-four names were signed to the request sent 
to Bishop Bedell. On the 8th of November, 1881, Rev. Dr. AVhite and L. 
S. Osberne held services in Findlay, and on that day the congregation re- 
solved to rent a room in which to worship. A room in the Courier Block 
was accordingly procured, and February 19, 1882, Rev. George Bosley, of 
Kenton, Ohio, was appointed rector of Trinity Mission. He served until 
September 30, 1882, on which date he held his last service in Findlay, and 
resigned the charge the following November. Since that time no service has 
been held, and the mission has gone out of existence. 

The " Church of Christ, " better known as the Disciples, was organized 
with twenty-eight members December 14, 1(^84, under the direction of Rev. 
William J. Lhamon, of Kenton, Ohio. Prior to this various ministers of 
this denomination preached incidental sermons in Findlay, viz. : Revs. ^^'. 
M. Broader, M. Riddle, Alanson Wilcox and William J. Lhamon. During 
the spring and summer of 1884, Mr. Lhamon preached frequently on week- 
day evenings. In December he held meetings for several days, which re- 
sulted in the organization of the society. At the time of organization the 
work was placed under the direction of the following committee: Henry 
Shank, Jr. , Henry C. Lanning, A. A. Dillinger, Mrs. Kate M. Kagy, Mrs. 
Hannah Ross and Mrs. Orpha L. Humason. Services have been held in 
the Reformed Church, on East Main Cross Street, up to the present. Mr. 
Lhamon continued to preach for the church until the spring of 1886, when 
the services of Rev. S. M. Cook, of North Eaton, Ohio, were secured, who 
now preaches for the congregation, which has a membership of thirty-six. 

Secret and Other Societies. — Hancock Lodge, No. 73, I. O. O. F., was 
instituted August 17, 1846, the charter members being Abraham Younkin, 
Jacob Carr, Edson Goit, Abel F. Parker and James H. Barr. It is the 
oldest secret society in the village, and now contains about 210 members. 
On the 12th of June, 1872. the lodge dedicated their fine hall, located in a 
substantial three-story brick building, on the east side of Main Street, which 
they erected that year at a total cost of over $10,000. 

The Golden Rixle Encampment, No. 92, I. O. O. F., was instituted June 
21, 1866, under a charter granted May 2, 1866, to L. G. Thrall, Charles E. 
Niles, Sylvester M. Geyer, William McKinnis, Charles J. Krause, William 
L. Glessner, Henry B. Green and George W. Neeley. The Encampment 
has a membership of 105, and holds its meetings in the Odd Fellows' 
lodge room. 

Canton Findlay, No. 31, Patriarchs Militant, I. O. O. F., was chartered, 
with forty-two members, February 1, 1886. It also meets in the lodge- 
room on Main Street. 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 



611 



Findlay Lodo-e, No. 227, F. & A. M., was organized under a dispensa- 
tion January K^'lSo^. On the 22d of October following a charter was granted 
to Abraham Younkin, AbelF. Parker, Edwin Parker, David Patton, James M. 
Coffinberry, George Arnold, Adolphus Morse, Eli S. Reed and Cloys B. Wil- 
son, with Abraham Younkin, W. M. ; James M. Coffinberry, S^ W. ; George 
Arnold J VV The lodge was duly instituted November 9, 18o2, with the 
followikcr officers: Abraham Younkin, W. M. ; George W. Springer, S. W. ; 
William L Henderson. J. W. ; Eli S. Reed, Treas. ; David Patton, bee. ; 
Thomas McKee. S. D. ; John E. Rosette, J. D. ; George Arnold, Tyler. 
The meetings were hi'st held in the old Jonathan Parker building, on the site 
of Patterson's Block, and subsequently in the " Old White Corner, " and Joy 
House Block In 1 878 the lodge obtained their present quarters, on the east 
side of Main Street north of Crawford, which they fitted up and have since 
occupied. The membership in good standing is about seventy-five. 

Findlay Chapter, No. 58, R. A. M., was organized by dispensation 
granted March 22, 1854. On the 16th of October, 1854, a charter was 
granted to Abraham Younkin, James A. Kellum, William L. Henderson, 
Beniamin Metcalf, S. T. Heffner and George Arnold. The membership is 
now' about forty, and the Chapter meets in the lodge-room on Main Street. 

Findlay Council, No. 50, R. & S. M., was organized by dispensation June 
19 1867 and on the 12th of October following James Wilson, H. D. Bal- 
lard, B. F. Kimmons, W. E. Snyder, D. B. Beardsley, J. M. Huber, Will- 
iam Anderson, M. B. Patterson and Isaac Bonham were granted a charter. 
The membership is now fourteen. ^ _ . , 

Findlay Lodge, No. 85, K.of P., was instituted May 27, 187o, with twenty- 
nine charter members, '^he charter was surrendered February 24, 1879, and 
the lodo-e reorganized under the old charter September 21, 1883. It now em- 
braces a membership of forty, and meets in the G. A. R. Hall, in the Patter- 
son block. . . , 

The Harmonia Society, a German musical association, was organized 
May 12. 1875, with eight active members. This society has fitted up a 
small hah over Herman Rogge's grocery store, on West Main Cross Street, 
where they meet for social pleasure. A few concerts are given in this hall 
during the year, which are well attended by the German population of the 

(fharity Lodge, No. 770, K. of H., was chartered September 11, 1878, by 
D C Connell, Henry B. Green, F. W. Entrikin, Ernest Bacher, W. H. Shu- 
ler H W Blecker, J. M. Beelman. G. H. Wheeler, E. G. DeW^olfe, William 
Edwards, J. C. Bushon and Timothy Fellers. The membership is now only 
nineteen, and the lodge has not been meeting for some time. 

Hancock Council, No. 187, R. A., was instituted in November, 1878, 
with thirty-four charter members, and has now thirty-eight. Dr. J. H. Roger s 
dental rooms is their place of meeting. . -, • ^r iooi 

Blanchard Council, No. 569, A. L. of H., was organized in May, 1881, 
with twenty-two charter members, but it has now only seventeen. 

Stoker Post, No. 54, G. A. R., was chartered April 7, 1881, with thir- 
ty-two members, and has since increased its membership to 120. Ihe 
Post has a fine room in the Patterson Block, and has accomplished much 
good since its organization. ^ 

Stoker Relief Corps, No. 72, G. A. R., was chartered March / 188o, 
with twenty-eight members. It is composed of ladies, who assist and work 
in harmony with the Post. 



612 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Fort Fiinllay Council. No. 79, N. U., was organized April 18, 1884, 
with thirty nine members. It meets at the I. O. G. T. Hall, on Main 
Street. 

Rescue Lodge, No. 80, I. O. G. T. , was chartered with thirty-nine mem- 
bers March '21, 1884, and has now over '200. Their lodge-room is located 
in the Henderson Block, on Main Street. There are two temples connected 
with Rescue Lodge, and that work in harmony with it, viz. : Mason Juvenile 
Temple, No. 8U, chartered September 8, 1885, with sixty members, and now 
has 17'"); and Juvenile Temple, No. 15, chartered November '20, 1885, with 
twenty members, and now has forty-five. The principal object of the I. 
O. G. T. is to further the cause of temperance, and rescue fallen humanity 
fi'om the thraldom of strong drink. To this noble work thousands of 
earnest men and women all over this broad land are devoting their energies, 
fighting the demon that has destroyed so many happy homes and wrecked 
the lives of millions of God's children. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

FINDLAY CONTINUED. 

Hotels, Manufactoimes, Banks and Public Places of Amusement— 
ProNEEK Taverns and Present Hotels of Findlay— Leading Man- 
ufacturing Establishments of the Past and Present— History of 
the Successive Banking Institutions of the Town— Building and 
Loan associations— Early Amusements and Public Halls of the 
Village— Brass Bands. 

AS hotels, manufacturing establishments, banks and places of amuse- 
ment occupy a prominent place in the business and social life of every 
town, it is fitting that a chapter in the history of Findlay should be devoted 
to the past and present of such institutions. The first hotel, or rather tav- 
ern, on the site of Findlay. was kept by Benjamin J. Cox, who located at 
Fort Findlay, in 1815, and took possession of a story and a half hewed-log 
house, erected and occupied by a man named Thorp during the war of 181 '2. 
This fi'ontier tavern stood on the east side of Main Street, immediately 
south of the bridge, and was kejyt by Cox till the coming of Wilson Vance, 
in November, 1821, whou he had to give it up to the latter, whose brother, 
Joseph, and Elnathan Cory had previously entered the land upon which it 
stood. Mr. Vance continued the tavern until 1831, when he abandoned the 
business. In 1827 board at Vance's tavern was $1.50 per week, and even 
at that price good, plain, substantial meals were always set upon the table. 
In 1828 AVilliam Taylor opened the " Findlay Inn" in a small build- 
ing on the site of Rothchild's liquor store, which he carried on in connec- 
tion with his store until 1833, when he sold it to Abraham Daughenbaugh, 
who ran it about four years, and then rented the property to M. M. Nigh. 
The latter kept tavei'u here a couple of years, and was succeeded by Alonzo 
D. Wino;. This tavern was conducted a number of vears. 



,X" 



t? 




-^^^^^m..^ ^Myt 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY, 



615 



John Bashore erected a large two-story kewed-log building in IS^-^-SO 
on the site of the Carnahan Block, in which he opened a tavern. In the 
spring of 1832 the property was purchased by Maj. John Patterson, and 
Bashore soon aft,erward removed to Lima. In the spring of 18d4 Mr i'at- 
terson located permanently, and traded this property to James H. \N lison 
for a two-story frame on the site of the Humphrey House, where a tavern 
had previously been kept by Jeremiah Case, who leased the property from 
Mr. Wilson. The building was erected by Thomas F. Johnston, who sold 
it to Mr. Wilson in 1882, before its completion. 

The '^Findlay Caravansary" was opened on this corner by Maj. 1 attei-^ 
son in the spring of 1834, and was the only tavern in the village that sold 
no intoxicating drink. Whenever a thirsty traveler called in to '"wet his 
whistle," the Major would point to a well just outside the door and pohtely 
say ' ^ There' s plenty of pump- water, sir. I do not sell whisky, ' ' from which 
quaint expression he became widely known as "Old Pump- water,' a name 
that is an honor to his memory and a monument to his zeal in the cause of tem- 
perance. In September, 1840. he traded his tavern to Samuel Leard for a 
farm in Washington Township, but the latter soon afterward sold it to John 
Reed a pioneer of Portage Township. Mr. Reed continued the old name 
for a 'short time, and then changed it to -Reed's Hotel." He was suc^ 
ceeded in the business by his brother, Eli S., who ran it until the spring of 
1852, when he rented the house to George H. Crook, who remained till 
January, 1853, and Mr. Reed again took possession. Early m 18o4 he 
becran the erection of the fi-ont portion of the present three -story brick 
which he opened for business the following December. In January, 18oJ, 
Guntner & Woodworth leased the house, and were succeeded by E. H. 
Cowles in February, 1862. Mr. Reed died during the three months' service 
in 1861, while commissary of the Twenty-first Regiment In March. 1853, 
Samuel Renninger purchased the property and opened it as the " ' American 
House. ' ' Mr. Renninger conducted the hotel for several years and then 
rented it toE. B. Belding, who changed the name to the •' Belding House. ' 
In the fall of 1874 Jasper Constable succeeded Mr. Belding; next came 
Stewart Sprague, who changed the name to the '•Commercial Hotel." In 
December, 1878, Mr. Renninger sold the property to C. H. Dietsch, who 
ran the hotel nearly eight years, erecting a large addition thereto during his 
proprietorship. In March, 1886, J. W. Humphrey, of Jamestown, N. Y., 
leased and took possession of the hotel. He began at once extensive 
changes and improvements, and it is now far superior m appearance and 
convenience to what it has ever been before, He also changed the name to 
the "Humphrey House," and is fast winning a fair share of the travel- 
ing trade. The house contains about fifty rooms completed, and is first- 
class in its service and appointments. 

The site of the Joy House has been occupied by a hotel during a period 
of forty-six years. In 1839-40 an Irishman named John McCurdy erected 
a two-story* frame on this ground and soon afterward sold it to Henry 
Lamb, who in the latter year opened it as the '"White Hall Tavern. Mr. 
Lamb carried on this tavern until near the close of March. 1849, and the 
building was burned down on the 31st of that month immediately after the 
Lambs had moved out. The ground remained unoccupied until the spring 
of 1854, when the Findlay Joint Stock Hotel Company purchased it, and 
commenced the erection thereon of the present three-story brick structure 



616 HISTORY OF HANroCK COUNTY. 

known as tho Joy House Block. The building was not completed until the 
fall of 1856, when it was opened by S. T. HefPner as the "Dixon Hotel," 
in honor of Daniel Dixon, one of the principal stockholders in the company, 
and a leading citizen of the village. The south part of the present hotel 
was purchased in June, 1859, by George H. Crook, of the Joint Stock Hotel 
Company, who changed the name to the ' ' Crook House, ' ' and ran it until 
the spring of 1865. Stewart Sprague then bought the furnishings and 
leased the building of Mr. Crook, and carried on the hotel biisiness for five 
years. In the spring of 1870 A. & D. Joy, who had been running a hoi el 
in Carey for many years, piu-chased the property, and at once changed the 
name to the "Joy House." Under their management the Joy House soon 
won the larger share of the hotel trade, and it has retained this up to the 
present (April, 1886). The Joy3 lease the two upper stories of the north 
part of the block, which, together with the old portion, gives their hotel an 
accommodation of sixty-eight rooms. Most of the interior has been recently 
refurnished, the dining room remodeled and handsomely furnished in rich 
harmony of colors, and as a whole, the Joy House will compare favorably 
with the average hotel of the State outside of the larger towns. 

The Sherman House is one of the pioneer hotels of Findlay. In Octo- 
ber, 1840, John F. Ritter opened the "Green Tree Tavern" on the same 
site, and in 1 844 was succeeded by Abraham W. Schwab, who changed the 
name to the "Traveler's Rest." It was then a two-story frame, but seven 
or eight years afterward Mr. Schwab erected the corner portion of the 
present structure, and opened the new hotel as the ' ' Schwab House. ' ' He 
subsequently made additions to the building, and carried on the business 
until his death in 1868. It was next kept by W. W. Siddall as the " Sid- 
dall House, ' ' and afterward underwent several changes in name and pro- 
prietorship, being called in succession the Franklin, Irvin and Marvin 
House. In 1875 T. J. Stackhouse bought the property, and opened it as 
the Sherman House, which title it has since retained. "This hotel contains 
twenty rooms, and Mr. Stackhouse is the present proprietor. 

The American House was opened in the fall of 1840 by Jacob Rosen- 
berg, who was then sheriff of the county. It stood on the site of the First 
National Bank, and previous to its purchase by Mr. Rosenberg in June, 
1840, had been the court house. He remodeled the interior, and converted 
the old temple of justice into a place of entertainment. Mr. Rosenberg 
died in October, 1844, and his widow conducted the business until her mar- 
riage to Jacob Carr, about four years afterward. The latter changed the 
name to " Carr' s Hotel," which he carried on till the winter of 1862-63, 
when the site was purchased by "William H. Wheeler, who erected thereon 
the present three-story brick, known as Wheeler's Block. The old frame 
was moved to its present location, immediately north of the Presbyterian 
Church, where it has since been occupied by Mr. Carr' s family as a private 
residence. 

Among other old-time places of entertainment were the " Rising Sun 
Hotel' ' and the Bigelow House. The former was built by Daniel Erb on 
East Main Cross Street, and in the spring of 1837 was purchased by Garret 
D. Teatsorth, who carried it on for quite a long period. The Bigelow 
House was opened by T. B. Paden in September, 1851, in the old two- 
story frame yet standing on the southeast corner of Main and Sandusky 
Streets, and now occupied by L. A. Baldwin as a commission house. It 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 61 < 

was started to take the place of the •'White Hall Tavern," burned down a 
couple of years previous, and was kept by Nathan Miller and M. Shisler in 
1853 and 1854, respectively, who succeeded Mr. Paden, but it was closed 
about the time the Dixon Hotel (now Joy House) was opened for business. 

The Central and Biu-net Houses are the latest ventures in the hotel line. 
The former, located on the west side of the public square, was built by 
Abraham W. Schwab many years ago for store-rooms, and first opened as a 
hotel by George Grouse about 1870-71 . He was succeeded by James L. Henry, 
and after a few years the property was sold to the Grange, who opened a 
store therein. Upon the failure of that movement it was again sold, and 
finally came into possession of Samuel D. Houpt. He fitted it up as a 
hotel, and in 1 888 leased it to John Ritter, who opened it as the ' ' Central 
House." C. P. Vail succeeded Mr. Ritter in July, 1884, and has recently 
fitted up the house in a very enterprising manner. The Burnet, now owned 
by Samuel Renninger, is located near the depot of the Lake Erie & AVestern 
Railroad, where a restaurant was started by C. H. Dietsch shortly after the 
completion of that road to Findlay. The hotel accommodations of Findlay 
are fully ample for the present wants of the village, while its many elegant 
restaurants surpass those of any other country town in Ohio. 

The old log grist and saw-mill, built under the supervision of "Wilson 
Vance, by Vance & Cory, in 1824, was the first manufacturing establish- 
ment erected in the county. These mills stood on the site of the-present 
Carlin flouring-mill north of the river, and were a great blessing to the 
first settlers. As there has been some difference of opinion as to the year these 
mills were built, we herewith append the evidence of Mrs. Elizabeth Eberly 
(daughter of Benjamin J. Cox) and Job Chamberlin, the only pioneers now 
living who have any personal knowledge of the circumstance. " We re- 
moved," says Mrs. Eberly, " fi-om Fort Findlay to the Maumee in 1823, 
and the mill had not yet been commenced, but was built the year after we 
left. The race, however, was dug out while we wei-e there, but that is as 
far as the work progressed })rior to our removal. ' ' Mr. Chamberlin, who 
came in February, 1822, agrees with the statement of Mrs. Eberly, and in 
his "Personal Reminiscences," wa-itten in 1874, gives the following ac- 
count of the building of the mill: "Father hadTjrought flour and meal 
enough to supply his family one year. Hon. Joseph Vance had promised 
to erect a mill the next season, but it was not until about two years and a half 
afterward that Messrs. Vance & Cory, the original proprietors of Findlay, 
built a little log mill about the place where Carlin' s mill now stands." 
These statements would make the year 1824 as the date the old mills were 
erected. In 1828 James McKinnis and Reuben Hale rented the mills of 
Vance & Cory, and ran them about a year. Early in 1834 they were bought 
by John Campbell, together with fifteen acres of land. In the tax list of 
that year the mills are valued at $900. Campbell tore down the old log 
building in the winter of 1834-35 and erected a frame mill, which he ran till 
the spring of 1837, when the property was purchased by S. & P. Carlin. 
Several years afterward the Carlins rel)uilt the mills, and they have been 
rebuilt once more since that time, making the present mill the fom-th one 
on that site. The saw-mill was operated up to within a few years ago. 

In 1832 Henry Shaw built a horse-mill on West Front Street, upon the 
south part of the lot now occupied by the "Church of God," Bethel, to 
supply the inhabitants with corn meal, when Vance's mill failed on account 



618 HISTORY OF HANrOCK COUNTY. 

of low water or some other cause. It was a two-story building, the grinding 
being done in the upper story, which was reached by an open stairway, and 
the horse-power was below. James Teatsorth bought this mill of Mr. Shaw 
about 1836, and ran it several years. 

The first flouring-mill in the village was built by Martin Huber, John S. 
Julien and John Engelman, the last two mentioned being yet resi- 
dents of Fiudlay. They purchased a lot on the south side of Sandusky 
Street, immediately east of Eagle Creek, in May, 1 845, and began the erec- 
tion of a mill. It was completed and first operated December 25, 1845, 
and was named the ' 'Eagle Mills, ' ' which title it has ever since borne. This 
mill has always been operated by steam, and was one of the first steam mills 
built in the county. Soon after the mill began operations Martin Huber 
died, and in May, 1846, the proj^erty was purchased by Benjamin Huber, 
who owned it nearly twenty years. In the fall of 1865 the mill was sold to 
E. M. Norwood and Milton B. Patterson, who disposed of it in February, 
1867, to William W. McConnell. The following November Parish W. Rock- 
well purchased an interest in the property. McConnell & Rockwell ran the 
mill until March, 1879, when David Kirk assumed control. In the fall of 
that year the property was sold at sheriff's sale and purchased by the cred- 
itors of McConnell & Rockwell, from whom Mr. Kirk and Mrs. William W. 
McConnell subsequently l)ought it. The mill was furnished with Ellis rolls 
in 1883. and on the Ist of Januaiy, 1885, Mr. Kirk became sole proprietor 
by the purchase of Mrs. McConnell' s interest. The Eagle Mills are now 
first-class in their appointments, and are averaging 125 barrels of a supe- 
rior grade of flour every twenty- four hours, though having a capacity of 150 
barrels. Mr. Kirk has his own gas-well, which supplies fuel and light for 
the mill, and thus a saving of $2,000 per annum is accomplished. 

The Hancock Mills, now owned and operated by John Parker, was built 
by his father, Jonathan. In the summer of 1857 the latter erected a steam 
planing-mill on Lincoln Street, in the southwest part of the village, and in 
the autumn of the same year began an addition for a grist-mill, which com- 
menced operations in the spring of 1858, under the name of the ' 'Hancock 
Mills." These mills have ever since been carried on; first by the father, 
and afterward by the present proprietor, though the planing-mill was aban- 
doned eight or ten years ago. The present capacity is fifty barrels every 
twenty-four hours. 

The pioneer saw-mill of the village was connected with the old log wa- 
ter grist-mill built by Vance & Cory in 1824, and it was continued up to 
within a few years ago. The next saw-mill was built by the Carlin broth- 
ers, on East Sandusky Street, on the west bank of Eagle Creek, the power 
being supplied by that stream. This mill was started about 1835, but did 
not last very long. 

In 1846 Jonathan Parker, Abraham Daughenbaugh and William Taylor 
built quite a large steam saw -mill north of the river and east of Main 
Street. After some years Mr. Daughenbaugh sold out to his partners, and 
Albert Parker and Patterson Taylor, sons of the two remaining proprietors, 
subsequently succeeded to the ownership of the mill, the latter afterward 
disposing of his interest to Mr. Parker. J. C. Powell finally purchased the 
property, and continued to run the mill until its destruction by the explo- 
sion of the boiler, March 10, 1874, since which event it has not been re- 
built. 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 619 

In 1880 S. C. Moore erected a saw-mill on Main Cross Street, in 
East Findlay, which he sold in January, 1883, to S. & I. S. Moore. 
This mill was burned down in April, 1886, but immediately rebuilt by 
the Messrs. Moore. Six men find steady employment here most of the 
time, the product averaging about 4,000 feet of hardwood lumber per day 
during nine months of the year. In June, 1884, S. C. Moore established 
his present hardwood lumber mill near the track of the Lake Erie & West- 
ern Railroad, in North Findlay. George D. Plotner obtained an interest in 
the mill in December, 1885. They employ six hands and average 4,000 
feet of lumber per day. 

The fanning-mill factory established by Hiram Smith in 1835, on East 
Main Cross Street, was one of the earliest and most important indiistries of 
Findlay. Capt. Smith had previously carried on the same business at 
Waterville, on the Mauniee River, whence, in 1835, he removed to Findlay. 
He manufactured mills here for several years, employing a number of hands 
in his factory, but finally engaged in mercantile pursuits, and in 1851 re- 
moved to Oregon. 

Small wagon and carriage factories began to be established at quite an 
early day, thoiigh very little new work was turned out during the earlier 
years of settlement. Philip Shockey opened a wagon shop on East Main 
Cross Street in 1834 or 1835. He also manufactured plows, but his prin- 
cipal work was repairing during his residence here. In 183D John Schney- 
er started a wagon shop on West Main Cross Street, on the site of Mrs. 
Sarah Carlin's residence, where he carried, on business about nine years and 
then removed to the south bank of the river, where the old brewery now 
stands. In the winter of 1848-49 he gave up the manufactm-e of wagons and 
started a brewery, which will be found mentioned further on in this article. 
Jesse George, Simon Wilhelm and William Kirtland manufactured wagons 
and plows, and also did some foundry work, on Soiath Main Street, as early 
as 1844-45. Koons & Snyder opened a wagon and carriage factory on West 
Crawford Street in 1848— iO. Snyder soon retired and the firm became E. 
P. Koons & Co. The Koons family continued to run carriage shops in 
Findlay up to within fifteen years past. Eli Beach conducted the same 
class of business, first on Main Street and subsequently on West Crawford, 
from 1855 until about ten years ago. 

Daniel Buck erected a small frame wagon shop on the north side of West 
Main Cross Street in 1859, and in 1801 took into partnership Stephen Sey- 
fang, and in 1866 Adam Reimund joined the firm. The shops were en- 
larged in 1868, and in 1875 they were moved to the south side of the street, 
where the present two-story brick was afterward erected. In September, 
1884, Mr. Seyfang died, and Buck & Reimund have since continued the 
business, which has grown from very small beginnings to its present re- 
spectable proportions. It is the leading carriage shop of Findlay, and gives 
steady employment to fifteen hands. All classes of wagons, buggies and car- 
riages are turned out by this firm, their annual sales of new work aggre- 
gating from $15,000 to $20,000. 

The carriage factory now operated by A. W. Ray, on West Main Cross 
Street, was established some twenty- six years ago by Karr & Sprau. Many 
changes have since occui-red in its ownership, John M. Ferguson, Philip B. 
Mori'ison, S. C. Moore, George Heck, J. L. Linnville, William Biggs, Charles 
Fritcher, A. W. and J. K. Ray and L. Fitzpatrick having all been connected 



620 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COtlNTV. 

with tho proprietorship of this factory up to 1877, when A. W. Ray became 
sole owner. Eight hands are employed in this shop and a good class of 
wagons, carriages, etc.. is manufactured. 

In September, 1879, E. L. Kridler opened a wagon and carriage factory 
on East Crawford Street. William Ramey obtained an interest in the business, 
in 1881, but sold out to his partner after about eight months, and the latter 
continued alone until the spring of 188(3, when Charles Radebaugh pur- 
chased an interest. The firm of Kridler & Radebaugh employ eight hands 
and do a business of about $8,000 per annum. 

Several years ago James P. Kerr started a carriage shop on West Craw- 
ford Street, which finally went down. In February, 1885, Markle, Mullho- 
land & Co. opened a carriage factory in the same place, and have since been 
doing a successful business. Seven hands are working in this shop, and a 
good grade of work is turned out. 

The old Jackson foundry was established about 1 848, by Smith, Vanden- 
burg & Nye, on East Crawford Street. Jesse Wolf succeeded them in 1849, 
and was soon afterward joined by Simon Wilhelm, who, in April, 1851, 
purchased more ground and enlarged the business. In July, 1855, Au- 
gustus Sheffield bought the foundry, and in the fall of 1857, sold it to Jesse 
George. In March, 1858, the latter formed a partnership with Simon Wil- 
helm and Jesse Wolf, under the firm name of J. George & Co. , who named 
their foundiy the " Findlay Foundry and Machine Shop." We find their 
first advertisement in the Jeffersonian of March, 1858, in which they say 
they have established said business ' ' at the old foundry on Railroad (Craw- 
ford) Street, lately occupied by A. Sheffield. They advertise to manufacture 
steam-engiues, plows, cultivators, grain-di'ills and several other 'kinds of 
foundry and machine work. In November, 1859, Wolf & Wilhelm pur- 
chased, for $8,000, the foundry established and then operated by Augustus 
Sheffield, on West Main Cross Street. The shops on Crawford Street were 
abandoned and the name transferred to the Main Cross Street foundry, 
which is thus its lineal successor. 

In September, 1857, Augustus Sheffield purchased ground on the south 
side of West Main Cross Street, and built a brick foundry and machine shop 
thereon. He sold out to Jesse Wolf and Simon Wilhelm in the fall of 
1859, who removed from their old location on East Crawford Street to the 
new shops. Wolf & Wilhelm ran the foundry until 1863, when William 
France obtained an interest (the firm name remaining as before), which he 
held about a year. In 1864 Robert S. Mungen purchased Mr. Wilhelm' s 
interest, and the firm then became R. S. Mungen & Co. Louis Adams en- 
tered the firm in 1865, and Adams, Mungen & Wolf continued aboUt one 
year when Mr. Wolf retired. Adams & Mungen carried on the business 
until 1867, when Mr. Wolf again became a partner, but the following year 
sold out his interest to Vincent H. Coons, while Cyrus Vail bought that of Mr. 
Adams. The interests of Messrs. Vail and Mungen were soon afterward 
purchased by Mr. Adams, and the firm of Adams & Coons ran the business 
until 1872, when the former retired. James T. Adams, Newton M. Adams, 
John W. Davis and William L. Davis, now entered the business, and the 
firm of Coons, Adams & Co. was organized. A large brick addition was 
made to the shop in 1878, and a fresh impetus was given to the business. 
Upon the death of William L. Davis in 1880. his interest was purchased by 
the remaining partners. In January, 1883, the Adams brothers and Joseph 



VILLAGE OF FLNDLAY. 



621 



Kevis bought out Vincent H. Coons and John ^\\ Davis, and the firm then 
became Adams Bros. & Co. The Findlay Machine Works manufacture 
portable and stationary engines, circular saw-mills, etc., and give steady 
employment to twenty-two hands. In the spring of 1886 they erected a 
two-story brick addition, in the rear of the old shops, to meet the growing 
demands of their business. 

The Eagle Foundry and Machine Shop was established in 1871 by W. 
K. Marvin on East Front Street, in a two-story frame building which he had 
fitted up for the purpose. In 1882 the present two-story brick was erected 
and the firm of W. K. Marvin & Sons formed, Russell and Demy Marvm 
being the junior members of the establishment. Portable and stationary 
engines, saw- mills and all kinds of mill gearing and castings are turned at 
this foundry. 

Yocum & Hollowell started a small foundry about eight years ago in 
East Findlay, in the building now occupied by the hoop factory. It, how- 
ever, lasted only a short period and made no mark in the manufacturing 
line. 

The manufacture of furnitvu-e was one of the earliest industries of the 
village, some of the very first settlers carrying on that business. Frederick 
Henderson, Paul Sours, John Adams, Hugh Newell and Jesse Wheeler 
were all engaged in the manufactui-e of furniture during the earlier years of 
Findlay' s history. Later furnitiu-e-makers were Campbell & Hefflick, 
Jacob Lohr, Heiiry Porch, David Rummell, Amos Nye, Moses Bullock and 
Isaac Baker. Mr. Rummell is the only one of the number now in the 
business, though he has not manufactured much fm-niture for many years 

Charles Dietsch & Son began the manufacture of furniture in 1860 on 
West Main Cross Street. In 1870 the firm became A. Dietsch & Co. , and 
so remained until 1883, when it was changed to the Dietsch Bros. A fi-ame 
building was first occupied, and this was used until 1876, when a substan- 
tial brick factory was erected on the old site. The Dietsch Bros, employ 
ten hands, and their business averages about $10,000 per year. This is 
now the only furniture manufactory in Findlay, and the work turned out is 
firstclass in every way. 

Edwin S. Jones opened a tan-yard on East Front Street in 1828. In 
1831 he sold out to Edward Bright, who was joined by Allen Wiseley in the 
business. This tannery passed through several ownerships, and was finally 
purchased by G. C. Barnd, who ran it some years ere abandoning the busi- 
ness. Another tannery was opened by Christian Barnd about 1832, west of 
the park, which was carried on by him and afterward by his son G. C. for 
a considerable period. 

A log distillery was built in 1812-13, on the site of the East Findlay 
engine house, by John and Benjamin Hershy, of Wayne County, Ohio. 
They ran the business about four years and then gave it up as non-paying. 
The only other distillery that has ever been built in this locality was by 
McConnell, Lewis & Stillings, in the spring and summer of 1857. It was 
a three-story frame and stood on the north side of the river west of the 
village. After about one year's operation the distillery was purchased by 
E. P. Jones, of Findlay, and H. F. Merry, of Sandusky City, who manu- 
factured whisky for some time and then sold out to Louis Adams. The 
latter took in W. W. McConnell, and the business was carried on by them 
until after the war closed, and it then went down. 



^22 EIISTORV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

In the winter of 1848-49 John Schneyer established a brewery on the 
south bank of the river adjoining Judge Cory's residence on the north He 
manufactured lager beer at this point until the spring of 1857 when he 
sold out to Joseph and Frank Kevis. In 1861 a branch brewery' was built 
on Chamberlin's Hill, where good vaults could be constructed, and it was 
run m connection with the main establishment until burned down in 1875 
In the fall of that year Frank Zellers purchased the brewery and afterward 
erected the large brick yet standing, but in a few years he failed, and the 
business has not since been revived. 

• iS^ Hancock Mills, erected on West Lincoln Street by Jonathan Parker 
m 185 t--o8, had in operation the first planing-mill in the village. A planer 
was run here until eight or ten years ago. 

In 1859 Benjamin Huber and M.^'d. Miller put into the Ea^le Mills 
planmg machinery and also machinery for the manufacture of sash doors 
and blmds. This portion of the mills was run in connection with the flour 
ing department, first by Mr. Miller and afterward by D. C. Fisher until 
1854, when the latter removed the machinery to a new building on West 
Crawford Street. ^ 

The extensive planing-mills of Shull & Parker, on West Crawford Street 
were established, in 1864, by D. C. Fisher and William H. Wheeler who 
purchased ground and erected a two-story frame and equipped it with the 
necessary machinery to manufacture sash, doors and blinds The firm of 
Fisher & Wheeler ran the business until 1868, when C. E. Seymour bouc^ht 
an interest, and the firm name was changed to D. C. Fisher & Co In 1869 
John Shull bought out Mr. Wheeler, and in January, 1872, Mr. Fisher disposed 
of his interest to A\'illiam Anderson. The firm then became John Shull & 
Co. In the fall of 1872 Messrs. Anderson and Seymour sold out to George 
W. Myers and Samuel D. Frey, and on the 4th of September of that year 
the John Shull Lumber Manufacturing Company" was organized by John 
Shull, Samuel D. Frey, Henry Schwartz, Squire Carlin and Georo-e W Mv- 
^^"' ,^,^^^iJ^ ^^Pit'-^l «tock of $50,000. This company conducted the business 
until 18 U, and were then bought out by John Shull and D. C. Fisher who 
under the firm name of Shull & Fisher, carried on until January, 1883 W F ' 
Parker then came into the business, and the firm of ShulJ, Fisher & Parker was 
established. Mr. Fisher died in October, 1885, and Shull & Parker purchased 
his interest. Sixteen hands are employed in these mills, and the combined 
Sao nnn '^^ j'^^^S ^^« business of the lumber yard, will annually exceed 
^OU,UUU. All classes of sash, doors and blinds are turned out, and in fact 
everything in the building line usually manufactured in such an establish- 
ment. 

• .p^^!',,^^"^^- & Bushon operate the only other sash, door and blind factory 
m thevil age. The mill was built in the summer of 1885, on East Front 
Street, close to the Eagle Foundry, and turns out all classes of such 
building material as come in their line. They are making a specialty of 

Shellebarger s Combination Fence," and give employment to nine hands. 

. -^^.^ ^T^}!'^ ^^'^^'^ ^^^^ Handle Factory is one of the leading manufact- 
m-ing institutions of Findlay. The business was established on West San- 
dusky Street, in the spring of 1872, by D. C. Fisher, John K. Wise 
Andrew Bushon, Henry F. Winders, John M. Hamlin and Samuel C. Moore 
under the firm name of Moore, Wise & Co. Mr. Fisher sold out in Decem- 
ber, 18/2, and Mr. Wise died in 1878, both interests being purchased by 





*^®ll-^p^'^ 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 625 



the other meiabers of the lirm. Early in 1873 Mr. Bushoii sold to Messrs. 
Hamlin and Winders, and the establishment was soon afterward burned to 
the ground. The factory was at once rebuilt on a larger scale, and the busi- 
ness prosecuted with renewed vigor. Henry Hellenkamp bought Mr. Moore' s 
interest in 1S75, and in 1S'7S sold to Messrs. Hamlin & Winders. In April, 
1884, Mr. Hamlin became sole proprietor through the purchase of Mr' 
Winders' interest. Staves and all kinds of farm-tool handles are the product 
of this factory, whose markets extend to nearly every part of the globe. 
Twenty-live hands are usually employed throughout the year, and the' sales 
amount to 180,000 per annum. 

The Findlay Rake Factory was started by C. E. Seymour, Andrew 
Bushon and H. M. Vance, in North Findlay, in the spring of 1873. Vance 
& Seymour purchased Mr. Bushon' s interest in 1874, and the followino- year 
Mr. Vance sold out to P. J. Sours. The firm of Sours & Seymour continued 
until January, 1878, when Mr. Seymour bought out his partner, and thus 
became sole owner. In May, 1880, the factory was burned down, and the 
next month he began the erection of a two-story brick building on East 
Crawford Street, which was occupied the following autumn. In June, 1882, 
Lemuel McManness obtained a partnership in the business, and the firm has 
since been McManness & Seymour. From 12,000 to 15,000 hand-rakes are 
annually manufactured, and twenty-five hands find steady employment. 

The Findlay Manufacturing Company was organized November 14 1873 
with a capital stock of $30,000, by E. P. Jones, J. S. Patterson, James 
H. \\ ilson, ^^ . H. Haven, Charles E. Niles and D. C. Fisher. A two-story 
brick building was erected on West Crawford Street, and began the manu- 
facture of planed lumber, fanning-mills and washing-machines. It ran only 
a few years, and was succeeded by a window -shade factory, and known as 
the '' Novelty Works;" but this was of very short duration. In the fall of 
1879 the building was leased by Y. Bickham and Charles Wright, who com- 
menced the manufacture of carriage bent- work. In January, 1881, Mr. 
A\'right bought out his partner, and ran the business until the spri'no- of 1882 
when it ceased fm-ther operations. Mr. Jones, who owns the buifdincr has 
recently sunk a gas- well in the yard, and rented both to J. W. Smith for 
the manufacture and working of a metal said to be aluminum. 

J. J. Bradner's fanning-mill and handle factory on the Lima road, was 
started m 1881, and is still in successful operation. Bee-hives and honey- 
sections are also manufactured at this shop, where five hands find steady 
employment. ^ 

The Findlay Hoop Works commenced business in the spring of 188'^ on 
East Sandusky Street in East Findlay. This factory was established' by 
James P. Kerr, in the building formerly occupied by Yocum & HoUowell's 
foundry, which had been in operation only a brief time. Mr. Kerr pur- 
chased a portion of the machinery and the stock of the Findlay Carriage 
Bent Works, and removed them to East Findlay, where he began the man- 
ufacture of hoops and hardwood lumber. A saw and planing-mill is also 
operated m this factory, and eight hands are employed in the several 
branches of the work. 

The Findlay Woolen Mill was established by William Anderson and 
•John D. McKibben in the old Presbyterian Church on East Crawford Street 
They purchased this building in May, 1858, and fitted it for the manufact- 
ure of woolen goods. Mr. Anderson bought out his i)artner four year^ 



626 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

afterward, and continued alone. On the 14th of A2:)ril, 18()5. the corner- 
stone of the large three-story brick building in East Findlay was laid with 
imposing ceremonies, as there wore thousands of people in town that day 
celebrating over the fall of Kichmond and the surrender of Lee's army. 
In the summer of 1865 Mr. Anderson sold the old property on Crawford 
Street, and the same year the new mill began operations. Mr. Anderson 
carried on the business with varying success until the spring of 1884, and 
was then succeeded by L. Rambo & Son, the present proprietors, who 
opened the mill for business in June, 1885. The mill is only run a portion 
of the year, and when in operation furnishes employment to about eighteen 
hands. Cassimeres, satinets, blankets, flannels and yarns are manufactured 
in this establishment, the capacity of the mill being about 50,000 pounds 
of wool annually. 

The Linseed Oil Mill of McManness & Seymour had its inception in the 
summer of 1865, when James T. Adams, C. A. Croninger and William 
Anderson purchased the old frame woolen-mill on East Crawford Street and 
began to manufacture linseed oil. Mr. Croninger sold out to his partners 
in February, 1868. In 1873 Adams & Anderson erected the front portion 
of the present two- story brick. Mr. Anderson sold his interest in 1877 to 
Mr. Adams and Milton Taylor, who in 1880 tore down the old fi-ame church 
portion and replaced it with a brick structure. ' In June, 1882, Adams & 
Taylor sold the pro})erty to McManness & Seymour, who have since carried 
on the business. Six hands are employed in the mill, which has a capacity 
of 45,000 bushels of seed per annum. 

Early in 1865 S. F. Gray, J. S. Patterson and Milton Taylor leased the 
old foundry on East Crawford Street, and fitted it up for a flax-mill. They, 
however, could not find a paying market for the product, and after a few 
months' trial the enterprise was abandoned. In 1870 the Delaware Bagging 
Company started a similar establishment in East Findlay, which was pur- 
chased in 1872 by James T. Adams and William Anderson. In 1877 the 
former sold out to his partner, who several years afterward gave up the 
business as unprofitable. The building is now occupied by some parties en- 
gaged in baling hay. 

The harness and saddlery establishment of the Ruhl Bros., on Main 
Street, gives employment to a greater number of hands than any other 
factory now (April, 1886,) in operation in Findlay. The present business 
was started in the spring of 1876, by John S. and George W. Ruhl, and 
they have since grown into an extensive wholesale trade, one of the firm 
traveling "on the road" the greater part of his time. Thirty-nine 
workmen find steady work in the establishment, and their sales reach an 
aggregate of $60,000 a year. 

The Barnd Limekilns south of the village were established by Elijah 
Barnd in 1871, and over 20, 000 bushels of first-class lime are annually burned 
in these kilns. From five to seven men are employed, and the business 
ranks among the leading manufacturing interests of the town. 

In 1860 Martin Hirsher established a stoneware pottery in East Findlay 
on the Mt. Blanchard road. He gets his clay fi-om Akron, Ohio, and the 
Hocking Valley, and annually turns out about 30,000 gallons of stoneware. 
His ware has a good reputation, and his sales are principally confined to 
Hancock County. 

The American Mask Manufacturing Company was organized in April, 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 627 

1884, aud began the manufacture of masks in a small way in a room in tlie 
headquarters building on Main Street. By 1885 the business hadsogi'own 
that the firm purchased a two- story brick building on the south side of Main 
Cross Street, immediately west of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. The 
business is owned and operated by Oscar Kirsten and Christian Heyn, and 
fifteen hands are employed in the factory, which is the only one of the 
kind in the United States. 

The John Shull Novelty Works is one of the recent additions to the busi- 
ness interests of the village. It had its inception in the spring of 1885, in 
its present quarters in the old Liitheran Church on West Crawford Street, 
where Mr. Shull began the manufacture, by hand, of ironing tables, etc. 
But the present works were equipped and started in January, 1886, and 
have since been doing a prosperous trade. Ironing tables, step and exten- 
sion ladders, clothes racks, etc. , are turned out on a large scale, fourteen 
hands being now employed in the factory. 

The works of the Brigg's Edge Tool Company is the latest and most 
prominent manufacturing institution of Findlay. To encourage the location 
of this factory in the village the citizens donated to the company four acres 
of land and a gas-well, north of the river and east of the Toledo, Columbus 
& Southern Kailroad, also $1,500 in money. The factory was completed 
and opened in the spring of 1886. The company say they will now employ 
fifty hands, and expect to finally increase the number to 100. The present 
buildings are good sized brick and fo-ame structm-es, and if the promises of 
the company are realized these works will prove a wonderful advantage to 
the material interests of Findlay. 

The great development of natural gas is bringing a few more factories 
to the village. ' ' The Findlay Window Glass Company, of Bellaire, 
Ohio," was incorporated April 21, and has commenced the erection of 
buildings for the manufacture of glass in North Findlay, at the junction 
of the Toledo, Columbus & Southern, and Lake Erie & Western Railroads. 
Palmer & Arnold are erecting a large brick flouring-mill near the Indianap- 
olis, Bloomington & Western Railroad depot. Including the basement it 
will be four stories high, will be furnished with the roller process and have 
a capacity of 125 barrels of first-class flour every twenty-four hours. Sev- 
eral other manufacturing institutions are investigating the advantages which 
natuijal gas has conferred upon Findlay as a future field of operations, and 
some of them will x:)robably locate here. 

The Hancock Coxmty Bank was organized June 22, 1847, under the 
act of February 24, 1845, as a branch of the State Bank. A banker named 
A. C. Stone came here from the East to establish the enterprise, and en- 
listed the following stockholders in the project: D. J. Cory, John Dukes, 
Dr. William H. Baldwin, W. J. Wells, S. N. Beach, H. L. Wood. Edson 
Goit, Dr. David Patton, Eli S. Reed, A. H. Hyatt, James Robinson, U. A. 
Ogden, James H. Wilson, Charles W. O'Neal, P. D. Bigelow, Frederick 
Henderson, William Porterfield, Calvin W. Seaver, Hugh Newell, W. M. 
Patterson, William E. Chittenden, Wilson Vance, Benjamin Huber, Squire 
and Parlee Carliu, Robert L. Strother, William Taylor and Dr. Bass Rawson, 
the capital stock being established at $100,000. Stone retra-ned to the East 
to settle up his affairs ere opening the bank; there got into financial trouble 
aud never came back. Thus ended the first banking enterprise of the village. 

"The Findlay Bank'' began business in August, 1858, with James Purdy, 



628 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

James Weldou, Charles Hedges, William S. Granger, David J. Cory, Will- 
iam Taylor and James M. Coffiaberry, directors, and Cunningham Hazlett, 
cashier. This bank lasted until the spring of 1857, and was succeeded by 
the ' 'Exchange Bank, ' ' C. Hazlett & Co. , proprietors, which, however, did 
not carry on business very long. 

The Citizens' Bank, under the firm name of Ewing, Carlins & Co. , was 
established in the spring of 1854, and commenced business on the 3d of 
April. John Ewing, Squire and Parlee Carlin, Charles W. O'Neal, Louis 
Adams and Samuel Howard composed the tirm. In April, 1855, Mr. 
Howard retired from the firm, the following November Mr. O' Neal dropped 
out, and Mr. Ewing in April, 1856. Adams, Carlins & Co. continued to 
run the bank until December, 1808, when Paul Sours took the place of Mr. 
Adam^, and the firm became Carlins & Co. This bank was at that time the 
leading banking house of the county, and did a very large business. On the 
17th of January, 1876, it was reorganized as the "Citizens' Savings Bank, " 
with the following stockholders: Parlee Carlin, Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, M. D. 
Sours, Lewis C. Carlin, James A. Bope, Squire Carlin, Dr. Bass Rawson, 
George W. Myers, Samuel D. Frey, D. J. Cory, William L. Davis, John 
W. Davis, Isaac Davis and Mrs. D. B. G. Carlin. Soon afterward Peter 
Hosier, Isaac Blaksley and Jacob Wagner were added to the list, while Squire 
Carlin dropped out. The advertised capital was 150,000, and a guaranteed 
security of $100,000. It was regarded as a soimd financial institution, as 
its stockholders embraced several of the wealthiest men of the county; but 
on the 25th of March, 1878, it went down in financial ruin. The board of 
directors at the time of the faihu'e were Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, president; 
D. J. Cory, vice-president; James A. Bope, secretary; Parlee Carlin, John 
W. Adams, Isaac Blaksley, Lewis C. Carlin and Jacob Wagner, with M. D. 
Sours, cashier. The cause of the failure was claimed by the officials to be 
the ' 'heavy liabilities' ' and ' 'scaly assets' ' of the old bank, which were un- 
knowingly assumed by the reorganized institution. It was thought by many 
that the bank would resume business in a short time, but it never again 
opened its doors. 

The First National Bank was organized in the spring of 1863, the orig- 
inal stockholders being E. P. Jones. Mrs. Frances Brainard, Charles E. 
Niles, Dr. Anson Hurd, Robert B. Hurd, William H. Wheeler, H. P. 
Gage, Henry Brown, Henry Byal and Miss Lucinda Suber. The following 
officers were elected at the time of organization: E. P. Jones, president; 
Charles E. Niles, cashier; Henry Brown, William H. Wheeler, H. P. Gage, 
Robert B. Hurd and E. P. Jones, directors. The capital stock was $50, 000, 
and authorized capital, $100,000. It began business in the summer of 1863, 
and has ever since been one of the safest and soundest financial institutions 
in northwestern Ohio. Messrs. Jones and Niles have been its president and 
cashier, respectively, since the bank was organized, and under their careful 
administration it has gone forward on a prosperous career, disbursing mill- 
ions of dollars without any comparative loss during the twenty-three years 
of its existence. It now enjoys a reputation for strength and solidity unex- 
celled in this portion of the State. 

The Hancock Bank was organized in May, 1867, by Croninger, Gage & 
Co. In November, 1868, the firm became H. P. Gage & Co. , H. P. Gage, 
Parlee Carlin and A. S. Julien composing the firm. In June, 1873, this 
bank was reorganized and incorporated as "The Hancock Savings and Loan 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 629 

Association," with a capital stock of $50,000, by H. P. Gage, M. C. White- 
ley, John D. Bishop, Dr. Charles Osterlen, William L. Davis and Aaron 
Blackford. By a decree of the court of common pleas of Hancock County, 
issued October 6, 1873, the name was changed to the "Hancock Savings 
Bank," and incorporated under this name three days afterward. Its 
authorized capital was placed at $200,000, with a guaranteed security to 
depositors of $100,000. It carried on an apparently successful business 
until the failure of the Citizens' Bank, when a ' ' run' ' was at once made 
upon it, and on March 28, 1878, it closed its doors. The stockholders at 
this time were H. P. Gage, Abraham Grabill, John D. Bishop, Richard 
Dukes, Dr. Charles Osterlen, Alfi-ed Graber and A. R. Belden, with H. P. 
Gage president, and Alfred Graber cashier. The bank suspended for 
ninety days, but an investigation revealed the fact that President Gage had 
squandered the funds in speculation, and business was never resumed. 
The successive failure of these two banks caused large financial losses to 
many people, and therefore wide-spread dissatisfaction, and under the pres- 
sure of the stigma attached to his name through the misuse of the bank's 
funds, Mr. Gage committed suicide. 

The Farmers' Bank commenced business January 10, 1873, the firm 
being Seymour, Vance & Co. The owners of this bank were C. E. Sey- 
mour, M. W. Vance and H. M. Vance. P. J. Sours was cashier during its 
brief existence of about one year, when the firm mutually concluded to give 
up the business and then ceased operations. 

The Farmers' National Bank is the successor of the Farmers' Bank, 
established January 1, 1880, by Peter Hosier, George W. Hull and J. G. Hull, 
with a capital stock of $60,000. Messrs. Hosier and J. G. Hull were presi- 
dent and cashier, respectively, of the old bank from its inception up to the 
close of its history, April 30, 1886. On March 30, 1886, the Farmers' 
National Bank was incorporated with a capital stock of $80,000 and an 
authorized capital of $160,000. The present officers of the bank are Peter 
Hosier, president; Milton Gray, vice-president; J. G. Hull, cashier; W. F. 
Hosier, assistant cashier; Charles Williams, teller; Peter Hosier, T. Car- 
nahan, Milton Gray, Aaron Blackford, E. T. Dunn, John A. Scott, George 
W. Hull, S. D. Houpt and A. H. Balsley, directors. The new bank com- 
menced operations on the 1st of May, and as many of the wealthiest and 
most influential citizens of the town are stockholders of the institution, it 
will doubtless continue to do a safe and extensive business. Its officers are 
successful, energetic and careful business men, which also insures sound 
financial management. 

The "Findlay Savings and Building Loan Association" was organized 
October 12, 1867, bv John M. Hamlin, C. D. Ettinger, Charles E. Niles, 
J. S. Henderson, O" S. Langan, H. P. Gage, D. C. Fisher, J. S. Ballen- 
tine, Lewis Glessner, John C. Martin, W. A. Millis and C. N. Locke, with 
a capital stock of $500,000, divided into 2,500 shares of $200 each. In 
January, 1870, the capital stock was reduced to $200,000. The association 
was carried on successfully till the spring of 1878, when its business was 
wound up and it ceased operations. 

The ' ' Findlay Building and Loan Association' ' was organized March 
20, 1886, with a capital stock of $500,000 in $250 shares. The officers are 
F. B. Zay, i^resident; A. C. Heck, vice-president; W. F. Hosier, secretary; 
John Shull, treasurer; E. T. Dunn, attorney; P. E. Hay, R. A. McGeaiy, 



630 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Edwaril Dietscb. i\..W Ray, A. C. Heck, William Edwards and F. B. Zay, 
directors. These associations are in a certain sense banking institutions, 
and may properly be placed in the same class of business interests. 

From the days when Findlay was a small village up to the present the 
ever popular circus and other traveling shows came at intervals to amuse and 
entertain the quiet lives of its inhabitants. One of the first, if not the first, 
of these was June & Turner's circus, which pitched its tent on "West Front 
Street in 1847. Of course, as circuses always do, this pioneer drew a big 
crowd. In Felu'uary, 1848, the theatrical company of S. E. Brown & Co, 
appeared to large audiences in the court house for one week. Melodeon 
Building was erected by James H. "Wilson this year (1848), on the site of 
the Carnahan Block, and contained the first public hall worthy of mention 
opened in the village. In August, 1851, Van Amburgh's menagerie, with 
the then famous elephant, "Columbus," exhibited in North Findlay. He came 
again in 1850 with the big elephant, " Hannibal," and pitched his tent in 
East Findlay. In 1855 Maj. Ward, a conjurer and ventriloquist, gave a 
tent exhibition on the public square which created a good deal of curiosity. 
Maybe & Go's, in 1856, was the first combined circus and menagerie that 
appeared in Findlay. The street parade which it gave was then a new fea- 
ture and attracted much attention. A traveling company gave Uncle Tom' s 
Cabin in Melodeon Hall in 1856, and created a profound impression, as at 
that time the question of the abolition of slavery was at its height. Spal- 
ding & Roger's circus came to Findlay in August, 1857, and their steam 
calliope, drawn by forty horses, driven by one person, drew out a very large 
crowd to their tent, near Eagle Creek. Corbin & Co's "Hunters of the 
"\¥est," a sort of Indian combination troupe, showed here in October, 1857, 
and, with gaudy trappings, paraded Main Street. Yankee Robinson' s circus 
gave an exhibition in the village about this time, pitching its tent near Eagle 
Creek, between the Branch Railroad and Main Cross Street, where Spalding 
& Rogers had previously exhibited. In the fall of 1858, Prof. Winchell, 
one of the greatest ventriloquists and facial performers of his day, appeared 
in Melodeon Hall. He was also a good singer and performed to large and 
delighted audiences. Gulick's Old Folk's Concert Company gave one of 
their very popular entertainments in Melodeon Hall in the winter of 1858- 
59. In the summer of 1 860, Dondley' s Theater Company, of Cincinnati, 
showed for a week in the court house, was well patronized and regarded 
with high favor. The foregoing comprise only some of the principal shows 
that appeared prior to the Rebellion. Wheeler's Hall was built by William 
H. Wheeler in 1868, and completed the following year, and was subsequently 
used for all classes of entertainments up to the o})ening of the present Davis 
Opera House, on Thanksgiving night. 1876. The latter was built by Will- 
iam L. Davis, John W. Davis and Martin L. Detwiler. It was commenced 
in 1875 and completed in the autumn of the following year. Though an 
occasional troupe or lecturer is well patronized by the peojile of the village, 
Findlay is not generally regarded by the profession as a good show town, 
and the gentlemen who have heretofore run the opera house, have therefore, 
made no money out of the business. Public places of amusement are, however, 
a necessity in every progressive town, and the Davis Opera House is sufifi- 
ciently large to su]iply the present demands of Findlay in that direction. 

The several bands that have existed in the village have been so closely 
identified with the amusement field as to deserve mention in this coanection. 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 631 

The first of these was the Findlay Brass Band, organized by the Germans 
of the town in 1857, which lasted some three years. In 1858 the Schneyer 
Band broke off fi'om the German Band, bnt existed only about one year. 
The Citizens' Band was organized in 1859 by Charles Mains, and was m 
great demand during the earlier stages of the war. Some of its members 
went into the army, and it was reorganized by Prof. A\ ildman ni 1868, as 
the Findlay Cornel Band. About five years afterward the name was changed 
to the Northwestern Band, and in 1879, to the Opera House Band. This 
lasted about three years and then went out of existence. In the fall of 
1882 the Union Band was organized but never amounted to anything, and 
February 11, 1883, it was reorganized by J. B. Markle as the Northwestern 
Band, of which organization Findlay has good reason to be proud. It con- 
tains eighteen instruments— brass and reed— and is generally recognized as 
the peer of any other band in northwestern Ohio.# 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
FINDLAY CONCLUDED. 

Natural Gas in Hancock County-Its Discovery in 1836-riRST Natural 
Gas Found and Used in Findlay— Numerous Evidences of its Pres- 
ence— Dr. Osterlen's Belief in its Plentiful Existence, and His 
Early Investigations of the Subject— The Gas on the Foster Lot 
Utilized by Jacob Carr— Oil Excitement in Findlay-— Attempts to 
Find Oil and Their Failure— Dr. Osterlen's Persistent Advocacy 
OF A GrexVT Natural Gas Deposit— Organization of the Findlay 
Natur\l G\s Company— The Men Who First Risked Their Money in 
THE Enterprise— The First Well Drilled, and Gas Developed in 
Paying Qu entities— To Whom the Credit is Due— Mains Laid and 
G\s Piped Into Findlay- Other Wells Put Down— Consolidation of 
THE Old and New Companies— SuBSECiUEXT Enterprises, and Number 
of Wells Now Drilled— Their Capacity, Product and Permanency 
—Later Companies in the Field— Description of the Great Karg 
\Yeli —Abundant Supply of Gas, its Superiority as Fuel, and Com- 
parative Safety-- Cost to the Consumer— A Few Cases Illustrating 
Its Wonderful Cheapness— What Natural Gas Has Accomplished 
For Findlay. 

'\rO event in the history of Findlay has given the town such a wide rep- 
JN utation, and conferred upon its people such material benefits, as the 
recent development of its great natural gas deposits. The history of natm-al 
gas in Hancock County goes back to the fall of 1836. when a small vein was 
tapped by Richard Wade while digging a well on his farm, on the southeast 
quarter of Section 6, Jackson Township, about two miles and a half south 
of Findlay. Plenty of water was found at a depth of ten feet, but the flow 
of gas was so strong that the well had to be abandoned, as the water was 
unfit for use. The escaping gas was subsequently conveyed from the 
well through a wooden box, to the end of which Wade attached a piece of 
iron tubing, and he would sometimes light it in exhibiting the phenomenon 
to visitors. Very little attention, however, was paid to it at the time, for 



632 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the ample reason that the pioneers were then struggling to establish homes, 
and possessed neither the knowledge nor means to investigate the subject. 

In the autumn of 1838 Daniel Foster, a brother of Jacob Foster, of 
North Findlay, put down a well on the lot now owned by Jacob Carr, on 
Main Street, in the village of Findlay. x4t a depth of eight feet he struck 
a very strong vein of gas, and had to suspend operations. Covering it over 
he placed a pump* tube, extending under his house from an opening in the 
well covering to the vicinity of the chimney, and then boring a hole through 
the floor attactlied a musket barrel to the pump tube, through which the 
gas was conducted to near the mouth of the open lire-place, and first used 
in Findlay. Foster utilized the gas to light his house, and his wife would 
often boil her coffee in the summer time on top of the gun barrel, and thus 
this primitive contrivance, first constructed as a curiosity, became a source 
of great convenience to the family. Soon after the discovery of gas by 
Foster, a well was sunk by Jesse George on the southwest corner of Main 
and Hardin Streets, a sycamore gum put down to prevent caving in, and a 
loose covering of piTucheons placed over the top. The water had a strong 
sulphuric taste, and the family soon began to amuse strangers by showing 
how the water in the well would burn. But an event finally occurred which 
gave them a wholesome respect for this strange fluid. While a party of 
young ladies were exhibiting the wonderful phenomenon to a Mr. Green, he 
jokingly thrust a torch into the well, when an explosion occurred, blowing 
off the covering and seriously burning the experimenter. John H. Morri- 
son then decided to nail down the top, and thus prevent further accidents. 
Two days afterward Henry Byal and Anthony Strother came in from the 
country to examine the strange well, and inserteid a light under the cov- 
ering. A loud explosion followed, blowing off the cover, which had been 
nailed down, and throwing both young men into the air. They were thor- 
oughly frightened, and Mr. Byal, who is now a resident of Findlay, says: 
■ ' I have ever since had a very respectful opinion of the power which this 
fluid possesses. ' ' 

The well on Daniel Foster's premises gave an uni'emitting flow of gas, 
and would burn until forcibly extinguished. Few persons thought much of 
the phenomenon after its novelty had worn off, but it was useful to the Fos- 
ter family, and a source of amusement to the boys of the village. Findlay 
peo})le bought wood for fuel, and lighted their houses with candles or whale 
oil, dreaming not of the strange fluid deep down in the bowels of the earth, 
where it had been stored by the great Creator, to be brought forth in due 
time l)y the developed skill and science of the nineteenth century. Within 
the limits of the village, north of the river, was a spring of water impreg- 
nated with sulphur, which tasted and smelled vilely. A lighted torch held 
above it would ignite the escaping gas, that burned with a blue flame, and 
threw out an intense heat. All these things were common knowledge and 
talk for many years, and similar indications of gas were found in scores 
of wells in different parts of the county, which were usually called "sul- 
phur wells. ' ' 

Among the more thoughtful people of the county there was one man 
upon whom these natural ijhenomena made a deep impression at an early day, 
viz. : Dr. Charles Osterlen, then a young German physician, of Findlay. 
Being something of a geologist, he became earnestly interested, and, after 
careful investigation, concluded that underlying the village was a .great uat- 




^ cyfo 



cnr^^(}^rl 




^^aJ^^ 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 635 

ural gas deposit which could be developed by drilling through the super- 
vening rock strata. The more incredulous people laughed at what they 
designated as "the Doctor's wild theories." some going so far in their ridi- 
cule as to intimate that he was crazy. During his investigations he dis- 
covered many strong indications of gas. all of which strengthened his 
belief still more in the plentiful existence of the fluid. In 1850, while 
passing by liobert S. Muugen's quarry, located in the east part of Findlay, 
the Doctor remarked to Mr. Mungen. "I smell gas very strong;" to which 
the latter replied, "Yes, I am almost suffocated by it." Dr. Osterlen at 
once mixed some clay and constructed a small hollow mound over a fissure 
in the rock, on the top of which he placed a wooden^ bucket. In a few mo- 
ments he touched a lighted match under the edge of the bucket, which was 
followed by an explosion, throwing the vessel into the air. and the gas burned 
for a short time. Some yeai's afterward he observed on his farm, east of the 
village, a small patch of ground upon which nothing grew. He employed 
a boy to dig a funnel-shaped hole on the site, six feet deep, fi'om which the 
gas began escaping, and upon applying a match the fluid ignited andbiu-ned 
for several hours. Dr. Osterlen continued to advocate his belief in an un- 
derlying natural gas or oil-bed, which the foregoing investigations had de- 
veloped into an absolute fact, so far as he was concerned, until many 
thinking men agreed with him. The subsequent discoveries of oil and gas 
in Pennsylvania and New York did much, no doubt, to strengthen his posi- 
tion and convince the most incredulous that there was a method in the Doc- 
tor's madness. 

With the death of Daniel Foster, in 18-49 or 1850, the property upon 
which the first natural gas in Findlay was found and used by that gentle- 
man, passed into other hands, and in the spring of 1868 was purchased by 
Jacob Carr, a dentist of the village, and previous proprietor of Carr' s Hotel, 
which stood on the southwest corner of Main and Crawford Streets. In speak- 
ing of the purchase, Mr. Carr says: ' ' When I bought the place, the tube and 
gun-barrel arrangement, which Foster had used to conduct the gas into his 
house, had been removed, and I found the water in the well so unpleasant to 
the taste that I dug a cistern, intending to run rainwater into it for family use. 
When the cistern was finished and lined with boards it would not stay in 
place, as the escaping gas would keep forcing it up. I removed the boards 
and digged deeper, until reaching the limestone rock, six feet and a half 
below the surface. I then found that the gas came up very strong throiigh 
the rock crevices, and I concluded to try and utilize it, as Foster had done 
years before. I made a sheet-iron pipe, larger at one end than at the other, 
and, placing the larger end on the bottom of the well, fixed a connecting pipe 
to the small end sticking out of the ground, and conducted the gas into the 
house, where I afterward used it for lighting and cooking. I subsequently 
had a mechanic construct a sheet-iron drum, about six feet in diameter 
and six feet deep, and used this as a gasometer in which to collect a supply 
for my own consumption." These evidences of Mr. Carr's ingenuity and 
thoughtfulness are still in his yard as when constructed, though he has not 
used them since the great development of natural gas, but gets his supply 
from the company' s mains. 

In the meantime the development of petroleum in paying quantities in 
western Pennsylvania, in 1859-60, caused a flurry of excitement in Find- 
lay over the supposed presence of oil-bearing sand underlying Hancock 



636 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

County; and as the real indications of the existence of petroleum were but 
little understood at that time, every sulphurous odor and gaseous exudation 
from mother earth was looked upon as a sure precursor of oleaginous wealth 
below. Among the places Avhere the signs of the coveted fluid were sup- 
posed to be most strongly marked, was an old abandoned well on the north 
side of Sandusky Street east of Main, near the soiitheast corner of Frey & 
Son's drug store. This old well had long been dry, and was half filled 
with rubbish. But one winter morning in 1859-60, Daniel Dixon, an old- 
time merchant of Findlay, since deceased, while passing by noticed a strong 
gaseous odor coming from it. The oil excitement was then at fever heat all 
over the country, and thinking that perhaps he had found a sign of the 
much sought for article, Mr. Dixon procured an iron bar and began forcing 
it through the debris. Through the opening thus formed the gas poured 
out abundantly, and raised the old gentleman's hopes to a point of enthusi- 
astic anticipation. While thus engaged, a citizen of Findlay, now living, 
passed by and very naturally inquired the meaning of the vigorous probing 
of the old well. Mr. Dixon turned to the interrogator, and with a smile 
and a merry twinkle of his eye, replied, "It's oil. Squire, oil!" The next ' 
day Mr. Dixon had the old well cleaned out, and being a man of intelli- 
gence, soon found that the flow of gas resulted from natural causes 
which he did not understand. The matter caused no little excitement, how- 
ever, and it was some little time before it entirely died out. 

A well on the premises now occupied by D. D. McCahan, on South Main 
Street, which is strongly charged with sulphur, caused some excitement 
soon after Mr. Dixon's explorations. Several experts examined this well 
and pronounced the sulphurous condition of the water to be fi'om under- 
lying petroleum. The same notions prevailed about the sulphur spring 
north of the Blanchard. Nothing was done, however, toward testing this 
theory and the matter was soon forgotten by the great majority of the 
people. A\'ith the light of recent developments we now know that the 
escaping natural gas was the cause of these petroleum evidences, and also 
that petroleum does exist under the superincumbent strata through which 
the gaseous odors were then pushing their way to the surface. 

Early in 1861 a company was organized in Findlay, with the intention 
of prosyjecting for oil, in which the following citizens were stockholders: 
William H. AN'heeler, Robert S. Mungen, V. G. Baker, C. A. Croninger, 
Albert Langworthy, David Goucher, H. P. Gage, E. M. Burkle, William 
Mungen, J. B. Horn & Co. , William Vanlue, Jesse Wolf, Frederick Hender- 
son, George H. Crook, Israel Green, Jesse Guise, Henry Brown, Isaac 
Davis, Dr. Bass Rawson and William C. Cox. The comjjany was organ- 
ized by electing Israel Green, j)resident; Robert S. Mungen, secretary, and 
E. M. Burkle. treasurer. The spot selected for the well was a few rods 
southeast of the Presbyterian Church, but the preliminary operations were 
suspended through the breaking out of the war and were never resiimed. 

The subject again began to be agitated in the fall of 1864, and with 
some show of vigor toward determining if oil existed in this county. In 
that year a party of gentlemen, who claimed a thorough knowledge of the 
business, came from the East, and, after an examination of the territory, de- 
clared that oil could be found here in paying (quantities. In the winter of 
1864-65 a derrick was rigged up on the premises of Jacob Carr by two men 
from Gallipolis, Ohio, and an oil-well drilled by a kind of spring pole 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 637 

method to a dopth of 141 feet, when the drill stuck fast in the bottom of 
the well, which was then abandoned. Of course no satisfactory resiilts were 
obtained, and it looks strange, fi'om our present knowledge as to the great 
depth at which oil has since l)een found in Findlay, that any could have 
been expected from such a primitive mode of drilling. 

The Hancock Oil Company was incorporated February 9, 1865, by 
Messrs. Hanks P. Gage, William Anderson, Roberts. Mungen, K. S. Baker, 
C. A. Croninger, William H. Wheeler, J. J. Wheeler, W. B. Taylor and 
Squire Carlin, ' 'for the purpose of engaging in the business of digging and 
boring for oil, salt and other vegetable, medicinal and mineral fluids in the 
eai-th, and for refining and purifying the same; and mining coal ores and 
other minerals. " The capital stock was placed at $100,000, in shares of 
$10 each, and all t)perations were to bo carried on within the counties of 
Hancock and Wood. Though the company was organized to prospect for 
oil, their charter was sufficiently broad to cover any valuable substance they 
might find. A well was sunk at Waterville, on the Maumee River, to a 
depth of 700 feet, and a little gas found, but the project was then aban^ 
doned as a failiu-e, and all further operations discontinued. 

The same year (1865) Hon. Parlee Carlin, of Findlay, in company with 
William H. Ijams & Co., fi'om the East, leased a large amount of property 
in this county ' 'for the purpose of mining and excavating for petroleum, 
coal, rock or carbon oil, or other valuable mineral or volatile substances. ' ' As 
an equivalent for the use of his land the party was to receive ' 'one full equal 
eighth part of the petroleum found at the well. ' ' The person from whom 
the land was leased was also required to furnish barrels in which to store his 
share of the oil. Messrs. Carlin, Ijams & Co., leased ground from Solomon 
Slupe, H. B. Wall, Allen W^iseley, Henry Burman, Addison Hardy, Robert 
L. Strother and others. A huge derrick was erected on the ground now in^ 
eluded in Gage & Carlin' s addition to Findlay, but nothing was ever done 
with it. With the exception of the well sunk on the premises of Mr. Carr 
no efforts were made to determine whether oil could be found or not. This 
last excitement soon died out, and belongs to the unprofitable enterprises of 
the past. 

Through all these years Dr. Osterlen remained firm in his belief that 
natural gas existed here in paying quantities, and a few others accepted his 
opinion on the matter as probal)ly correct. We find strong evidence of this 
growing belief in the franchise granted in 1867, to Robert S. Mungen and 
associates, to erect gas works and light the town. In that franchise the fol- 
lowing clause relative to natural gas appears: ''That nothing herein 
shall be so construed as to prevent said village or the citizens thereof from 
using and laying pipes for conducting all natural gas found in the wells or 
public cisterns within the corporate limits of said village. ' ' When the gen 
tleman who built the artificial gas works in Findlay was commencing the en- 
terprise. Dr. Osterlen toid him to sink wells for natural gas instead of build- 
ing works. But his predecessors in the enterprise had consulted the State 
geologists, who informed them that natural gas did not exist in the State of 
Ohio in paying quantities, and; therefore, gave the matter no further atten 
tion. So a costly plant to manufacture gas from coal, brought hundi'eds of 
miles, was established, while all the time the vast deposit of natiiral 
gas under the town was making itself obnoxious to the nose and 
disagreeable to the palate of the man who was putting his money 



688 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

into the enterprise. Dr. Osterleu while serving in the Legisla- 

ture had also called on the State geologists and informed them 
that in his opinion their survey of northwestern Ohio was superficial, 
and that a mighty bed of natural gas lay undeveloped in that part 
of the State. The geologists learnedly replied that whatever natural gas 
existed at Findlay came from Michigan underneath the bed of Lake Erie, 
and there was not sufficient gas here to pay for sinking wells. The Doctor 
bluntly told them they were all mistaken, and time would prove the correct- 
ness of his opinion. We now know that Dr. Osterlen was right and the 
geologists wrong, and the venerable physician was the main instrument in 
organizing the company which put down the first well, and proved to the 
world what every one now concedes — that a great natural gas bed underlies 
Findlg,y, sufficient to supply light and fuel for a city of metropolitan dimen- 
sions. 

Early in 1884 Dr. Osterlen determined to make an effort to organize a 
company to prospect for natural gas, and approached Charles J. Eckels and 
Fred H. Glessner on the subject, both of whom agreed to join him in the 
enterprise. Henry Porch, George W. Kimmel, Peter Kunz, Jason Black- 
ford and Vincent H. Coons were next seen and secured as supporters of the 
proposed project. April 18, 1884, articles of incorporation under the name 
of "The Findlay Natural Gas Company," were drawn up, signed and 
acknowledged by Dr. Charles Osterlen, Charles J. Eckels, Fred H. Gless- 
ner, Henry Porch, George W. Kimmel and Peter Kunz, in the presence of 
Jason Blackford and Vincent H. Coons, and three days afterward filed in the 
office of the Secretary of State. The capital stock was $5,000, divided into 
100 shares of $50 each. On the 30th of April the eight citizens of Findlay 
previously named, together with U. K. Stringfellow and John H. Decker, 
entered into a private agreement. ' ' to prospect for natural gas, petroleum, 
ci)al, minerals and artesian wells (all of which the charter covered), in and 
about the village of Findlay, Ohio," and share all profits arising therefrom. 
The subscription book for stock opened July 10, and on the 25th Dr. Charles 
Osterlen took fifteen shares; Charles J. Eckels, ten; Fred H. Glessner, five; 
George W. Kimmel, five; IT. K. Stringfellow, five; Jason Blackford, two, and 
Henry Porch, two. Vincent H. Coons and Peter Kunz subscribed to the 
capital stock soon afterward, and the following persons were also subsequent 
stockholders in the enterprise: A. C. Heck, John Ruthrauff, J. W. Zeller, 
W. H. Haven, W. T. Piatt. Edward Dietsch, W. B. Porch, Ernest Bacher, 
William Edwards, J. W. Gassman, Lemuel McManness, G. L. Cusac, Dr. 
Anson Hurd, John M Hamlin, Frank Karst. Sr. , Isaac Hershey, Brownyer 
& Martin, Mrs. Harriet Detwiler, Mrs. E. H. Young and B. F. Bolton, 
some of whom, however, took very little interest in the progress of the work, 
as the enterprise was not then looked upon with much favor, outside of 
curiosity, by the great majority of the people. 

August 22, 1884. Dr. Charles Osterlen, Charles J. Eckels, Henry Porch, 
Vincent H. Coons, George W. Kimmel, A. C. Heck and U. K. Stringfellow, 
were chosen directors of the company for the ensuing year, and at once 
organized by electing Henry Porch, president; A. C. Heck, vice-president; 
Fred H. Glessner, secretary; George W. Kimmel, treasurer. On the 5th of 
September the contract for di'illing the well was let to Brownyer & Martin, 
of Bradford, Penn., at the following prices: $2,200 for 1,200 feet; $2,800 
for 1,600 feet, and $8,200 for 2,000 feet, to which depth they intended to 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 639 

sink the well if necessary to a thorougli prospecting of the territory. Messrs. 
Eckels, Coons and Stringfellow were appointed to select a location for the 
well, and chose a site in the eastern suburb of the village, on the land of 
Dr. Osterlen. Work was soon after commenced by the drillers and pushed 
vigorously. The first gas vein was tapped at 314 feet, the second at 516 
feet, the third at 618 feet, oil at 718 feet, and the general gas bed was 
struck at 1,01)2 feet. They, however, drilled on to a depth of 1648 feet, 
which was reached December 5, 1884, and operations were then stopped. 
Salt water was found in great quantity, and to shut off the flow the hole was 
subsequently filled up a few hundred feet. The di-illing of this well cost 
the company $2,825, while the whole expense exceeded $3,000. But what 
of that in comparison with the great result. It had now been demonstrated 
beyond any doubt that natural gas existed here in paying quantities, and 
only a few months more were required to develop it to an apparently inex- 
haustible degree. 

During the period that the company were engaged in sinking this well, 
many wiseacres condemned the scheme as a chimerical idea of Dr. Osterlen's; 
but lo ! when gas was found, it was very strange, indeed, how many there 
were who exclaimed, ' " I told you so ! I always said there was plenty of 
natural gas in Findlay. " Numerous "original discoverers" of this wonder- 
ful fluid have since appeared, but if ever a man deserved whatever honor 
attaches to the persistent advocacy for years and belief in the plentiful exist- 
ence of natiu'al gas in Findlay, as well as to its first development, Dr. Charles 
Osterlen is certainly that man. 

Though the well was finished and plenty of gas found, thousands of 
dollars were yet needed to push the enterprise to a successful completion, 
and in January, 1885, $5,000 of eight per cent bonds were issued to lay mains 
and pipe the gas into the town. A new board of directors was chosen for 
1885, consisting of Dr. Charles Osterlen, Charles J. Eckels, Fred H. 
Glessner, Vincent H. Coons, George W. Kimmel, A. C. Heck and U. K. 
Stringfellow. This board elected Fred H. Glessner, president; A. C. 
Heck, vice-president; U. K. Stringfellow, secretary; George W. Kimmel, 
treasurer. On March 23, 1885, the capital stock was increased to $50,000, 
and an efl'ort was made to dispose of some of it among the business men of 
Findlay, but though quite a number were called on the effort proved a fail- 
ure. No one wanted to invest money in the natviral gas business at that 
time, and all seemed yet to view the enterprise with distrust. The com- 
pany also tried to sell some stock to capitalists of Bradford, Penn., 
and Columbus, Ohio, but they, too, held aloof. Money was then bor- 
rowed by the company on their individual notes, and the work of piping the 
gas into Findlay carried forward through the spring of 1885, with Vincent 
H. Coons as superintendent of construction, and in May the gas from the 
Osterlen well began to be used in the village. 

Natural gas was now a demonstrated fact to the Findlay people, and in 
the meantime other parties had concluded to profit fi'om the experience of 
those who risked their money when it required very strong faith to do so. 
A well was drilled near the gas works on East Sandusky Street by the old 
Findlay Gas Light Company, who shut down their works February 1, 
1885, and began using the natural fluid; and another well on East Front 
Street was put down by W. K. Marvin, in which also plenty of gas was 
found. Three more wells were drilled in the" summer of 1885, viz. : the 



()4() HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Adams, Lima Street and Barnd, and all proved successful enterprises. The 
first and last mentioned were owned by the old Findlay Gas Light Com- 
pany, and the Lima Street well by the Findlay Natural Gas Company. By 
this time it had become plainly evident to both companies that they were 
pursuing a very unwise business policy, under which neither would make any 
money. So conferences were held, and September 1, 1885, they consol- 
idated as the Findlay Gas Light Company. Since that event the company 
has put down four wells, which, with the Marvin well, previously leased 
fi'om the owner, W. K. Marvin, makes a total of ten wells controlled by the 
Findlay Gas Light Company. In July, 1885, the Findlay Drilling Com- 
pany was organized, composed of a large number of local stockholders, and 
the Putnam Street well was sunk. The Kirk, McManness, Cory and Jones 
wells were private enterprises, while the Briggs well was put down by pub- 
lic subscription and donated by the citizens to the Briggs Edge Tool Com- 
pany. The Firmin w^ell was drilled by the Trenton Rock Oil Company, 
the Matthias, No. 2, by a local syndicate, and the Taylor by a Pennsylvania 
firm. The following table gives the names, date of completion and depth 
of each of the nineteen wells piit down in Findlay or vicinity up to the close 
of April, 188G: 

Depth. 

1— Osteilen, December 5, 1884 1648 feet. 

2~Gas Works, January 20, 1885 1200 " 

3— Marvin, March 5, 1885 1155 " 

4— Adams (oil), June 1, 1885 1207 " 

5— Lima Street, August 1, 1885 1215 " 

6— Barnd, August iS, 1885 1225 " 

7— North Findlay, September 19, 1885 1171 " 

8— Matthias (oil), November 1, 1885 1321 " 

9— Putnam Street (oil), November 18, 1885 1312 "- 

10— Kirk, December 9, 1885 1171 " 

11-Aullman. December 20. 1885 1142 " 

12— Briggs, January 17, 1886 1175 " 

13— Great Karg, January 20, 1886 1144 " 

14 — McManness & Seymour, February 20, 1886 1146 " 

15— Firmin (oil), March 5, 1886 1334 " 

16— Cory, March 17, 1886 1185 " 

17— Jones, March 25, 1886 1180 " 

18— Matthias, No. 2 (oil), April 12, 1886 1314 " 

19— Taylor (oil), April 28, 1886 1280 " 

In drilling these wells the following strata are usually found: From 10 
to 25 feet of drift, 245 to 450 feet of upper limestone, 800 to 900 feet of 
shales and slate (wherein is located a layer of from 40 to 60 feet of red 
rock) and then comes the Trenton limestone in which the gas and oil is 
found at a depth of fi'om 20 to 50 feet. The flow of gas from thirteen hi 
the wells mentioned in the foregoing table ranges from 200,000 to 2,000,- 
0()0 cubic feet every twenty-four hours; while the estimated daily product 
of the great Karg well is 10,500,000 cubic feet. The Adams, though a good 
gas well, also produces about twelve barrels of oil per day. The two Mat- 
thias and Taylor wells are solely oil producing. No. 1 now averaging about 
thirty barrels per day, while the product of No. 2 and the Taylor has not 
yet been gauged. This oil readily brings from forty to sixty per barrel at 
the well. It will thus be seen that Findlay possesses what now appears to 
be an inexhaustible supply of natural gas. But a cloud of uncertainty has 
always hung over its permanency, and the general idea heretofore encour- 
aged by the State geologists has been that the gas was simply in "pockets," 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 641 

and it was only a (luestion of time when such reservoirs would be exhausted. 
But we have already shown in this article that the learned geologist has 
been wrong upon every point connected with the existence of natural gas in 
northwestern Ohio, and if his ipse dixit had been followed. Findlay would 
still be using wood and coal for fuel, and the great underlying storehouse 
of nature would have remained undeveloped for perhaps another. generation. 
Scientific and unscientific opmion appears to be about settled down to 
the belief that the supply of natural gas is produced by continual 
generation, and though wells may give out, and local supplies may fail 
here and there, like the great natui-al product of spring water, it will keep 
flowing from the earth forever. So far the supply fi'om the Findlay wells 
seems to be on the increase, and with the sinking of new wells the gas pours 
forth with added force and denser volume. 

In addition to the companies previously mentioned, several others have 
been organized for the purpose of prospecting for oil and gas, or to pipe 
the latter fluid to less fortunate towns. These are " The Findlay Oil and 
Gas Company." incorporated November 3, 1885; "The Hancock Oil and 
Gas Company," January 20, 1886; "The Findlay Pipe Line Company," 
February 8, 188(3; "The Wood and Hancock Oil and Gas Company," 
March 11, 1886; and " The Limestone Oil and Gas Company." A large 
amount of land has been leased by these companies in Hancock and A^'ood 
Counties, the right of way for a pipe line from Findlay to Toledo obtained 
by "The Wood and Hancock Oil and Gas Company," and two have 
commenced active drilling operations. Tall derricks are springing up in 
every part of the county, and ere this article goes to press many more wells 
will, doubtless, be sending forth valuable streams of oil or gas. 

The first feature that strikes an observer is the great supply of gas, as 
evidenced by its tremendous pressure. It comes not with a flow as ordin- 
arily understood, but in force like a mighty rushing wind. The gas f lom 
the great Karg well leaps and roars fi'om its mouth night and day — a semi- 
volcanic pyramid of flame. The company has so far been unable to utilize 
the flow from this well, and, therefore, as a matter of safety allow the 
millions of feet of escaping gas to burn from an iron pipe extending from 
the mouth of the well to the bank of the river. Thousands of visitors have 
been attracted to Findlay during the past year to view her wonderful gas 
wells, and numerous articles relating thereto have appeared in the leading 
papers of the country. A special correspondent of the Toledo Bee gives the 
following graphic account of his visit, in February, 1886, to the great 
natural gas town of Ohio: 

" Five or six miles before reaching Findlay a brilliant light is seen in 
the heavens, and a mile or two further on discloses to the vision a great 
cloud of fire. This w^as the great Karg well. Its proportions, intensity and 
grandeur increase as the town is neared, when the church steeples and house 
tops are brought out with the distinctness of day. Unexplained, the phenome- 
non would be awful and fearful. Passing into the main street of the town the 
light fi-om the burning Karg is somewhat modified by the bright flames fi'om the 
immense jets of gas shooting upward fi'om the tops of the lamp-posts. These 
jets are three or four feet in height, and under their glare, a pin in the street, 
which is 100 feet wide, can be readily picked up, and the finest print can be 
read as easily as in a parlor in Toledo lighted by the best gas our company* 
can produce.* It is impossible to give a correct idea of the impression made 



642 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTV. 

upon a stranger as he stands in the center of this wide, level street, with 
long vistas of light north and south of him; the house fronts are as clearly 
defined as if the king of day were pouring the noon-day light upon them, 
and the pedestrians on the street readily recognized l)locks away. The effect 
was peculiar and inspiring. 

"To obey the impulse to visit the monster who was shedding a light 
which, to unused ey-es, exceeded anything before imagined, beyond the sun 
itself, though tired and hungry, a carriage was called, and with the artist 
of the Bee we drove at once to it, more than half a mile from the hotel. As 
we neared the spot, sounds like the rushing waters of a great fall struck the 
ear, and in the houses where the windows looked in that direction, the inte- 
rior was as light as day. Passing through several streets, the hack brought 
up suddenly 100 feet from the well. The sounds of the escaping gas from 
the stand-pipe now forcibly reminded me of Niagara, and as I looked up at 
the great cloud of flame shooting upward as if angry that there was not 
something for it to destroy, the feeling of the sublime called up by the great 
cataract forced itself still stronger upon me. 

' ' The scene is one of indescribable grandeur. The well is located on 
the south bank of the Blanchard River, which passes through the north 
part of the town. It is 1, 144 feet from the surface to the gas-bearing rock 
below, and the hole is five and five-eighths inches in diameter. From the 
top of the ground it is conveyed about 100 feet from the well in a six-inch 
iron pipe, and from this a stand-pipe fifty-seven feet high is connected, which 
is three inches in diameter at the top where the gas escapes. A cut-off 
above the ground at the well is placed to shut off the flow, but for some time 
the gas has been allowed to have its way and millions of feet are wasted to 
satisfy the curiosity of the throngs of people who visit it daily. As far as 
the eye has uninterrupted scope, the landscape is illuminated by this mon- 
ster light, and persons could be distinctly seen more than half a mile away, 
and the color of their clothing readily discerned. Within 100 feet of the 
flame, with a cold crisp atmosphere outside, it was uncomfortably hot. On 
the opposite side of the river and for a considerable distance all about the 
well, the grass was growing with the luxuriance of May, and the water in 
the river below, everywhere else covered with ice, was as blue and limpid 
as a lake." 

The stand-pipe alluded to by the correspondent has recently been taken 
down and placed upon the ground, with its mouth extending over the bank 
of the stream. In this position the scene is, if anything, grander and more 
awe-inspiring than before, the water in the river fairly boiling from the in- 
tense heat thrown out by the constantly burning fliaid. The flame licks the 
surface of the water, and leaps at intervals almost across the stream, and, 
in close proximity, the noise made by the escaping gas is indeed bewilder- 
ing to the average visitor. 

While the number of wells already sunk, and the quantity of gas pro- 
duced would seem to be more than sufficient to supply the wants of Findlay 
and its 6,000 inhabitants, and even ten-fold that number of people, wells 
are still being sunk to meet the demand of the increasing number of manu- 
facturing establishments attracted to the town by the abundance and cheap- 
ness of the gas as a fuel. There has been no perceptible decrease in the 
product of the wells except in instances where a flow of oil has interrupted 
the flow of gas. The discovery of the great Karg well, which of itself 











^^^24^^^ 



/^?^^44^C^ 



Village of findlay 645 

pours out more than enough gas to light and heat the town, and supply all 
of its manufactories, justifies the belief that the Findlay gas territory is 
almost inexhaustible, and from it enough of the valuable fluid could be oh 
tained to supply two or three cities the size of Toledo. The eras supplies 
all the purposes for which coal is used—heat and light— and is readily 
cneaply and safely applied to all piu-poses of lighting the streets, and lio-ht- 
ing and heating halls, theaters, churches, stores and dwellings, and for all 
manufacotries where power is used. Its capacity to heat steam generating 
boilers is demonstrated beyond question, and there does not seem to be any 
purpose to which fuel can be applied that it is not the best, most convenient 
and cheapest. 

The superiority of the Findlay gas in the amount of heat which it pro- 
duces is one of its most valuable features. It is doubtful if any other 
article known to use as fuel can produce as high a degree of heat in so short 
a time. Burned from simple perforations in an ordinary gas-pipe which 
can be introduced into any stove or grate, in a brief time "the stove will be- 
come a cherry red. A little valve regulates the supply and pressm-e, and in 
the morning, if you do not want the fire burning all night, you turn the 
valve, thrust m a lighted match, and at once your tire is boomino- Fire- 
building, of a cold winter morning, has lost its terrors for the fortunate 
people of Findlay, and wood-sheds, coal-bins and ash barrels are to them 
merely an unpleasant memory. Another important advanta^re is the fact 
that it 18 characterized by a strong odor, more pungent than artificial eras 
even which is a great safe-guard against explosions and accidents The 
I'lttsburghgas is nearly or quite odorless, and there is nothing, consequently 
to give warning when there has been an escape. The use of o-as crreatly 
lessens the danger of loss by fire and so reduces rates of insurance ^^Burnt 
with air as it is, the combustion is complete, and there is no soot and no 
chimneys to burn out. In a thousand different ways this new factor in the 
affairs of the world adds to the wealth, the convenience, the comfort and 
pleasures of existence. 

Aside from all the remarkable advantages the new fuel and illuminator 
possesses, its cheapness is, however, the main thing in its favor The gas 
company now charges |12 per year for cooking stoves, and $1. 50 per mouth 
tor seven months, for the average heating stove: the larger heaters in the busi- 
ness houses run as high as $3 per month diu-ing the winter season Gas 
burners for lighting purposes cost from 15 to 30 cents per month each In 
this respect, as in the item of fuel, a great saving is made. Many of the 
stores light up at night with scores of blazing jets, and on short winter days 
light them early m the afternoon, for there is no stingy measurement of the 
gas through meters, the use of which is discarded. It is, however proper 
to state that the light is not so good as that fm-nished by the manufactured 
gas or coal oil, as the powerful pressure makes it unsteady, and the least 
draft or pufj of air affects it badly. It is, therefore, not a pleasant light 
tor reading or other close work, and is very trying to the eyes But Findlay 
possesses the cheapest fuel in the United States, and here 'the manufactm-er 
may build immediately over his supply of fuel and light. The cost of sink 
mg a well averages from $1. 200 to 12, 000, and that is the end of all expense 
and trouble to light, heat and furnish power to the establishment This is 
marvelous, and makes a reduction in the running expense and cost of pro- 
auction that IS nothing less than a revolution. 



84 



646 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Very little fuel outside of gas is now used in Findlay, and the wood and 
coal trade has fallen ofF to a comparative insignificance. A few cases will 
serve to illustrate the wonderful revolution that natural gas has brought 
about in the cost of lighting and heating. The proprietors of the Joy House 
claim a saving of about $400 per annum on light and fuel, and this hotel is one 
of the best heated and lighted country houses in the State. The proprietor 
of one of the principal stores of the town says that it used to cost him I860 
per annum to light and heat his establishment. Now it costs him not quite $60 
or a saving of $300, besides being rid of all the dirt, trouble and inconven 
ience of wood and coal. Elijah Barnd, proprietor of the limekilns, south 
of town, pays the gas company $200 per anniam for all the gas he can use 
in his kilns. It used to cost him $1,800 per year for wood, with which to 
burn the same amount of lime. Adams Bros. & Co. , foundry and machine 
shops, with a previous fuel capacity of $1,000 per annum, are supplied with 
fuel and light from a well on their premises at no cost, such being the con- 
tract with the company when the well was sunk. W. K. Marvin & Sons, 
foundry and machine shop, owners of the Marvin well, run their establish- 
ment at a saving of $2,000 a year in fuel, and, besides, supply a planing- 
mill and furnish a large surplus to the gas company, which pays them a 
considerable profit. The planing-mill supplied fi-om this well saves $1,000 
a year in fuel. The most striking example, however, in the saving of fuel in 
manufacturing is furnished by the Eagle Koller Flouring-mills. This estab- 
lishment consumed $1,500 worth of coal a year, and employed two stokers, 
which, with the handling of the coal, made the cost about $2,000. At a 
cost of $1,600 for boring a well, gas has been obtained which furnishes all 
the fuel and light for the mills. And, in addition, the well supplies a woolen- 
mill with fuel and light, for which they get $100 a year, also thirteen fami- 
lies with fuel and light. The results in these cases illustrate the value of 
natural gas as a fuel-saving element to a remarkable degree. And yet with 
all this, the capacity of the wells is by no means heavily drawn upon, and 
millions of feet of gas go to waste every twenty- four hours. 

Capital is eagerly investigating matters here, and the attention of man- 
ufacturers is turned in this direction. There is a noticeable increase of vis- 
itors, the hotels are full all the time, and there has been a general advance 
in valuation all along the line. But those proposing to locate and establish any 
kind of manufacturing institution may be sure of generous treatment. That 
the development of natural gas in such large quantities is the beginning of a 
new era in the history of Findlay is now plainly evident. No one feels any 
doubt about that. From the handsome, quiet capital of one of the richest 
agricultural districts in the State, she will become a busy manufacturing 
center, with mills and factories, foundries and glass-works. The present 
wells can furnish an unlimited supply of fuel, available at an instant when 
wanted, for every conceivable use to which fuel can be applied, at a reduc- 
tion in cost so great that it is hard to realize, working a most important 
saving in domestic economy, and a veritable revolution in the cost of run- 
ning large manufactories. Real estate has advanced and is advancing in 
value, business confidence has been restored, and everybody and everjrthing 
is aroused to the impetus of a new life and fresh activity. It has not 
been our fortune to witness or hear of, in a town the size of Findlay, since 
the beginning of the existing period of financial depression, so revived an 
activity in all general business, nor so buoyant a spirit among the people as 



VILLAGE OF FINDLAY. 



64- 



IS now prevailing here. Hotel keepers, merchants, grocers, clothing dealers, 
boot and .shoe people, butchers, bakers and tradespeople generally, are mak- 
ing money and feeling good. The place has already a goodly number of 
manufacturers of various sorts, all of which have been prompt to utilize the 
benefits of cheap fuel and light; while many more industries of like natiu-e 
are seeking locations in the town to share in the seemingly assured prosper- 
ity. These are bringing in their train more people to Findlay to live, swell- 
mg the volume of trade in every branch, insuring yet better prices to farm- 
ers for their products, to the mechanic and workman for their labor, etc. : in 
short, simply following the law of general prosperity that uniformly marks 
a thriving industrial community. 




PART IV. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 



ALLEN TOWNSHIP. 



GEORGE B. ALBAN, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Jefferson 
County, Ohio, March 10, 1811, son of William (a farmer) and Elizabeth 
(Shane) Alban. William Alban served in the war of 1812 as captain; he 
was a justice of the peace for many years; in politics he was a stanch Whig. 
His father, George Alban, was a Virginia farmer. William Alban was thrice 
married, Elizabeth (Shane), the mother of our subject, being his first wife. 
There were eight children in this family: James S. (the eldest, was a lawyer 
by profession, and at the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion was a res- 
ident of Wisconsin; he became colonel of the Eighteenth Regiment W. 
V. I., and was killed in action at the battle of Pittsburg Landing), 
Eliza (deceased), Jane (deceased), George B., Mary, William (a lawyer 
and a former partner of James S.). Sarah, wife of Solomon Franks, of 
Medina County, Ohio) and Capt. H. H. (of Findlay, Ohio). William Alban' s 
second wife was Jane Whitcraft, daughter of William Whitcraft, of Stark 
County, Ohio, and by her were eight children — three of whom are still liv- 
ing: Nancy, Rebecca and Levina. William Alban' s last marriage was with 
Isabel McCaughey, daughter of Joseph McCaughey, of Stark County, Ohio; 
she bore him two children: Joseph P. and Newton. George B. Alban, the 
subject of this sketch, passed most of his early life in Stark County, Ohio, 
and there married, October 15, 1835, his first wife, Maria McCaughey. 
daughter of John McCaughey, of Stark County, Ohio; there were three 
children by this union, two of whom are living: Eliza J. and John M. Mr. 
Alban came to this county February 12, 1839, and has since resided here, 
engaged in farming. He has a farm of 1 60 acres of land which is crossed 
by the ' ' Nickel Plate ' ' Railroad. His second wife was Susan Edgar, daugh- 
ter of William Edgar, formerly a farmer of this county. To her he was 
married in January, 1 844. She bore two children, both of whom died young. 
Our subject's third marriage was November 9. 1848, with Mary A. Davis, 
daughter of John Davis, a farmer of Wood County, Ohio; the only child 
born of this union died in infancy. Mr. Alban' s present wife, Jane, to 
whom he was married November 1, 1854, is a daughter of John McLeester, 
a farmer of this county. Two children have been born of this union : Maria 
and Helen. George B. Alban is an energetic and enterprising man, and 
still retains a goodly share of youthful vigor, both in action and in appear- 



652 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

ance. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church; one of the old and sub- 
stantial citizens of this county. He and his family are connected with the 
West Union Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

ALLEN DORSE Y, farmer, P. O. Van Buren, was born in what was 
formerly Cass Township, this county, February 22, 1834, son of David and 
Rosanna (Weand) Dorsey, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a 
farmer and one of the first settlers in Allen Township, this county, and 
helped organize the townshiji, serving as justice of the peace for several 
years. He came to this county in 1883, and died in this vicinity. Of his 
family of seven chihhen who grew to maturity four are now living: (leorge, 
Allen. Cordelia and Henry; William and James, members, respectively, of 
the One Hundred and Twenty-third and Twenty-first Regiments, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, were both killed in service during the war of the Rebellion; 
David, died in Idaho. The father of our subject married, for his second 
wife, Margaret (Deal) Adams, who is now living in Wood County, Ohio. 
The subject of this sketch has all his life resided in this county, engaged in 
farming and stock dealing. He has farm property to the extent of 180 
acres, most of which lies in Portage Township, this county. He is a mem- 
ber of Haywood Lodge, No. 333, I. O. O. F. Mr. Dorsey first married Miss 
Mary A. Howard, daughter of James Howard, a farmer of this county, and 
by this union there are two children: Ardinell and Allen D. Our subject's 
present wife, Margaret J., is a daughter of James McMurray. 

WARREN L. DRAPER, farmer, P. O. Wineland, was born in Wash 
ington County, N. Y. , October 5, 1824, son of Moses and Marilla (Wilson) 
Draper, former of whom, a son of Jonathan Draper, a Revolutionary sol- 
dier, devoted his life to farming and saw-milling. Warren L. Draper moved 
from Pennsylvania when six years of age to Summit County, Ohio, and in 
1853 came to this county, where he has since resided, engaged in farming. 
He has at present 180 acres of improved land in Allen Township. Our sub- 
ject was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Sobercole, and by her he had 
five children: Ann, Warren C, Edward, Elizabeth and Jane. His present 
wife, Hannah (King) Draper, is a daughter of John King, formerly a resi- 
dent of this county, and by her our subject has two children: Emma and 
Belle. Mr. Draper is a much respected citizen of this county. 

DANIEL FRICK, farmer, P. O. Van Buren, was born May 3, 1828, 
in Westmoreland County. Penu. His parents, Daniel and Catherine 
(Miller) Frick, were also natives of the same place, the former a farmer and 
blacksmith. Daniel Frick, Sr. , had a brother, George, who served in the 
war of 1812. Their father, George Frick, a German by birth, died of scar- 
let-fever in New Orleans, where he, in company with a man named Hannah, 
had taken a flat-boat loaded with flour. The father of our subject was twice 
man'ied. His first wife (the mother of our subject) bore him nine children: 
Maiy, John, George, Lucinda, Daniel, Delilah, David, Jacob and Abraham, 
all of whom are still living. His second wife also bore him nine children, of 
whom six are still living: (Catherine, Jane, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Luther and 
Joseph. David, of the first family, and Isaiah, of the second family, served 
in the late war of the Rebellion. Daniel Frick, Sr. , came to this county in 
the spring of 1855, and died the following fall. The subject of this sketch 
came to this county in 1856, and engaged in the mercantile trade. He was, 
however, a miller by occupation, and, in 1861, he purchased a flouring-mill 
(which is still standing in Van Buren, unused) and operated it for several 



^\ 




-y^^^j^'-^ ^'^^y^ 



ALLEN TOWNSHIP. 655 

years. In 1871 be bought a farm of 160 acres of land, north of Van Buren, 
which he still owns, and on which he resided until last spring, when he 
moved to Van Buren, having jnirchased a store-building and residence com- 
bined. Mr. Frick has long ])een a member of the I. O. O. F., belonging at 
present to Haywood Lodge, No. 883. In politics he is a llepublican. He 
was united in marriage, November 6, 1851, with Esther Dinsmore, a daugh- 
ter of John Dinsmore. a farmer of Westmoreland County, Penn. , and two 
chiklren have been born to this union, both now deceased. 

EDWARD GEORGE, M.D., Van Buren, born in Mercer County, Penn., 
March 1 8, 1850, is the eldest son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Harlow) George, 
natives, respectively, of Pennsylvania and Germany, and who came to this 
county in 1855, where they still reside. They have two chiklren: Dr. Ed- 
ward George and Louisa (wife of Orrin A. Ballard, of Findlay). Jonathan 
George, a carpenter l)y trade, is the son of John George, who was a soldier in 
the war of 1812. Dr. Edward George received his education in this county, 
and in earlv life clerked in a store. He commenced the study of medicine 
in 1872, under Drs. T. & T. C. Ballard, of Benton Ridge, Ohio, and 
took his first course in the medical department of the Michigan University 
in 1873-74; in 1875-76 he attended the Butler University, at Indianapolis, 
Ind., graduating therefrom February 25, 1876. In May of the same year 
he located in Van Buren, where he has since enjoyed an extensive practice. 
He was united in marriage, Septemlier 80, 1875, with Esther Whisler, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Whisler, a merchant of Benton Ridge. The Doctor is a Re 
publican in politics. He has filled the office of mayor of Van Buren. He 
united with the Presbyterian Church in January, 1882, and was elected and 
has served as Sabbath -school superintendent four years in succession, up to 
the present time. 

S. M. HARTMAN, farmer, P. O. Van Buren, was born in Wayne 
County, Ohio, November 11, 1844, son of Samuel J. and Eva (Whonsetler) 
Hartman, natives of Washington County, Penn., reared a family of ten 
children. The mother and seven of her children are still living. The father, 
who engaged in farming during his life, was a son of Peter Hartman, who, 
with many brothers, served in the war of 1812. S. M. Hartman, the sub- 
ject of this sketch, came to this county in 1872, and has since resided here, 
having a farm of seventy-six and a half acres of l^nd. He was united in 
marriage, November 29, 1867, with Julia A. Zimmerman, daughter of Henry 
Zimmerman, formerly of Wayne County, Ohio. Ten children have been 
born to this union: Charles O., Ettie G., S. Delia, Fannie S., Zoa A., Sam- 
uel T. (deceased), Jessie E., Wella Z., Oda L. and Henry B. In politics 
Mr. Hartman is a Prohibitionist. The family are members of the United 
Brethren Chui-ch. 

HUGH McMURRAY, farmer, P. O. Van Bmen, was born in Richland 
County, Ohio, November 4, 1882, son of James and Margaret (McHarry) Mc 
Murray, natives of Ireland. James McMurray was born May 2, 1800, and 
came to Canada July 8, 1821, shortly afterward removing to the United 
States. He was a farmer, an active member of the Presbyterian Church, 
and an ardent Republican. His family consisted of eight chiklren: Will- 
iam (deceased), Ann (deceased), James (deceased), Hugh, George (deceased), 
John H. , Thomas H. and Margaret J. George was a member of the One 
Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died in 
Andersonville Prison. Hugh, the subject of this sketch, came to this county 



656 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

in 1840, and has since resided here. He has a farm of 258 acres of land 
and a beautiful residence. He was imited in marriage with Eliza Zarbaugh, 
a daughter of John Zarbaugh, an old resident of this county, now living in 
VanBuren. Our subject and wife have seven children living: Albina, born 
February 27, 1868; George, born February 22, 1870; Antonette, born De- 
cember 27, 1872; Harry J., born November 2, 1874; Mary C, born Decem- 
ber 12, 1877; Ardinell, born December 12, 1879, and John F., born Febru 
ary 4, 1883. 

SAMUEL SPITLER, retired farmer, Van Buren, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, September 5, 1813, youngest child of John and Susanna 
(Buswell) Spitler, both natives of Virginia, who settled in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, in a very early day. Their family consisted of ten children, eight of 
whom lived to maturity, but our subject is now the only survivor. Samuel 
Spitler resided in his native county vintil after his marriage, when he moved 
to Crawford County, Ohio, where he remained eight years; then, in 1840, 
came to this county, where he has remained since. He has been engaged 
principally in agricultiu'al pursuits, and owns a farm of 320 acres of land in 
Allen Township, this county, and is one of the substantial citizens of the 
county. He served his county two terms (from 1863 to 1867) as treasurer, 
with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents ; during this time 
he resided in Findlay. Samuel Spitler married, April 18, 1832, in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, Miss Anna Brei.z, a daughter of Conrad and Susanna (Foreman) 
Bretz. Mr. Bretz served in the war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Spitler are the 
parents of ten children, eight of whom survive : Israel (married to Miss Jane 
Bushong), Noah (united in marriage, the first time with Sarah Loehr, and 
after her death, with Susa Hegerman), Eli (married to Miss Ensminger), Lu- 
cinda (wife of Paul Bryan), Cass W. (married to Benia Pingle), Samuel B. 
married to Nettie Poe), John H. (married to Irena Taylor) and Stephen D. 
(married to Lucy Rader). The deceased are Susannah E. and Conrad. In 
politics Mr. Spitler has always been a Democrat. Our subject and wife, Mr. 
and Mrs. Israel Spitler, Mrs. Lucinda Bryan, and Mr. and Mrs. Cass W. 
Spitler, all belong to the Primitive Baptist Church, called the Van Buren 
Church. 

GEORGE STOUGH, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Fayette 
County, Penn., March 27, 1815. the eldest child of Moses and Mary (Rid- 
dle) Stough, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a cooper by trade, 
but engaged also in farmixig; removed to what is now Ashland County, 
Ohio, and finally to this county, and died here at the age of eighty-three 
years. He was a son of George Stough, Sr. , and of German descent. The 
subject of this sketch came to this county in 1853, and has since resided 
here, engaged in farming. He is the owner of farm property to the extent 
of 240 acres. He married, January 28, 1836, Miss Catherine Gierhart, daugh- 
ter of Jonas H. Gierhart, at one time a farmer of this county. There have 
been ten children born to this union, four of whom are living: Daniel, Hen- 
ry, Christian and Eliza J. Mr. Stough is one of the substantial and pro- 
gressive citizens of this county. In politics he is a Democrat. The fam- 
ily are connected with the Disciples and Methodist Churches. 

ROBERT THORNBURG, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Holmes 
County, Ohio, February 12, 1832, the eldest of twelve children, eight of 
whom are now living: Robert, Ruth A., Martha J., Matilda, Eliziu- J., Oli 
va F. , Enos R. and Elmer. John W. and Elizur J. served in the war of the 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 657 

Rebellion, the former being a lieutenant in an Indiana regiment, and sus- 
tained injuries at the battle of Gettysburg, and the latter a member of the 
One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The parents of these 
children were William and Beriah (Loveland) Thornburg. natives, respect- 
ively, of Pennsylvania and Ohio, the former of vv^hom, a farmer and bridge- 
builder, helped to construct the Ohio Canal. He was a son of Robert Thorn- 
burg, a pioneer of Holmes County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch came 
to this county from Holmes County, Ohio, in October, 1 860. He had taught 
school in early years, and had served as deputy sheriff of Holmes County. 
Ohio, but during his residence in this county he has devoted his attention to 
his farming interests, having a farm of 115 acres of land, besides an inter- 
est in the old estate. IVIi'. Thornburg is a justice of the peace of Allen 
Township, this county, which capacity he has tilled for eighteen years. He 
was married, April 1 0, 1860, to Miss Gennette Rockvpell, daughter of P. V. 
Rockwell, formerly a miller of this county. Our subject and wife have seven 
children: Annie B., Catherine O. , Malinda, George W., Jessie, James E. 
and Mary. In politics Mr. Thornburg is a Democrat. 

LLOYD WEISEL, farmer, P. O. Van Buren, was born in this county, 
April 23, 1885. His parents, Isaac and Jane (Dorsey) Weisel, were natives 
of Pennsylvania, the former a shoe-maker by trade, but in later life a farmer; 
they came to this county in 1888, and died here in 1878, their deaths ocur- 
ring only one week apart. They were the parents of ten children, six of 
whom are yet living: Oliver, Lloyd, Charlotte, Sarah, John and Laura. A 
son, Rufus, served in the Ninety-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and died in the hospital. Lloyd, the subject of this sketch, has resided in this 
county all his life, except eight years spent in California. He returned to 
this county in 1864, and has since engaged in farming and stock raising, 
having farm property to the extent of 8()0 acres. He is a member of Hay- 
wood Lodge, I. p. O. F., No. 388. He married, September 14, 1865, 
Nancy, daughter of James Telfer. No children have been born of this 
union, but Mr. and Mrs. Weisel have reared two, who have been in the fam- 
ily since they were quite young: Mary Telfer and Melvin Needham. The 
family are members of the Presbyterian Church. In politics Mr. Weisel is 
a Republican. He is one of the substantial farmers of this county. 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 



DANIEL ALSPACH, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, December 10, 1811, is a son of Adam and Barbara (Wyant) 
Alspach, natives of Schuylkill County, Penn. Adam Alspach. born in 
1788, was a soldier in the war of 1812; he came to Ohio at the age of 
twenty years, and lived in Fairfield County with his parents and grand- 
father, Henry Alspach, who were pioneers in Ohio. Adam Alspach mar- 
ried in Fairfield County, and came to Hancock County in 1830, entering 
160 acres of land in Section 19, Amanda Township, where he resided until 
his death. He was the father of seven childi'en when he came to Amanda 
Township: Daniel, Aaron, David, Richard, Elizabeth (now deceased), La- 



658 _ HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

viua, wife of Samuel Treece, and Sarah A., who was born in this county, 
and is now the wife of Henry Beck. Daniel Alspach married, September 
1 5, 1836, Catharine, daughter of Cornelius Vanlue, whose brother, William, 
laid out the village of Vanlue, this county. (He afterward moved to Ne- 
braska, and there died.) Cornelius Vanlue settled in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, in 1828, and moved to Hancock Connty in 1831. Mr. and Mrs. 
Alspach are the parents of ten childi'en: Barbara A. (wife of N. Bucking- 
ham), William, Savilla (deceased), James, Elmyra, Sarah E. (wife of L. 
Clark). Lavina (deceased), J. W. (deceased), Salathiel, and Alice (wife of F. 
Copeland). Our subject and wife endured many hardships during their 
early pioneer days. They lived for a time in Vanlue, but, preferring farm 
life, they again moved into the country. 

AARON ALLSPACH, farmer. P." O. Vanlue, born February 12, 1818, 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, is a son of Adam and Barbara (Wyant) Allspach. 
His great-grandfather came from Germany to Pennsylvania, and his grand- 
father, Henry Allspach. moved from Pennsylvania in an early day, and set- 
tled in Fairfield County, Ohio. Adam and Barbara Allspach were the par- 
ents of nine children, six of whom are now living: Daniel, Aaron, David, 
Richard, Lavinia (wife of S. Treese), and Sarah (wife of Henry Beck), now 
living in Michigan. The deceased are Samuel, Polly and Elizabeth (wife of 
J. Litsenberger). Aaron Allspach was married February 22, 1839, to 
Sarah, daughter of Joshua Brown (deceased at the age of ninety-five years), 
and by her he had eleven children, of whom five are deceased and six are 
living: Nathan (married to Nancy Furnish), Marion (married to Viola Rey- 
nolds), Mary L. (wife of W. E. Ewing), Jacob E. (married to Emma Bell), 
Joshua D. (married to Sarah A. Beard), Ella A. (wife of Charles Dame). 
Those deceased are Adam, Caleb, Daniel, Benjamin, Barbara E. Mr. 
Allspach came to this county with his parents in 1829, and stopped over 
night on the Henry George farm. His father' s family was the first to locate 
on the west side of what was then a great swamp, but has since become 
fine farms. After his marriage Aaron had only 25 cents left to be- 
gin life with. He has been a successful farmer, and now owns the Henry 
George farm, the same on which he passed his first night on coming to this 
county in 1829. 

AUGUSTUS F. ASKAM, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born March 6, 1838, in 
Findlay Township, Hancock Co. , Ohio, is a son of John and Julia A. (Lea- 
der) Askam, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in 1837-38, and settled 
in Findlay Township, this county. They entered land near what is now the 
city of Findlay. Of their family of three sons and one daughter, oui- sub- 
ject is the only one now living. He was educated in Findlay, and, in 1859, 
married Savilla, daughter of Stephen Lee. She bore him three children, 
two of whom are now living: Alice M. (wife of J. Campbell) and Alvin L. 
Their mother died in 1865, and Mr. Askam married, in 1866, Melinda Ault, 
daughter of a pioneer of Marion County, Ohio. By her he has three chil- 
dren, now living: Lola M. , John B. and Anna L. Mr. Askam has been 
engaged in mercantile business, has also followed the carpenter's trade, and 
for the last foiu* years has been engaged in farming. He is a member of 
the I. O. O. F. and Good Templars. He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

NIMROD W. BRIGHT, Jr., farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born March 7, 1865, 
in Big Lick Township, Hancock County, Ohio, is a son of Major and S. S. 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 659 

(Fairman) Bright, natives of Ohio, and a great-grandson of Major Bright, 
who located or entered 8,000 acres of land in Amanda Township, this 
county, and was an extensive stock raiser and one of the oldest pioneers of 
this county. His son, Nimrod, Sr. , the grandfather of our subject, one of 
the largest land-holders and stock raisers in the county, resides in the village 
of Vanlue, this county. He is a thoroiigh farmer, and held at one time as 
much land as his father, and perhaps more; he and his brother, John C, 
were pioneer ministers. The father of our subject is a well-to-do farmer, 
occupying lands in Amanda Township, this county, and, like his ancestors, 
has given his children land and educated them to become thorough farmers. 
His children are Elizabeth (wife of Melvin Ewing), Emma L. (wife of E. 
Wilcox), an infant (deceased) and Nimrod W. , Jr. Our subject is a young 
man of promise, and has received an education equal to his day. He is a 
man of quick perception and good judgment, and has become an efficient 
teacher, a profession he follows during the winters. 

BENJAMIN F. BIJRNAP, P. O. Vanlue, born January 30, 1887, in 
Columbus, Ohio, is a son of Daniel G. and Harriet (Baker) Burnap, natives 
of Vermont and Pennsylvania respectively, and who were married June 2, 
1822. Daniel G. Burnap, by profession a physician, came to Ohio about 
the year 1818 and settled near Lancaster, in Fairfield County, where he had 
quite an extensive practice. He afterward moved to Orange Township, 
Delaware County, and there died. His widow became the wife of William 
D. Whitney, a merchant, who moved in 1850 to Mt. Blanchard, this county, 
where he kept a grocery, and later they removed to Vanlue, Ohio. Mrs. 
Harriet Whitney died in Vanlue February 19, 1869. There were seven 
children in the first family: John (deceased in California), Lampson S., 
Angeline R. (wife of Henry Cockrell), Eliza B. (wife of E. Ellis), Benjamin 
F. , James K. and Daniel G. Daniel G. Burnap was a man of considerable 
talent and natural tact. His son, Benjamin F., the subject of this sketch, 
has engaged extensively in laud speculations in the West, where he has at 
the present time several hundred acres; he also owns a fine farm in Amanda 
Township, this county, and a saw and planing-mill, picture gallery and 
harness shop, in Vanlue, Ohio. He taught school for many terms, and has 
filled the office of mayor of Vanlue; he has been school director, and held 
the office of justice of the peace for six years, elected in a Democi-atic town- 
ship although he is a Republican in politics. He married, in 1877, Nancy J. 
Howard, and by her has one son, Guy F. 

JOSEPH CARVER, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born October 10, 1808, in 
Northampton Township, Bucks Co. , Penn. , is a son of Robert and Mary (Smith) 
Carver, natives of Pennsylvania, and who died in that State. Our subject 
came to Ohio in 1855 and settled in Amanda Township, this county. He 
first moved into a cabin called ' ' The Ashery, ' ' and soon after entered eighty 
acres of land on which he still lives (having impi-oved it fi'om the primitive 
forest) ; to this he has since added forty acres. His childi-en were eight in 
all, five of whom are yet living: John; Martha, wife of William Gorden; 
Mary, wife of S. Lee; Elizabeth, wife of D. Kimble; Ellen, wife of W. 
Morehead. John married Miss Orwie (their children are Dora M. , Anna 
E., William P., Robert, Ida E., Elizabeth and Rosa). He is the only son 
of Joseph Carver now living, and has charge of the old home farm. 

CORNELIUS CLARK, retii-ed farmer, Vanlue, born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, January 12, 1804, is a son of Horatio and Rebecca (Lane) 



660 ITISTORV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Clark, natives of Pennsylvania, whose parents came to Ohio in 1 799 and 
purchased 640 acres of land in what is now Bloom Township, Fairfield 
County, and remained there until their death. Their childi-en, ten in num- 
ber, were reared on the banks of Walnut Creek. The lands entered by 
Horatio Clark are held by the Clark family to-day. For some years there 
were two Indian villages near the Clark homestead. Cornelius Clark, now 
in his eighty-second year, is an intelligent old gentleman, full of life and 
vigor. He married, in 18'20, Elizabeth Stephens, who bore him thirteen 
children. She died in December, 1883. Those of their children still living 
are Lewis C. , Horatio, Cornelius, Mary, wife of Jacob Slike (have six chil- 
tb-en), Clara, wife of Henry Putnam (have five childi-en), Wilkison, Van 
Buren, William, Luther C. and Erwin. Wilkison and Van Bui-en are living 
on the old Clark homestead farm in Fairfield County. William, Luther C. 
and El-win also live in Fairfield County. Cornelius Clark came to Hancock 
County in 18()4 and bought the old Daniel Beck farm, now owned by his 
son Luther C. Clark. Our subject lives a retired life with his widowed 
daughter, Mrs. Alspach, in Vanlue, Ohio. 

JOSEPH W. CLASON, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard; born Septem- 
tember, 1827, in Stamford, Conn., is a son of Benjamin and Nancy (Ayres) 
Clason, natives of Connecticut, both of whom died in that State. Ben- 
jamin Clason was the father of seven children, four of whom are now 
living: Joseph W., Stephen, Samuel and John, all in Connecticut except 
Joseph W. The subject of this sketch came to Ohio in 1857, and settled in 
Amanda Township, this county, on land formerly occupied by his brother 
James, who came to Ohio prior to this date and died here. Joseph W. 
Clason had been a teacher in Connecticut for several years. He belongs 
to a family who early learned to take care of themselves. He received a fair 
education, as do most sons of New England, and, in 1858, married Sarah 
E., daughter of Sanford Smith. To this marriage were born two chil- 
dren: Solomon W. (deceased) and Lillie A. Mr. Clason has 113 acres of 
good land in Amanda Township, this county. He has been a successful 
farmer and has laid up a good competency for himself and family. 

ALMON L. CONE, carpenter, P. O. Vanlue, was born in Oneida 
County, N. Y., December 1, 1826, son of Joseph (a native of New York) 
and Phebe Cone (a native of Vermont), who lived on the Indian Reserva- 
tion. Joseph Cone came to Ohio, bringing with him the six survivors of 
his eleven children, settling in Marion County, in 1840, and afterward 
came to this county. Only two of his family now survive: Almon L. 
and Mrs. M. I. Crawford. Almon L. Cone was married, in 1849, to Mar- 
garet, daughter of William and Rachael Long, pioneers of this county, 
and to them were born six childi-en: Julia A., William J., Mary E. (de- 
ceased), Elizabeth, Jacob A. (deceased) and John G. Mr. Cone has 
assisted in erecting many of the buildings in Vanlue, Ohio, including its 
best church buildings. He was a member of Company H, Fifty-seventh 
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry under Capt. Henderson. He participated 
in the battle of Arkansas Post and the siege of Vicksburg, and in other 
engagements of the war of the Rebellion. He is an intelligent man and 
a great reader. He has been engaged for some time in the sash and door 
factory of Messrs. Hatch & Askam, at Vanlue. 

GEORGE W^ CORBIN, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born in July, 1846, in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, is a son of Israel and Catharine (Rea) Corbin, na- 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 661 

tives of Pennsylvania. Israel Corbin came of one of the pioneer families of 
Fairfield County. Ohio, and he himself is one of the early settlers of Hancock 
County, Ohio. He came to this county in 185'2, and purchased of Smith 
Carver 123 acres of land in Section 5, with slight improvements already- 
made. The purchase price was $9 per acre, and the terms of sale were $25 
cash and the balance to be paid in annual payments of $100 each, without 
interest. Other lands around him were soon after entered, and four years 
later he sold his land for over $2,000, and removed to Vanlue, Ohio, where 
he engaged in the grocery business and in butchering. He remained in 
Vanlue a few years, then purchased a farm and removed to the country. 
Israel Corbin married three times. Of his family of nine children three are 
now living (these are by his first wife). Their names are Peter F., Naomi 
v., now Mrs. Andrew Sallzman. and George W. The subject of this 
sketch married, October 24, 1872. Harriet, daughter of AVilliam Brown, and 
to this union have been born three sons and one daughter: Merle C, Or- 
landE., Gertrude E. and Edwin G. Mr. Corbin has a fine farm^of 128 
acres of excellent land, which he purchased from Jesse Ford in 1870, and 
on which, in 1878, he built a fine frame house, and in 1880 a good barn. 
He has also laid many hundreds of rods of tiling on his place. In politics 
Mr. Corbin is a Democrat. 

URIAH W. EGBERT, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born May 18, 1810, in 
Northumberland County, Penn. , is a son of David and Mary (Williams) Eg- 
bert, natives of New Jersey, who moved to Pennsylvania, and in 1812 came 
to Ohio, first settling in Fairfield County, and in 1822 moving to Seneca 
County, where they entered land. In 1830 David Egbert came to this 
county and entered land in Monroe and Amanda Townships, near Blanch- 
ard Bridge. He afterward sold his land and moved to Wood County, 
where he and his wife died. He was the father of ten children, six of whom 
are now living: Joseph; Uriah W. ; Sally, wife of J. Charles; Percilla. wife 
of George Shoemaker; Reuben and Maria E. Our subject entered 100 acres 
of land, fractional lot. which he cleared, and on which he made the first 
improvements. He was twice married; first, in May, 1841, to Mary, daugh- 
ter of Major Bright, pioneer minister and the most extensive land-holder in 
the covmty since its organization. This union was blessed with six children: 
Amos (deceased), Mary Louisa (deceased wife of J. Cross; she left eight 
children). Sarah A., wife of J. Stephens; Major; David, married to Sallie 
Benner, and Martha J. In 1863 IVIi*. Egbert married for his second wife, 
Marcia, M. . daughter of Richard Jaqua. Mr. Egbert has been a resident 
of this county for fifty-five years, engaged in farming most of the time. He 
is a leading member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

FREDERICK ESTERLY (deceased) was a son of Jacob and Mary 
(Boyer) Esterly. Jacob Esterly came to America in 1830, and settled in 
Mahoning County, where he remained two years, then moved to Seneca 
County, Ohio, where he settled on the south line adjoining Hancock County 
and lived for twenty years. In 1858 he came to this county and pui'chased 
a farm of William McKee. on which he passed the remainder of his days. 
He was the father of seven children, of whom four are now living : Christena, 
John, Caleb and Caroline, now Mrs. Segrist. The deceased are Margaret, 
Jacob and Frederick. The subject of this sketch received aipart of his edu- 
cation in the German and a part in the English schools. He was twice 
married; first, in 1840, to Mary Stackawalt, who died in 1852, leaving him 



^'^2 HISTORY OF ITANCOCK COUNTY 



one child— Marion— wife of Leo Fenstemaker. Mr. Esterly's second mar 
riage was in 1857, with Mena Kirchner, by whom he has one child— Caro 
line— wife of H'illiam Gilbert. Mr. Esterly purchased his present fai-m 
from O. Gordon, in 1857, and made many modern improvements on it He 
was a member of the Lutheran Church. 

JOHN EWING, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born in September, 1839 in 
Amanda Township, Hancock Co. , Ohio, is a son of Samuel and Kebecca 
(Alspach) Ewincr, natives of Maryland, and who were among the early pio 
neer children of Fairfield County, Ohio, where they married. They came 
to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1884, where Samuel Ewing entered eicrhty 
acres and bought part of another eighty-acre tract of land in Section 28 
Amanda Township. Here they began life as pioneer settlers of the county' 
cutting the first timber, putting up the first cabin on the land, and makini 
a home for their family. This old home farm is now owned by Heni-y 
Davis. Samuel Ewing was the father of seven children: Levi; Rosilla wife 
of David Alspach; William I.; Christiann, widow of Mr. Gordon whore 
sides in Michigan; John; Lavina (deceased) and Lucinda (deceased) The 
subject of this sketch married, in 1802, Lovica, daughter of Peter Shoe 
maker. Their union has been blessed with five children- Delia D Ella 
J., Jay, Orra and Bell V. Mr. Ewing is a thorough farmer and aVood 
business man. He purchased the farm on which he now lives, in Section 
10, Amanda Township, this county, from J. Lemont. He has filled the 
oftce ot assessor, also that of school director of Amanda Township 
iQ'n^^\^^ ^\- S^^^G^E, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born December 27 
180U, in Amanda Township, this county, is a son of Peter and Mary (Wood- 
ruft) George, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Ohio 
Peter George, born October 13, 1799, came to Ohio with his parents when 
five years old. They settled near Ball' s Bluff, Fairfield County, where he re- 
mained until 1827 ; then came to Hancock County, Ohio, and entered 160 acres 
ot laiid^ In 1830 he married Mary Woodruff", by whom he had nine childi-en- 
Hannah, Hemy (deceased), Amanda, John (who served in Company G Fifty- 
seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry), Eliza, Franklin ( a member of 'the Forty- 
ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was killed at the battle of Lost Mountain) 
Mary C. (Mrs. Harland, deceased), Sarah (wife of J. Siddall) and Israel w' 
Peter George was a successful farmer, and held the office of commissioner 
for several years He died December 10, 1884, leaving his widow to the 
care ot their children, among whom he divided 312 asres of land Israel 
W . George received his education in Amanda Township, this county. Sep- 
tember 21, 1882, he man-ied Mary, daughter of William Cole, of Marion 
iownship, this county. Two children have been born to this union- Will- 
iam K. and one that died in infancy. Mr. George has filled the office of 
township clerk, and is now township trustee, and a leading young farmer of 

iQo?'-^i ^^P^^' ^'''™^''' ^ ^- ^«^^^ Blanchard, born October 14, 
1«^3, m York County, Penn., is a son of John and Ann (Boyd) Krout na- 
tives of Pennsylvania. John Krout and family came to Ohio in 1856, and 
settled m Amanda Township, this county. His children were nine in all, 
of whom G W Elizabeth, Ann, John L. and Adam (a physician in Van 
Wert County, Ohio) are now living. He was a farmer by occupation and 
purchased a farm in Amanda Township, this county, which he afterward 
sold to his sou, G. W. Oar subject came to Ohio two years prior to his 




^kryrwaJ -^^^^^^^^ 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 065 

father' s arrival iu the State. He has been twice married ; the first time, in 
1847, to Jemima Anstine. who bore him foiu- chiklren : Rebecca (wife of La- 
Fayette Gordon, of Kansas), John F. (married to Ella Atchison), Henry A. 
(married to Ann Tnttle) and Eli VV. (a widower). After the death of his first 
wife Mr. Krout married, in 1858, Elizabeth, daughter of Eli Sampson, one 
of the pioneers of Jackson Township, this county. This union has been 
blessed with eight children: David B. (married to Emma Patterson), Amos 
AV. (married to Emma A. Misamore), Emmet, Floyd E., RettaA., Clark L. 
(all now living), and Rosa and Wilber (deceased). Mr. Krout has tilled the 
office of township trustee. He has made many fine improvements on his 
farm, which is situated one mile and a half north of Mt. Blanchard, on the 
Blanchard River. 

STEPHEN LEE, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born July 15, 1839, in Amanda 
Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, is a son of Richard M. and Lydia (Wy- 
ant) Lee, natives of Fairfield County, Ohio, and who came to this county in 
1828 or 1830, settling in Amanda Township, where Ihey began pioneer life, 
enduring many hardships and privations to secure a home for their children. 
Richard M. Lee departed this life in 1854, and his widow followed him in 
1882. They were parents of the following named children: Perry, Caro- 
line (wife of D. Gilbert), John (deceased), Marion, David, Stephen, Jason 
and Noah. Most of these children are living in Amanda Township, this 
county. Stephen Lee, the subject of this sketch, married, in 1862, Mary, 
daughter of Josejih Carver, and by her had six children: Caroline (de- 
ceased), Joseph W., Loren, Laura, Addison and Louie, the five living being 
with their parents. As a pioneer child Mr. Lee had but meager chances to 
acquire an education himself, and being a reasonable and thoughtful man 
he is giving his children an opportunity to profit by the educational advan- 
tages which the present day affords. Mi-. Lee is a well-to-do farmer. His 
father left him 120 acres of land, which he sold. He then pm-chased of 
James Hughes 120 acres in the eastern part of Amanda Township, this 
county, a well-regulated and well-improved farm. He is a member of the 
United Brethren Chiu'ch. 

SILAS LONG, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born August 14, 1837, in Ridge 
Township, Wyandot Co., Ohio, is a son of John and Mary (Wingate) 
Long, the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Ohio. They were 
married in Pickaway County, Ohio. The parents of John Long were 
early pioneers of Ohio, and he a pioneer of Wyandot County, 
Ohio, His children, seven in number, were all reared in this 
county, and five of them are now living: John W., Francis 
N. , Eliza (now Mrs. A. Alspach), Mary J. and Silas. Our subject received 
his early education in A\'yandot Coimty, Ohio, and January 23, 1862, 
married Rebecca, daughter of Charles Cross, an old settler in this county, 
and the third child and second daughter in a family of six children. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Long have been born ten children : Charles S. , William G. , Jay, 
Bertie, Scott, Mary E. (wife of George H. Grant), Rosilla E. , Malinda A. , 
Lillie V. B. and Minnie G. A. Our subject removed to Amanda Township, 
this county, in February, 1863. Mr. Long is a member of the I. O. O. F. 
He has a well watered farm of 107 acres of the best of land. He is a 
member of the United Brethren Church ; a Democrat in politics. 

HENRY MILLER, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born May 25, 1847, in Pick- 
away County, Ohio, is a son of Sebastian and Virginia (Rea) Miller, former 

35 



606 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

a native of Pennsylvania, latter of Ohio. Sebastian Miller, a wagon- maker 
by trade, was born August 10, 1816, in Chester County, Fenn., came to 
Ohio in 1838, and settled in Pickaway County, Ohio, where he purchased 
land. In 185'2 he came to Hancock County, settling in Amanda Township, 
and there remained for many years, then sold his property and removed to 
Michigan, where he remained for three months; then returned to Hancock 
County and purchased a farm adjoining the one he formerly owned. Here 
he died; his widow survived him about three years and a half. He and his 
brother, J. R. , were the only members of the family who came to Hancock 
County, both settling in Amanda Township. Sebastian Miller was father 
of eight children: Henry, Perry (married to Miss Wingate), John (married 
to mTss a. Beard). Maggie, Emma, Mary, Eliza and Martha. Henry Miller, 
the subject of this sketch, is a substantial farmer. He owns land in Mar- 
ion Township, and also has charge of his father's old homestead, which 
has not yet been divided. He is a prominent member an 1 trustee of the 
United Brethren Church. 

JOHN MISAMORE, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, born December 
25, 1813, in Pickaway County, Ohio, is a son of Michael and Mary (Hager) 
Misamore. the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Pennsylvania. 
Michael Misamore came to Ohio soon after it was organized as a State, and 
settled in what is now Pickaway County. In order to get land at that time he 
was obliged to take () 40 acres. He came to Hancock County in 1831 and 
settled in that part of Jackson Township which was afterward struck off 
into Amanda Township. He entered 160 acres of land, in two tracts, 
erected his cabin in the forest, and made his home on what is now Section 
13, Amanda Township. He had at that time eleven children, of whom 
there are now living Henry, Emanuel, Mollie (wife of Chester Cook), 
Matilda (wife of Elijah Gorsage) and John. The subject of this sketch has 
been twice married; first, in 1835, to Rachael Hammond, who bore him five 
children, of whom three survive: Henry, Amanda (wife of J. Siddall) and 
Mary Jane (wife of Harrison Hoy). After the death of his first wife Mr. 
Misamore married Mary A. Sheldon, and to this union were born James, 
Milton, Michael, Ellen, Eli J., Presly H., Owen G., Emma, Delma and 
Mollie, all now living, and three others deceased, Mr. Misamore being the 
father of seventeen children in all. Mr. Misamore has been a successful 
farmer, and says he worked to accumulate property in proportion to the 
increase of his' family. His father built the first grist-mill in Amanda 
Township, and our subject afterward rebuilt and operated it for twenty years. 

AMOS MOORE, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born August 15, 1807, in Fair- 
field County, Ohio, is a son of John and Annie (Spurgeon) Moore, natives 
of Maryland and pioneers of Ohio and of Hancock County. John Moore 
moved from Fairfield County, Ohio, to this county in 1832, and entered 
land near the Limestone Ridge, called ' ' Ridgeville" or " Big Spring, " 
where he resided until his death. Of his family of seven childi-en three 
only are now living: Rosilla (wife of J. Duddleson), Elizabeth (now in Ten- 
nessee, widow of Stephen Lee), and Amos. Our subject received his edu- 
cation in Fairfield County, Ohio, and there learned the wheelwright trade, 
and engaged in the manufacture of spinning wheels, both large and small. 
He carried on this business until some time after the breaking out of the 
late war. He married, in 1838, Margaret, daughter of Robert Walker, a 
native of Coianty Tyrone, Ireland, who came to America in 1802, settled in 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 667 

Pemisylvania, and afterward moved to Stark County, Ohio, where Mrs. 
Moore was born in 1815, the sixth child in a family of ten children, only 
three of whom are now living. Mr. and Mi-s. Moore have been blessed 
with two childi'en: Francis and George W. Mr. Moore resides on his farm 
near Vanlue, this county. He is in good circumstances, and is respected 
by his fellow citizens. 

JOHN MOREHART, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born October 80, 1830, 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, is a son of Andrew and Mary (Cashner) More- 
hart, natives of Pennsylvania, and who came to Ohio in 1817; they were 
pioneers of Fairfield County, Ohio. In 1882 they came to Hancock County 
and settled on Section 10, Amanda Township. Andrew Morehart entered 
eighty acres of land, which he sold in a few years, and then bought eighty 
acres of a Mr. Brown, and entered 160 acres adjoining it, and there lived 
until 1855, when he bovight 160 acres together with eighty acres now belong- 
ing to Mrs. Pratt, and here he lived the remainder of his days. Andi-ew 
Morehart was the father of thirteen children: Matilda (deceased). Mary A., 
Andrew J. (deceased), John, Adam (deceased), Jacob (deceased), SelinH, 
Lydia, Alfred (deceased), Christian (deceased), Noah (deceased), David 
C. (deceased), and Henry. John, Adam, Jacob (who died November 
13, 1885), David C. . Andrew J. and their father served in the army, An- 
drew J. , Adam and David C. dying there. The father came home and died 
from the effects of army life. John, the subject of this sketch, was wounded 
twice, the first time at Resaca, the second time at Atlanta, Ga. , where he 
was captured by the enemy. He was in Anderson ville Prison sixty- four 
days and then exchanged. He married, in 1854, Frances, a daughter of 
Charles and Alice Hill, who came fi-om Pennsylvania to Hancock County, 
Ohio, in 1844. Mrs. Morehart is the eldest of five children who settled in 
Amanda Township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Morehart have been blessed 
with twelve children: Alice V. (wife of John Leader), George C. (married 
to Josephine Howard), Alfi-ed F. and Arminda (deceased), twins, John E. , 
Henry L. and Laura E. (twins), Olive B. Mary C. , Lucy J. , William F. 
and lona F. Mr. Morehart now occupies the old homestead of his father, 
a well regulated farm of fifty-nine acres. He is a member of the G. A. R. ; 
also a member of the United Brethren Church. 

WASHINGTON MOREHART, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born March 
4, 1817, in Fairfield County, Ohio. His grandparents came fi-om West- 
moreland County, Penn. , and were pioneers of Fairfield County, Ohio. Our 
siibject, with his brother William Josiah and sisters Sarah and Maria, 
came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1888, and began pioneer life on land 
which he and his uncle, Andrew (then a resident of Seneca County, Ohio), 
had entered some time prior to that date. They soon erected a cabin and 
began clearing their land with a view to making a home. In 1889 Mr. 
Morehart married Elizabeth, daughter of George Breiner, and by her he has 
three children: Malinda, wife of F. M. Lee; Caroline, wife of R. M. Lee; 
and Christiann, wife of Isaac Wohlgamuth. Mrs. Morehart departed this 
life in 1884. Mr. Morehart lived on his farm forty years, then moved to 
the village of Vanlue, this county, where he has since resided, but still 
owns and manages his farm. He had but little to begin life with, but has 
acquired a fair competency. He has filled the office of township trustee for 
several years, and is a man highly respected by his fellow townsmen. 

IRA PLOTTS, merchant, Vanlue, born July 10, 1830, in Fairfield 



668 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

County, Ohio, is a son of GersLom and Mary (Plotner) Plotts, natives of 
Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in ISOO. Gershom Plotts was one of the 
pioneers of Fairfield County and Hancock County, Ohio, and a soldier in 
the war of 1812, having enlisted in Fairfield County. He was three times 
married and was the father of ten children, eight of whom are still living: 
Hiram, Washington, Andrew J., John, William L. , Ira, Oliver and Moses. 
In 1884 Ira Plotts, our subject, was brought to Hancock County with 
his parents, who settled in Amanda Township on Section 16, near Vanlue. 
Gershom Plotts remained in Amanda Township twenty years, and in 1854 he 
removed to Michigan, where he died. Ira Plotts went to Michigan with his 
parents, and in 1859 returned to Hancock County, Ohio, where he has since 
remained. He married, in 1854, Mary J., daughter of George Morehart, of 
Amanda Township, this county. To this union have been born ten children, 
live of whom are living: Ella, wife of S. C. Chesebro; Etta, wife of J. V. 
Rice; Augusta, wife of F. Cross; Alwilda J. and Sarah. In 1860 Mr. 
Plotts embarked in the grocery lousiness, adding in 1863 the dry goods 
branch, and has been engaged in the grocery and dry goods business ever 
since. He has been a successful business man. He has served as justice 
of the peace six years. He has a farm near Vanlue, this county, on which 
he has passed a good portion of his time. In politics Mr. Plotts is a Dem- 
ocrat; a member of the I. O. O. F. 

HARMON PRATT (deceased) was born in Fairfield County, Ohio; came 
to Hancock County in 1836 and settled in the woods. He was the youngest 
of eight children and was reared on a farm. In 1854 he married Elizabeth 
E., daughter of Josiah Shawn. This union was blessed with twelve chil- 
dien; ten are now living, viz.: Leroy J., married to Permelia Woodard; 
Leander C. ; Laura A.; Lorenzo D. ; Violet R. , wife of William Smith; 
Freddie S. ; Etta Z. ; Ann A. ; Lucy D. and Oliver A. Mr. Pratt filled the 
office of trustee of Amanda Township, this county; was also school director. 
He was a member of the I. O. O. F. He died February 25, 1884, leaving 
a farm of 160 acres of the best of land. 

JOSEPH SHULL was born September 15, 1815, in Franklin County, 
Ohio. He was married in that county in 1839 to Mary Huber, a native of 
Fairfield County, Ohio; born October 6, 1821. They settled in Franklin 
County, where they remained eight years, then moved to this county, where 
they have since resided. They were the parents of nine children : Francis, 
Sarahan, Clarissa, Amanda, Isabelle, Lewis, Catharine, Lenella, and 
Emery, all deceased except Francis, Amanda, and Isabelle. Clarissa was 
married February 15, 1864, to Philip, son of William Shuck, and died June 
17, 1871, leaving two children: Sherman and Dora. Catharine married 
December 12, 1874, Henry, son of Stephen Lee, and died November 4, 
1882, leaving one child, Roger. Francis married, December 14, 1873, 
Naomi, daughter of David Morehart, and they have two children: Joseph 
and Emma. Joseph Shull is a member of the Reformed Church, his wife 
of the Presbyterian Church. 

JACOB SIDDALL, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, born January 11, 
1836, in Mahoning County, Ohio, is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Slamaker) 
Siddall, who came to this county in 1848 and settled in Amanda Township, 
where they purchased land of John Claver. Joseph Siddall, who was a 
farmer, reared his sons to agricultural pursuits. His children were William 
Vn'.. Abraham, Jacob, Nancy (wife of Washington Myers) and Lucinda 



AMANDA TOWNSHIP. 669 

(latter deceased). Jacob Siddall was educated in Hancock County, and 
married, in 1867, Amanda, daughter of John Misamore, one of the pioneers 
of this county, who is still living. To this union have been born the fol- 
lowing named children: Elizabeth, Lydia, Zilla J., J. D. arid Forrest (lat- 
ter deceased). Mrs. Siddall is fom-th in a family of eighteen children. Mr. 
Siddall has 165 acres of fine land on the Blanchard River bottoms, which" 
was his father's old home farm. He is an energetic man and one of the 
leading farmers of Amanda Township. He devotes considerable attention 
to sheep raising. 

PETER TREESE, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, born in December, 
1830, in Amanda Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, is a son of Henry (who 
served in the war of 1812) and Elizabeth (Hager) Treese, natives of Penn- 
sylvania. Henry Treese purchased land in Jackson Township, Hancock 
Co., Ohio, and October, 1830, came to this county and entered 16(^ acres of 
land in Section 24, Amanda Township. His was the third or fourth family 
in the township at that time. The Wyandot Indians frequently passed his 
place, going to and from their hunting. Henry Treese built a cabin in the 
woods, cut the first timber from the land, and there lived and reared his 
family of nine childi'en, who assisted him on the farm. Those of his chil- 
dren now living are Sarah, wife of J. Durand; Elizabeth, wife of Uriah 
Selick-, Mary, wife of James Shooly; George and Peter; Eliza, wife of J. 
Snider, died in December, 1862; John, died in 1862; Amos, died in 1861; 
Isaac, died in 1882. The subject of this sketch married, December 26, 1858, 
Martha, daughter of R. H. Bennett, and by this union there were eight 
children, seven now living: R. H. , Isaac H., William H. (deceased), Olive 
E., Ella J., Mary E., Eva A. and Edith. Mr. Treese lives on the old 
homestead of his father, on which he has made many modern improvements. 
In 1881 he erected a fine house, and in 1883 built a commodious barn^ He 
is a member of the I. O. O. F. , a careful farmer, and has filled the office 
township treasurer. 

JAMES M. VAN HORN, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born Januaiy 11, 1829, 
in Bucks County, Penn. , is the son of Charles and Sarah (Twining) Van 
Horn, natives of Bucks County, Penn. The Van Horns were originally 
from Holland, the earliest record of them in this country dating back to 
1640, when they settled in New York. Abraham Van Horn, the great 
grandfather of our subject, came to Bucks County, Penn., with a number 
of his sons, who purchased, in 1720-22, the first land held by the family. 
His grandsons, Charles and Samuel, afterward came to Ohio. Charles Van 
Horn, born in Bucks County, Penn. , was the youngest of twelve children, 
none of whom are now living. He married, in 1826, Sarah Twining, and 
by this union there were ten children. In 1882 he stopped one year in 
JefFerson County, Ohio, and came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1833, set- 
tled in Amanda Township, bought 110 acres of land, entered another ninety- 
six acres, began pioneer life, and became one of the leading and successful 
farmers of his day. His childi'en were George W.. James M. , Robert, 
Mary (wife of H. McUmber), Martha (widow of Mathias Marvin), Harrison 
(deceased September 28, 1837), Phebe (wife of Dr. J. A. Grove), Sarah (wife 
of William Carothers), Charles E.. and John. James M. Van Horn was 
married in October. 1848, to Mary M., daughter of David and Elizabeth 
Morehart. By this union there are ten childi-en: Sarah E. (wife of George 
Russell), Harriet A. (wife of A. F. Wise), W. S. (a physician in Mount 



670 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Blancharci married Agnes A. Allison), James F. (married to Diana Wago- 
ner), Martha J. (wife of S. B. Vansant), Iro, Elma F., Melinda, Lincoln, . 
Ralph W. Our subject has a fine farm^ and is one of the leading farmers 
of Amanda To\vnslii{). He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and also of 
ihe Methodist Episcopal Church. His brother, John, who was born Janu- 
ary 1*), 184r), in Amanda Township, this county, married in March, 1872, 
Miss Anna Parker, by whom he has three children: Sarah, Earl and Virgil. 
He owns a part of the old home farm on which his parents lived for many 
years. He is of a cheerful disposition, and, surrounded by his pleasant 
family, resides near Blanchard Creek. 

CHARLES E. VAN HORN, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, born April 17, 1848, 
in Amanda Township, Hancock Co. , Ohio, is a son of Charles and Sarah 
(Twining) Van Horn, natives of Pennsylvania, and who were among the 
successful pioneer farmers of Hancock County, Ohio. Our subject was ed- 
ucated in Amanda Township, this county, reared on a farm, and became one 
of the prosperous farmers of his county. October 17, 1866, he married 
Elizabeth, daiighter of John and Rebecca Smith, natives of Virginia, who 
settled in Wyandot County, Ohio. This union has been blessed with five 
children, of whom Annie A. and Lorena Garnet are living; the others died 
young. Mr. Van Horn, who is one of the prosperous farmers of this coun- 
ty, lives on the old home farm originally entered by his father, and on 
which he has made many modern improvements. It contains 100 acres of 
excellent land, and is under good cultivation. Mr. Van Horn is a charter 
member of Mt. Blanchard Masonic Lodge, No. 519, and member of the 
Commandery of Tiffin, also of the Ancient Order of Scottish Rites, of Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

SMITH VAN HORN, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, born August 26, 
1826j in Bucks County, Penn. , is a son of Samuel T. and Phebe (Twining) 
Van Horn, natives of Pennsylvania. Samuel T. Van Horn came to Ohio in 
1834. He was twice married. His first wife, nee Phebe Twining, bore 
him five children: Jacob (deceased), Charles, Isaac, Sarah (wife of William 
Richardson, of St. Joseph County, Ind.), and Smith, om- subject. His 
second wife was Mrs. Sarah Delph, a widow, and by her he had two chil- 
dren: Mary J. (wife of Alfred C. Russell, in Michigan), and John, in Jack- 
son County, Oreg. Samuel T. Van Horn resided one year in Monroe Coun- 
ty, and then moved to Big S})ring Township, this county, where he passed 
the remainder of his days. Smith Van Horn received his ediication in the 
county schools, and became an efficient teacher. Of twenty years of his 
early life, the first ten were spent in teaching during winters and farming 
during summer, and occasionally going to school a term either in fall or 
spring. The last ten were devoted to teaching and superintending union 
schools during the entire school year. Was once ofPered the mathematical 
chair of the Moore's Hill College, Indiana. He married, November 22, 1857, 
Martha E. Wiseman, and to this union four childi-en have been born: Alma, 
wife of William Watermire; Flora, Minnie M. and Bessie. In 1869 Mr. 
Van Horn purchased from his father-in-law a fine farm of 112 acres of land. 
He is a Republican in politics; has held the office of school director twelve 
years; was a member of the township school board most of that time, and 
is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He acquired his edu- 
cation and pro)5erty by his own exertions, and has been successful. His 
library is one of the finest in Amanda Township. 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 671 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 

JOSEPH BARINGEE, farmer, P. O. West Independence, was born 
June 16, 1822, in Hagerstown, Md. , sou of Baltus and Mary (Killinger) 
Baringer, natives of Germany, and who came to Maryland in an early day 
and a few years later moved to Ohio, settling in Stark County in 1823 
or 1824, where they remained for eight years, after which they 
removed to this county and settled in Big Lick Townshij). Here they 
entered land in Section 2, near what is now West Independence, and 
there resided until their death. They were members of the Albright Church 
and were among the well-to-do farmers. They were parents of the follow- 
ing named children: Catherine, wife of A. Wyant; Joseph; John; Dolly, 
wife of D. Wyant; Caroline, wife of A. Wyant; Sarah, wife of J. Hoffman; 
Lucinda, wife of N. Bish; Lydia, wife of D. Dounsey; and Mary Susanna 
(deceased wife of T. Swift). Joseph Baringer acquired his early education 
in the pioneer schools and was reared a farmer, becoming an expert in that 
occupation. April 17, J 858, he married Sarah, daughter of David Young, 
and by her he has two children, David and Aaron; the latter married to 
Allie Smith; they have one child, John. Mr. Baringer now occupies the 
old home farm, consisting of 222 acres of excellent land under a good state 
of cultivation. On it there is an orchard, now in full bearing, which his 
mother planted. He has made many improvements on the farm, erecting 
good barns and other farm buildings, and, in 1862, he erected the fine brick 
residence which he now occupies. He is one of the skillful and successful 
farmers of Big Lick Township. In politics he is a Republican. The family 
are connected with the United Brethren Church. 

G. W. BROWN, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born in Marion Township, 
this county, October 4, 1844, son of William and Octavia (Kendle) Brown, 
natives of Virginia. William Brown came to Ohio about 1835 and rented 
land in Marion Township, this county, and in 1837 he entered land in Sec- 
tion 32, Big Lick Township, this county, where he and his wife passed the 
remainder of their lives. They were parents of seven childi-en: William; 
Jackson; Mary A., widow of Mr. Flenner; Sarah, married to Amos Treece 
(both are now deceased); Harriet, wife of G. W. Corbin; Octavia, wife of 
Henry Cross, and G. W. The subject of this sketch enlisted in Company 
H, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 15, 
1862, and served three years, during which time he participated in the cam- 
paigns through Georgia and Tennessee, taking active part in all the promi 
nent battles of those campaigns. He became badly crippled from rheuma- 
tism but otherwise escaped injury, with the exception of a few slight bruises. 
He retired fi-om the service in July, 1865, and June 20, 18()7, he was mar- 
ried to Julia A., daughter of Charles Cross, of Amanda Township, this 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Brown reside on the old home farm, a fine piece of 
land in Section 32, of Big Lick Township. 

DAVID CHAMBERS, farmer, P. O. Carey, Wyandot County, was bora 
in Crawford Countv, Ohio, December 24, 1833, son of Elias and Catherine 



672 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

(Stockman) Chambers, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. 
Elias Chambers, who was of English descent, came to Liberty Township, 
Crawford Co., Ohio, about 1824 or 1825, entered 120 acres of timbered 
land and cut the tirst timber from his land and built a cabin. His family at 
that time consisted of wife and one thild — Susan, noM^ the Widow Steen, re 
siding on the old home farm, in Crawford Co. , Ohio. Afterward there were 
born to Elias and his wife six other children: William (deceased), whose 
widow now occu])ies ])art of the old homo farm in Crawford Co., Ohio; 
Catherine, wife of J. Steen; Peter (deceased), David, Daniel and Aaron. 
Our subject acquired his early education in the schools of Crawford Co. , 
Ohio, and married, Aj)ril 20, 1859, Sarah A. Sargent, daughter of Samuel 
and Eliza (Smith) Sargent, of Hampshire County, Va. (now West Virginia), 
who came to Ohio in 1825. To Mr. and Mrs. Chambers were born Nora C, 
David W., Greely, Delia, Clinton, Cora and W^esley. David Chambers 
came to this county when a young man and after traveling over a good share 
of the county and laboring in varioiis places, he began work with his uncle, 
William Chambers, on the farm which he, David, now owns. It is now a 
highly cultivated and well improved farm, with substantial modern build- 
ings and other improvements thereon, situate in Section 35, of Big Lick 
Township, this county. Starting out to win his place in this world, with 
no capital but a stout heart and a resolute will, he has been successful, and 
is to-day one of the thrifty farmers and respected citizens of Big Lick 
Township, this county, and has filled, with credit to himself and the satis- 
faction of his fellow townsmen, the offices of constable, trustee and other 
township offices. 

JOHN W. COLE, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born in Ashland County, 
Ohio, January 2, 1882, son of James and Rachael (Webster) Cole, natives 
of Delaware, who came to Ohio more than fifty years ago, locating in Huron, 
Erie County, and from there went to Richland. Vinton Co., Ohio. Perry 
Cole, our subject's grandfather, died in the State of Delaware, and his 
widow after the family moved to Richland County, Ohio. The family after- 
ward moved to Ashland County, Ohio, and fi'om there to this county, in 
1864. The subject of this sketch went from Ashland County, Ohio, to Eaton 
County, Mich., and there remained four years. He was married, in 1853, 
in Ashland County, to Sarah McCree, and by her he had seventeen children 
(of whom sixteen are yet living) : Jennie, James (deceased), William, Elmer, 
Marietta, Mintie A., Charles, Jay, Letitia, Dilman, Benjamin, Clinton, Lem, 
Ralph, L'vin, and Jennettie and Rosettie (twins).' John W. Cole resided in 
Marion Township, this county, for a time, and from there came to Big Lick 
Township, where he bought land fi-om Henry Shoemaker and afterward pur- 
chased an additional sixty acres, making his present farm consist of 140 
acres of fine farming land, well cultivated and improved. In politics ou.r 
subject is a Repulilican. He and the family are connected with the United 
Brethren Church. 

CHRISTOPHER GARBER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Feb- 
ruary, 1847, in France, son of Peter and Barbara (Sattzman) Garber, 
natives of France. They came to America in 1851, settled in Big Lick 
Township, this county, and bought land from William Ilef and David 
Roberts, and still reside here. They are the parents of three children: Peter, 
Ellen, wife of E. Chimin, and Christopher. Onr subject was married, De- 
cember 5, 1872, to Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Leonard, an old pioneer 




/6^. /? ' )§-^^-^-c6C 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 675 

of this county; they have one child, Leroy. Mr. Garber is a thrifty far- 
mer; his farm is a part of his father's first purchase in Big Lick Township, 
this county. In politics our subject is a Democrat. 

ROBERT LONG, farmer, P'. O. Findlay, was born in Kentucky, Feb- 
ruary 23, ISOl. son of John and Isabella (Thompson) Long, natives of 
Pennsylvania, who moved to Kentucky in an early day. Short time later 
they came to Fairfield County, Ohio, and in 1826 to this county, where 
our subject and parents were among the first settlers in what is now 
Big Lick Township. They were in the county some time before they took 
up land, but finally entered in Section 21, of Big Lick Township, where the 
subject of this sketch now resides. Robert Long was the third in a family 
of nine children, of whom only two survive: Robert and Jeptha. He mar- 
ried, in 1882, Polly, daughter of Philip and Hannah (Hull) Essex, pioneers 
of Big Lick Township, this cotinty, and to this union were born four chil- 
dren, of whom only one survives, Margaret, wife of John Lovengood. Mrs. 
Long dying. Mr. Long afterward married Mary, daughter of John and Mary 
(Northcutt) Graham, also early settlers of Big Lick Township, this county. 
To our subject's second marriage were born seven children: James W. (de- 
ceased), Malinda, wife of Jacob Weller; Nancy Jane; George W. ; William 
H. (deceased); Mary A. wife of R. Blair, and Elizabeth, wife of John 
Tawney. Mr. Long loved pioneer experiences, and still thinks that a life 
spent in the wild woods in hunting is far preferable to living in modern 
cities or towns. He is connected with the Methodist Church. In politics 
he is a Republican. His son, George W. , was married in November, 1878, 
to Nancy J. Stininger; they have two chiklren living, Laura L. and Wilson 
S. George W. Long now owns his father's old home farm and also eighty 
acres adjoining it in Section 16, Big Lick Township. His mother died 
August 9. 1879. 

MOSES McANELLY (deceased) was born in Westmoreland County, 
Penn. , in 1805, son of John and Mary McAnelly, natives of Ireland, who 
came to America in an early day. Moses McAnelly came to this county in 
1886 and married here, the same year. Mary, daughter of William and 
Nancy (Teeters) Roller, and to them were born eight childi-en: William (de- 
ceased), Mary (wife of M. McAnelly, a cousin, have ten childi-en). Nancy 
(wife of Nathan Thomas, have no children), Lucinda (wife of Charles 
Beemer, have five children), Charlotte (wife of B. Cole, have five children), 
Jefferson (married to Sarah E. Leonard, have six children) ; he is practic- 
ing law in Colorado, and is at present judge of Larimer County, Col. ; John 
(deceased), and Moses (married to Phebe E. Cooper, have two children). 
The subject of this sketch departed this life in 1852. His widow and a 
part of her family still occupy the old home farm in Big Lick Township. 
In politics Mr. McAnelly was a Democrat. He was elected to both branches 
of the State Legislature, to the House of Representatives in 1839, and to the 
Senate of Ohio in 1842. 

A. J. MOORE, farmer. P. O. Findlay, was born September 23, 1827, 
in Beaver County, Penn. , son of William and Nancy (Bayless) Moore, the 
former a native of Westmoreland County, Penn. . and the latter a native of 
Washington, Penn. They married in 1828 and came to Ohio in 1841. 
They reared a family of nine children, eight of whom were born in Pennsyl- 
vania and one in Ohio: Samuel E^., Andi'ew J.. Casander J., John B. . Ben- 
jamin F., Nathaniel H. . Ann Eliza (wife of M. Marvin). James (deceased 



676 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

while young), and William H. , the latter born in this county. The subject 
of this sketch was married, June 8, 1 853, to Nancy, daughter of the pioneer 
John Moore, and to them were born six children: John F., William C, 
Samuel A. , Mary (wife of A. Lacky), Nancy C. (wife of James C. Martin) 
and A. Jackson. Mr. Moore now resides on what was formerly the old 
home farm of his father-in-law, John Moore. He held the office of post- 
master all the time his office was in existence, justice of the peace for three 
years, township clerk, trustee, supervisor and land appraiser, and has been 
school director and treasurer of Big Lick Township. He is a successful 
farmer, much respected by all who know him. He is connected with the 
Methodist Episcopal Chitrch. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JOHN F. MOORE, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born June 30, 1854, 
in Big Lick Township, this county, son of A. J. and Nancy Moore, the 
former a native of Beaver County, Penn. , and the latter of Ashland County, 
Ohio, and who came to this county in 1841 and settled in Big Lick Town- 
ship. They were parents of six children: John F., William C. , S. A., 
Mary A., Nancy C. and A. J. John F. Moore married, January 17, 1877, 
Sarah E., daughter of Garret Lefferson, and to them were born two chil- 
dren: Calvin L. and Clyde M. John F. Moore has a fine farm of eighty 
acres of well improved land (formerly owned by G. W. Graham), with good 
buildings upon it. He is one of the enterprising young farmers of Big Lick 
Township. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JOHN MOORE, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born near Lancaster, Penn. , 
•October 16, 1808, son of Hugh and Susan (Buckwalter) Moore, the former 
a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, and the latter of Pennsylvania. Hugh 
Moore came to America about the year 1800, and settled in Pennsylvania; 
of his ten children four are now living: John, William, Nancy (wife of 
William Nelson), and Amanda (wife of William Cole). John Moore came to 
Ohio with his parents in 1828 and settled in Richland (now Ashland) Coun- 
ty. He was married, in 1833, to Agnes W. Roller, daughter of William 
Roller, a descendant of Capt. Weston, an old English navigator and explor- 
er. To Mr. and Mrs. Moore were born eleven children, of whom ten are 
now living: Nancy, wife of A. J. Moore; Susannah; Mary, wife of R. Tay- 
lor; Ross W. ; William died in infancy; Robert Bruce; Thomas Dorr; John 
DufF; Amanda, wife of C. Dressier; Lucinda, wife of H. Lackey, and Emma, 
wife of J. W. Bear; all reside in this county. Mr. Moore came to this 
county in 1833 with his wife's father, who entered eight quarter-sections of 
land in Big Lick Township, Mr. Moore getting one-quarter section as his 
part of it. This land was entered by Mr. Roller, the father-in-law. A 
large part of this land is now held by his heirs, he having divided his lands 
among his children. His original farm is on Section 15, Big Lick Town 
ship, where A. J. Moore now resides. John Moore purchased the farm on 
which he now resides in 1866. He has filled the offices of township trustee, 
clerk, fence viewer, and other places of trust, and is a valuable citizen. He 
has been successful in life and is now enjoying,the fruits of his former years 
of hard labor, tenderly caring for the declining years of his wife, who has 
been an invalid for some years. Mr. Moore has not attached himself to any 
church, but believes in the Universal doctrine. In politics he is a Demo- 
crat and voted for Andrew Jackson. 

ROSS ^\'. MOORE, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Big Lick Town 
ship, this county, January 3, 1838, son of John and Agnes (Roller) Moore. 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 677 

He married, October 20, lS(il, Sarak E., daughter of Jesse Wiseley, one of 
the earliest settlers in Big Lick Township, this county, and who erected the 
first frame dwelling house in the township (this buildmg is still standing 
and is the oldest house in the township). To Mr. and Mrs. Moore have 
been born two children: Ralph W. and Lewis C. Mr. Moore acquired his 
education in Big Lick Township, this county. He is the owner of a fine farm 
of 160 acres of well improved land, on which he has excellent buildings with 
modern improvements. He is a thorough farmer and one of the leading cit- 
izens of his township. He has filled the office of township trustee for sev- 
eral terms, and has been commissioner for seven years, which last named 
office he is still holding. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity; a man 
greatly respected by his friends. In politics he is a Democrat. Mrs. 
Moore is a member of the United Brethren Church. 

JOHN PETERS, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in Virginia February 
5 1829. His parents, natives of Virginia, came to Jefferson County, Ohio, 
in 1849, and fi'om there to this county. They were parents of ten children : 
Ann (deceased wife of J. Laughlin), Catherine (deceased wife of Joseph 
Dillery), John, Abraham, Mary (wife of Seth Smith), Elizabeth (wife ot 
George Taylor), David, Susan (wife of John Ribley), Midleton and Savma 
(both deceased). The subject of this sketch married, October 9, 1851, Cyn- 
thia McFadden, and to them were born eight children- all living: Ambrose 
(married to Elizabeth Ewing), Christena J. (wife of John C. Thomas), Amos 
W. (married to Rosa Kamp), George W. (married to Lucy Kmsel), Ida, 
Abraham L., Alice and David. Mr. Peters is the owner of a fine farm of 
156 acres of well improved land, situate in Section 5, Big Lick Township; 
in politics he is a Republican. 

MICHAEL ROLLER, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born March 2, li^ll, 
in Columbiana County, Ohio, son of William and Nancy (Teeters) Roller 
natives of Pennsylvania, and who came to Ohio in an early day, former ot 
whom was an associate judge of the courts for some years. In the fall of 
1833 William Roller and his son-in-law, John Moore, came to Big Lick 
Township, this county, and cut the timber and built a cabin on a f ai-m in 
Section 15. and in 1834 brought out their families, and here Wilham Roller 
and his wife passed the remainder of their days. They were parents of tol^ 
lowing named children: Marv (widow of Moses McAnelly), Agnes (wite ot 
John Moore). Wilson (deceased), Susan (wife of John Darrah), Michael, 
Georn-e W. , Lucinda (wife of George Hemming) and Charlotte (deceased 
wife of Hugh Matherson). William Roller entered two tracts of land con- 
sisting of eight quarter sections, making a farm for each one of his chikh-en. 
The subject of this sketch received his early education in Richland County, 
Ohio, where his father resided for twelve years prior to coming to this 
county. In August, 1846, he married Elizabeth, daughter of James Swin- 
dler, and to them were born nine children— eight of whom are yet living: 
William, Sarah (Avife of Allen Spahr), Lucinda (deceased). Mary A. . Philena 
(wife of J. Huffman), George, Ida (wife of Samuel Taylor), Henry and Lor- 
ena. Michael Roller is still living on the land originally entered by his 
father, and which is now well improved. He served as township trustee 
for several terms, and is a man much respected by his fi'iends. He and 
family are connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

JAMES RUCKMAN, farmer, P. O. West Independence, was born in 
Hampshire County, Va. (now \^■est Virginia), November 7, 1807, son of 



678 FIISTORY OF HANCOCK rOUNTY. 

John and Jane ( Slack) Knckmaii, natives of New Jersey, and who moved to 
Virginia at an early day. Of their four children, three are now living: 
Samuel, Martha and James. Our subject acquired his early education in 
West Vii'ginia, and came to Ohio November 30, 1830, traveling across the 
mountains to Brownsville, and from there by boat to Pittsbiu'gh, thence 
down to Columbiana County, Ohio, where he remained for eight years, farm 
ing. He was married, May 3, 1832, to Hannah, daughter of John and 
Catherine (Coy) Huffman, and to them were born eight children: Samuel, 
John, Catherine (wife of W. Henderson), Mary J. (deceased wife of Thomas 
Lake), Jacob, Martha (wife of William Roller), Madison (deceased) and 
William (deceased). Mr. Ruckman came to this county in 1838, and bought 
land which had been entered by his father-in-law, in the northwest quarter 
of Section 10, Big Lick Township. To this he added fifty-three acres, and 
here he has since resided. Coming here w^hen this part of the country was 
new, Mr. Ruckman and family have been closely identified with its growth 
and improvement. All of his surviving children are married except Jacob, 
who still resides with his parents, and has charge of the farm, which is a 
fine tract of land, with good buildings and other improvements. Our sub- 
ject has served as justice of the peace and township trustee, and was town- 
ship treasurer for six years. He has been a successful farmer, and is now 
enjoying the fi-uits of years of industry. In politics he is a Democrat. 

AARON B. SHUCK, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born in Amanda 
Township, this county, December 26, 1846, son of William and Christena 
(Stahl) Shuck, and grandson of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dipert) Shuck. The 
father of our subject came to Ohio in 1839, and married about a year and a 
half after. For a time he resided in Wyandot County, Ohio; afterward 
purchased eighty acres of land in Amanda Township, this county, which 
land was a part of the first tract entered in Amanda Township. His chil- 
dren were Benjamin, Philip, William P.. Aaron B,, John, Siisannah (wife 
of H. G. Bliss), Sarah E. (wife of John Hyle), Mary and Joseph G. (de- 
ceased). William Shuck has resided in Amanda Township, this county, for 
forty years; has been a successful farmer, and now has a competence to en- 
joy in his old age. The subject of this sketch was married, in 1871, to 
Malinda, daughter of Nimrod Bright by his second wife, and granddaugh 
ter of the early pioneer. Major Bright. (Mrs. Shuck had one full sister, 
older, named Mary E., deceased.) To Mr. and Mrs. Shuck have been born 
six children: Carey L., Laura E., Louie J., Porter L., Preston O. and Syl- 
via M. (deceased). Mr. Shuck is the owner of a farm of 316 acres of well 
drained and well cultivated land, with fine improvements upon it, and is 
one of the promising young farmers of Big Lick Township. He is a mem- 
ber of the United Brethren Church; in i:»olitics he is a Democrat. 

EMANUEL SMITH, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born in Rich- 
land County, Ohio, May 5, 1818. son of David and Rachel (Busby) Smith, 
natives of Germany and Scotland, respectively, and who both died in Rich- 
land County, Ohio, the former in 1852, and the latter in 1881. David 
Smith came to Ohio and entered 1,200 acres of land in Richland County, 
which land was divided among his heirs. His children were Emanuel, 
Jonathan, Peggy (wife of H. Gladhill), Henry, Agnes (wife of J. Craft), 
Malinda (wife of S. Sefelts), Washington, Mary A., Rachel J. and David. 
Emanuel Smith was marj-ied, in 1841, to Jane, daughter of ^^'illiam Smart, 
and to them were born the following named children: Calvin, David, Oliver, 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 679 

Sanford and Zelettu. Emanuel Smith purchased what was formerly the Will- 
iam Bitter farm, comj^rising 211 h acres of land, on the Big Lick Township 
line, and now resides there. This farm is supposed to have been the first en- 
tered in Big Lick Township, this county, and is located near the Big Spring. 
DAVID STALL, farmer, P. O. Vanlue, was born April 20, 1858, in 
Big Lick Township, this county, son of Jackson and Annastacia (Keiser) 
Stall, natives of Ohio, and who came to this county in 1835 or 1836, and set- 
tled in Big Lick Township, where they began pioneer life in the forest. 
Jackson Stall was twice married; by his first wife, Anna Keiser, he had 
four children: Emma I., David, Franklin and Sarah M. ; of these David is 
the only siirvivor. After the death of his first wife Jackson Stall married 
Annette R. Tongue, and to them were born five childi-en, four of whom are 
now living: TabithaA., Mary E., Clara A. , Nelson and Gracie (latter de- 
ceased). The subject of this sketch was married, January 26, 1879, to Octavia, 
daughter of Amos and Sarah Ann Treese, of Michigan, formerly one of the 
pioneer residents of this county. By this marriage our subject has one child, 
Metta Pearl. Mrs. Stall's parents both died in Big Lick Township, this 
county. David Stall is one of the thorough farmers of Big Lick Township. 

HENRY THOMAS, familiarly known among his fiiends as "Little 
Henry," farmer, P. O. West Independence, was born June 23, 1815, in 
County Down, Ireland. His parents, who were of Scotch and Welsh de- 
scent, came to America in 1816. They first settled in Virginia, from there 
moving to Pennsylvania; thence, in 1826 or 1827, to Wayne County, Ohio, 
where they remained until 1834 or 1835, when they came to this coiinty and 
settled on Section 9, Big Lick Township (having entered land here in 1833) 
and began pioneer life. Of their eleven childi-en ten are yet living; a pict- 
lu-e of the entire family is now in the possession of Henry. Our subject 
was married, December 4, 1856, to Margaret Bigham, and to them were 
born five children, three of whom are now living: Mary A., Amos H. and 
Ida J. The deceased are Elmer J. and Jesse G. Mr. Thomas and family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

SAMUEL L. THOMAS, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in Wayne 
County, Oliio, September 26, 1824, son of Hemy and Jane (Stranahan) 
Thomas, natives of Ireland. They came to America in 1816, and resided 
in Pennsylvania for a few years; then, in 1834 or 1835, came to this county 
and entered 160 acres of land in Section 6. Big Lick Township (where Sam- 
uel L., the subject of this sketch, now resides), and there endured the hard- 
ships and privations incident to pioneer life in the forest of a new country. 
Their family consisted of four sons and two daughters: William (in Michi- 
gan), John, Mary (wife of C. Weimer, in Iowa), Henry, Sarah (deceased) 
and Samuel L. Our subject was married, September 21, 1854, to Mary A., 
daughter of William and Cassandra Taylor, the former a native of Ireland, 
the latter of Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Tbomas were born eight 
children: Martha J. (wife of Jasper L. Gipson), Cassandi-a, William H., 
Marcella, Samuel E. , George E , Chalmers B. and Mary A. Mr. Thomas 
was one of the pioneer children of Big Lick Township, and is now one of 
the substantial farmers of the township. He is connected with the Pres- 
byterian Church; in politics a Republican. 

HENRY ULSH (deceased) was born November 27, 1822, in Perry 
County, Penn., son of John and Catherine Ulsh, of Lancaster County, 
Peun., latter of whom died in Pennsylvania; the former moved to Indiana 



f)80 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTV. 

in 1855, and diod tlioro. John Ulsh had a family of eleven children, six of 
whom are yet living: Eli, John, Benjamin, Elizabeth (wife of S. Bellman), 
Ellen (wife of 1). Lutzenheizer) and Lavina (wife of Dr. Hill). Henry 
Ulsh came to Ohio in 1857, and settled in Big Lick Township, this county, 
where he purchased a farm of 160 acres of land, on which he made many 
fine improvements. He was educated in Pennsylvania, and January 22, 
1852, he married Lydia R., daughter of Joel and Catherine Rickenbach, of 
Walker Township, Juniata Co. , Penn. , and to them were born seven children: 
Alice C. (wife of J. Wonder; have one child, M'innie), Welcone, Irvin J. 
(married to Laura B. Keller; have two childi'en: Myrtle Mary and Hazel 
B.), Rosa B. (wife of Lewis Hall), Carrie S., Mallie E., AVillis B. and Aui-a 
May. Henry Ulsh departed this life May 2, 1885. He was a member of 
the Evangelical Church ; in politics a Republican. His widow occupies the 
fine brick residence built by her late husband, and has charge of the 
beautiful farm situated in the southern part of Big Lick Township. 

N. H. WARD, farmer, P. O. Alvada, Seneca County, was born June 
8, 1812, in Washington County, Penn., to James and Elizabeth (Eaton) 
Ward, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively ; the family, then 
consisting of the parents and three sons, David, Jonathan and N. H., came 
to Ohio in 1815, settling in Cohimbiana County, where they entered and im- 
proved land. Here, to James and Elizabeth Ward, were born six more children : 
Joshua, Seth, Mahala, Edmond, Artemus and Sarah. Our subject received 
a meager education, attending a country school only, and about three weeks 
in all, but by close application to books and periodicals in later days he has 
become a ready thinker, and can master a difficult problem with but little 
exertion. He learned the trade of a tailor, and in 1 834 came to Findlay, 
where for five years he carried on a tailor's shop. It is a fact worthy of 
mention that during his business career at Findlay he made Dr. William H. 
Baldwin's wedding suit. When N. H. Ward was thirteen years of age he 
was afflicted with rheumatic white swelling in his right arm, which resulted 
in having a portion of the bone removed, and, in 1844, the callous which 
formed was entirely taken out, to eradicate a second swelling. Mr. Ward 
spent about five years tailoring in Palestine, Ohio, and in 1844 came to his 
present farm, and for ten years united his trade with farming. He came 
by team to Findlay, traveling, seven of the eight days' time consumed in the 
journey, through the rain. When entering business he had $97; now he is 
the owner of a beautiful farm. Mr. Ward married, November 6, 1834, Ca- 
sander Bayless, who was born in 1807, and died August 3, 1836. In 1837 
our subject was again married, this time to Casander Leonard, who was born 
in 1811, and a short time before her death she bore him a son, Leonard C, 
born May 29, 1838, died May 17, 1862. The following resolutions were 
adopted by the Mt. Union College, of which Leonard C. was a student: 

Whereas, It has pleased our Heavenly Father to remove, on the 17th inst. (May, 
1862), Leonard C. Ward, of West Independence, Hancock Co., Ohio- therefore, 

Resolved, That we recognize with humble sorrow and submission this afflicting dis- 
pensation of Providence because it is the work of Him "who doeth all things well," 
and that we feel more deeply and solemnly impressed with the brevity and uncertainty 
of life, the certainty of death, and the imperative^jnecessity of a constant preparation 
to meet the "King of Terrors," and the Great Judge of the quick and dead. 

Resolved, That in the sudden death of our departed friend we have lost a worthy 
companion, society and the Christian Church a promising member, and literature a 
zealous laborer. 



BIG LICK TOWNSHIP. 681 

Resolved, That wc truly sympathize with his deeply bereaved parents and friends 
in their loss of him to whose future life and usefulness they had reason to 
look with sanguine expectations, and that we beg leave to mingle our grief with 
theirs. 

Resolved, That a copy of the above resolutions be submitted for publication in the 
Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, Cleveland Leader, the Buckeye State, of New Lisbon, 
and the Hancock Jeff er soman ; also one forwarded to his parents, and one preserved in 
the archives of this institution. 

In 1839 Mr. N. H. Ward married his present wife, Eliza McCaully, born 
Jnly 24, 1814, and to them were born three children, two of whom survived : 
A. J. (born January 12, 1844, served in Company G, One Hundred and 
Seventy-Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantiy; he married, in 1870, Coraline 
Hoyt, and they have two children: Bertha M. and Waldo R) and H. Kate (born 
February 17, 1849, married to R. Cole). Our subject identified himself 
with the Whig and Republican parties. He has been a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church since 1885. His wife has been a member of 
that denomination since girlhood. 

JESSE WISELEY, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born January 31, 
1808, in Fairfield County, Ohio, son of Edward and Leah (Tomlinson) 
Wiseley, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in 1818 and settled in 
Bloom Township, Fairfield County, where they passed the remainder of 
their lives. They were the parents of fifteen children, six of whom are 
yet living: Jesse, Amos, Phebe (wife of John Goodland), Leah (wife of 
S. Smith), Naomi and Harriet (twins — the former the wife of John Rowe, 
and the latter the wife of Isaac Grant). Jesse Wiseley acquired his early 
education in Fairfield County, Ohio, and came to this county in 1835, 
bringing with him his wife, Keziah (Gilmore) Wiseley, and their then only 
child, John. Mr. Wiseley entered land in Section 7, Big Lick Township, 
where he noAV resides. He cut the first timber on the place and erected a 
cabin, and a few years later built a pioneer fi-ame house, the first frame 
dwelling put up in the township. He has since built another residence, but 
has allowed the old house to remain standing. It is the oldest house in the 
township, and a constant reminder of the pioneer days, its quaint, old- 
fashioned chimney of stone, built on the outside of the house, attracting 
many a curious glance from the passers-by. The names of the children 
born to Jesse Wiseley and wife are John (deceased), William, Henry, Sarah 
(wife of Ross Moore), Nathan (deceased) and Mary (wife of Henry Gillis- 
pie). Mr. W^iseley is one of the leading and successful farmers of Big 
Lick Township, and is a fine old gentleman, greatly respected by all who 
know him. He and his wife now reside with their son William. 



682 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 

F. E. ALWARD, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Benton Ridge, was 
born in Iowa, December 16, 1855, son of Alfi-ed L. and HaiTiet (Cayton) 
Alward, natives of Ohio. Alfred L. Alward, a farmer by occupation, en- 
listed in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Ohio National Guards, was taken 
prisoner, and died in the Andersonville Prison. The subject of this sketch 
was reared in Licking County, Ohio, and attended the common schools, also 
the Pataskala graded school. He afterward learned boot and shoe- making, 
and was foreman of the boot and shoe manufactory at the Soldiers' and 
Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, Ohio, for four years. In 1876 Mr. Al- 
ward went West and engaged in stock- farming. He has been engaged in 
farming in Blanchard Township, this county, since 1881, and owns 240 
acres of the finest land on the Blanchard River bottom. In 1881 he was 
united in marriage with Frances, daughter of Lewis Dukes, Jr. Mr. and 
Mrs. Alward are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the K. of P. 

JOHN BOWER, retired farmer, P. O. Gilboa, Putnam County, was 
born in Bedford County, Penn., April 30, 1803, son of Daniel and Eliza- 
beth (Foust) Bower, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. They 
were each twice married. The family to which our subject belonged con- 
sisted of seven children. Daniel Bower, who was a l3utcher, came to 
Springfield, Jeiferson Co., Ohio, in 1806. The subject of this sketch, who 
never attended school, cleared land, made rails and worked by the day. In 
1837 he came to this county, settled in Liberty Township, took up land, 
and resided there until 1841, when he came to Blanchard Township, bought 
eighty acres- of land fi-om Alfi-ed Hampton, and has since resided here. 
Mr. Bower was united in marriage, in 1826, with Elizabeth Bysel, daugh- 
ter of Philip Bysel, and of Pennsylvania-Dutch extraction. Their union 
has been blessed with ten children: Henry, married, farming in Kansas; 
Jonathan, a carpenter, married, residing in Shawtown, this county; A. J., 
a merchant in Kansas, married; Philip B., a carpenter, married, residing 
in Illinois; Lydia, wife of John Haddox, of this county; Elizabeth, wife of 
Frank Brooks, of Ottawa (he is working on railroad bridges); Daniel, mar- 
ried, farming on 120 acres of land in Blanchard Township, this county; 
Wesley, a carpenter and farmer, married, residing in Kansas; John (de- 
ceased), was in Company K, Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was 
killed at the battle of Chicamacomico; and Sarah Ann, wife of Moses Fir- 
min. Mrs. Bower departed this life in 1879. Our subject is a member of 
the German Baptist Church, in which he has been deacon for thirty years. 
In politics he is a Democrat. 

DANIEL BOWER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Gilboa, Putnam 
County, was born in Liberty Township, this county, February 2, 1837, son 
of John and Elizabeth (Bysel) Bower, former of whom was a pioneer of this 
county. Of their family of ten children the subject of this sketch is the 
seventh. Daniel Bower was reared on the farm, received a common English 



blanchard township. 685 

education in this county, and has followed agriculture all his life He is 
the owner of 120 acres of well-improved land in Blanchard Township this 
county on which he resides. In 1859 Mr. Bower was united in marriage 
with Catherine, daughter of John and Mary (Tipton) Jennar, natives of 
Ohio, and of English descent; former a farmer by occupation. Mrs Bower 
was born in 1888, in Harrison County, Ohio, and her father moved to Van 
Wert County, Ohio, in 3845, where she remained until she was married 
Mr. and Mrs. Bower have four children: John W., Manuel C Ida A and 
^'Tr ^" ^'"^ subject and wife and their three eldest childi-en are members 
ot the (xerman Baptist Church, of which he is a deacon, and of the Sabbath- 
school of which he IS assistant superintendent. In politics Mr. Bower is a 
Kepublican. For several years he was school director. 

T> /?\^V?^^^^^^' ^''^^^i" a^d stock raiser, lumberman and manufacturer, 
F O. McComb, was born in Ashland County, Ohio, April 19, 1880, son of 
Ihomas H. and Susannah (Sours) Brown, natives of Ireland and Pennsyl- 
vania, respectively. Thomas H. Brown, who was a farmer, came fi-om New 
York and settled on a farm in Ashland County, Ohio. His family consisted 
of twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity, our subject being the 
ninth H. J . Brown was reared on the farm, educated in the district 
school in Ashland County, Ohio, and chose agricultural pursuits as his oc- 
cupation In 18o4 he came to this county and settled in the northeast 
corner of Blanchard Township, where he bought 1(30 acres of land He 
now owns 22o acres where he resides, and at one time owned 400 acres 
He started a saw-mill in Portage Township, this county, in 1864 or 1865 
and still operates the mill in McComb. He manufactures and repairs wag- 
ons and carriages, and owns the shop in McComb. He also contracts to 
build pikes, and in 1884 he constructed 200 rods. Our subject was united 
m marriage, in 1850, with Mary A., daughter of AVilliam Ewino-; her par- 
ents were natives of Pennsylvania and of Dutch descent. The children 
born to this union are William, Alice J., Elizabeth Melvina and Thomas 
Jefterson. Mrs. Brown died in 1862, and in 1864 Mr. Brown was ao-ain 
married, this time to Mary W. Ray, daughter of Gyant and Sarah (Morri- 
son) Kay, who were of Dutch and Scotch-English descent. By this union 
SIX children were born, four of whom are now living: Nettie Gertrude 
J^ rankle, Florence and Henry B. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Presby- 
terian Church, and Mr. Brown of the Lutheran Church. In politics he is 
a Republican. He has filled the office of trustee for three terms He is a 
member of the I. O. O. F., and has taken all the degrees in the subordinate 
lodge. 

JOSEPH M. CARTWRIGHT, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Gilboa Put- 
nam County, was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, March 6, 1832 son of 
Stephen and Mahala (Thrapp) Caitwright, latter a native of Vircr'inia of 
English descent. His father, a farmer, was born in Delaware, of English 
extraction, and settled on a farm in Putnam County, Ohio, in 1836 He 
reared a family of ten childi-en, eight of whom grew to maturity. Joseph 
M., the subject of this sketch, the third in the family, was reared on the 
tarm, acquired a common school education in Putnam County, Ohio and 
has made farming the business of his life. In 1857 Mr. Cartwrio-ht was 
united in marriage with Catherine Nowlan, daughter of Thomas and Mar- 
garet (Sinnott) Nowlan, natives of Nova Scotia and of Irish and Eno-lish 
descent, former of whom came to Ohio in an early day and settled in AVayne 

36 



086 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

County. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwriglit' s children are Eniza J., Tolethia S., 
Stephen T. and Amanda E. Our subject and wife are members of the 
Methodist Protestant Church, of which he has been class leader. He joined 
the church when he was nineteen years of age, and was licensed to preach 
in ] S75, since when he has preached, but has never accepted a local charge. 
Mr. Cartwright has resided in this county since 185S, and on the farm 
where he now lives since 18(35. He votes the Republican ticket; has been 
school director and township trustee; is a member of the I. O. O. F, at 
(lilboa. 

SAMUEL DENNIS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Oak Ridge, was 
born in Washington County, Penn. , August 15, 1819, son of John and 
Susannah (Gumbard) Dennis, the former a native of Maryland, the latter 
of Westmoreland County, Penn., l>oth of German descent. John Dennis, 
who was a farmer in later life, met with misfortune throiTgh tilling a pike 
contract, by which he sustained a great loss. He served in the war of 1812. 
He went to Knox County, Ohio, in 1824. Of his family of eleven children, 
Samuel is the tenth child. The siibject of this sketch was reared on the 
farm and received his education in the common schools; when he was 
about fourteen years of age his father died and Samuel then went on the 
canal where he continued for eight years. In 1844 our subject was united 
in marriage with Matilda Alspach, of German descent, and to them were 
born George, Alonzo, John, William, Marietta, Lucinda, Elizabeth, 
Charles and Samuel T. Mrs. Dennis, formerly a member of the German 
Reformed Church, is now a member of the Church of God. Mr. Dennis 
came to this county in 185G and settled in Eagle Township. He after- 
ward removed to near Benton Ridge, Ohio, on a tract of 240 acres of land 
where he now resides. He is a member of the Masonic fi-aternity. In 
politics he is a Democrat; is now holding the office of school director. 

WILLIAM DOWNING (deceased), son of George Downing, was born 
in Maryland, in 1797, of English parentage. He was reared on a farm in 
Pike County, Ohio, received a good English education and, from his youth, 
was engaged in agricultiu'al pursuits. He served in the war of 1812. He 
came to this county in 1880 and helped organize Blanchard Township. 
William Downing was appointed the Urst postmaster in Blanchard Town- 
ship, this county, and served in that cajjacity for many years; the office was 
established in 1848 and was kept in his house. Mr. Downing was twice 
married, the first time to Elizabeth Henderson. His second marriage was 
in 1858 with Margaret Thompson, daughter of Isaac and Anna Underwood, 
the former a native of Virginia, of Irish descent, and the latter of Penn- 
sylvania, of English descent. As a farmer Mr. Downing was successful, 
owning 180 acres of valuable land at the time of his death, which occurred 
in 1863. He was a member of the M. E. Church; in politics a Democrat. 
His widow is the owner of 206 acres of land on which she resides, and she 
has managed the farm since her husband's death. 

DAVID DOWNING, retired farmer, at present a resident of Findlay, 
Ohio, was born in Philadelphia, Penn., February 12, 1815, son of John 
and Mary (Boyler) Downing, the latter of German descent. His father, a 
native of Kentucky, of English descent, came to this county in 1832, and 
settled on a farm in Blanchard Township ; he died in Kansas. Our subject, 
David Downing, the eldest in a family of eight children, was reared on a 
farm, acquired a common school education in the Pike County, Ohio, sub- 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. (587 

scription school, and from his youth has been engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits. He is the owner of 800 acres of well improved land, and at one time 
owned 700 acres of land. He was united in marriage, in 1887, with Mari- 
etta Dorsey, a lady of English and Scotch descent, and this union has been 
blessed with five children: George T., Jane (wife of Oliver P. Shaw), 
Lavina, John, a farmer in Kansas, and Dora (wife of Miles Dukes). 
Mrs. Downing is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Down- 
ing has been township trustee and school director. ' 

GEORGE T. DOWNING, farmer, P. O. Oak Ridge, born December 
28, 1 889, is the eldest son of David and Marietta (Dorsey) Downing. He 
was reared on a farm, received a fair English education, and has made 
agriculture the business of his life. He is the owner of 272 acres of well 
improved land in Blanchard Township. In 1805 Mr. Downing was united 
in marriage with Mary E. Slusser, a lady of German descent, and three 
children have blessed this union: Florence, Chester and Sumner. In poli- 
tics Mr. Downing is a Repuljlican. He has been township treasurer for 
four years, also trustee of Blanchard Township, this county. He united 
with the Masonic fraternity at Findlay in 1864. 

LEWIS DUKES, Sr., retired farmer, P. O. Oak Ridge, one of the 
early pioneers of Blanchard Township, this county, was born in Franldin 
County, Ohio, April 0, 1811; son of John and Mary (Haddox) Dukes, na- 
tives of Virginia, and who had twelve childi-en. Lewis Dukes, Sr. , who was 
very young when his father died, was reared on a farm and acquired his 
education in the common schools. At seventeen years of age he started out 
in life for himself as a day laborer, coming to this county about 1827, and 
commenced clearing the forest for the small pittance of 25 cents per day, 
in which work he continued for about seven years. He then purchased 700 
acres of wild land with money which he had saved out of his earnings, and 
has been very successful in all his undertakings through life. He continued 
to add to his possessions until, at one time, he had 1, 200 acres of fine land. 
He has disposed of a part, and at the present time owns 800 acres of well 
improved land, on which he and his family reside. Mr. Dukes was united 
in marriage in 1888, with Laura W. Bean, a Christian lady of rare accom- 
plishments and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who departed 
this life in 1874. After her death, in 1876, Mr. Dukes married Mrs. Har- 
riet Alward, daughter of Janies and Mary A. (Bean) Caton, and widow of 
Alfred L. Alward. Mr. Dukes is one of the old living land-marks left to 
tell the tale of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life in 
Blanchard Township; and one of the pleasures of his declining years is the 
knowledge of having lived an upright and honorable life. His wife has 
been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty-one years. 

LEWIS DUKES, Jr. , farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Oak Ridge, was 
born in Franklin County, Ohio, November 30, 1827; son of Richard and 
Mary (Blue)- Dukes, the latter a native of Ohio, of German descent. The 
father of our subject was a native of Virginia, of English descent, came to 
this county in 1828 and settled on a farm of ninety-six acres of wild woodland 
in Blanchard Township. He was accompanied by his brother, John Dukes, 
who also took up 147 acres of wild land. Richard Dukes was a successful 
farmer and took an active interest in all that pertained to the improvement 
of the county. The first meeting-house in the county was erected on his 
farm, of hewed logs with a clap-board roof, and is still standing. He was 



688 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he was a 
Republican. He died in 1876. His family consisted of fourteen children, 
nine of whom grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch being the eldest. 
Lewis Dukes, Jr., was reared on the farm, received a common school edvTcation, 
and has followed agricultural pursuits with marked success. The farm on 
which he resides is one of the linest in the State. He now owns 1,400 
acres of land, after having divided among his chiklren (some of whom are 
married) 560 acres. Our subject was united in marriage, April 9, 1848, 
with Miss Laura Ann Spangler, daughter of Joseph Spangler, and of English 
descent. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Dukes are Parlee C. , a promi- 
nent farmer residing in Blauchard Township, this county; Elizabeth, wife 
of Daniel Jackson, a prominent farmer in this county; Frances, wife of F. 
E. Alward, also a prominent farmer in this county; Miles W., married, a 
farmer in Blanchard Township, this county; Clark, married, operating 
a saw-mill, and II. B. , at home with his father. Our subject and wife 
are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has 
been steward and trustee. In politics Mr. Dukes is a Republican. He has 
been trustee and clerk and was also treasurer and school director, and was 
actively interested in the Orange movement. 

PARLEE C. DUKES, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Benton Ridge, was 
born in this county August 24, 1851, in the first brick house built in Blanch- 
ard Township. His father, Lewis Dukes, Jr. , reared a family of seven chil- 
dren, our subject being the second. Parlee C. Dukes was reared on a farm; 
received a good English education, and chose farming for his occupation in 
life. He is the owner of 312 acres of valuable land in Blanchard Township, 
this county, on which he resides. He was united in marriage, in 1876, with 
Harriet E. , diughter of Jacob Orose, and three children have blessed this 
union : Albee LeClare, Edith Lela and Grace D. Mr. and Mrs. Dukes are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Sabbath- school of which 
he is trustee and assistant superintendent. In politics he is a Republican. 
He holds the office of school director. 

ELI DUKES, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Oak Ridge, was born 
in Blanchard Township, this county. May 16, 1841, son of Richard and 
Mary (Blue) Dukes, the latter born in Ohio, of German descent. The father 
of our subject was a native of Virginia, of English descent; came to this 
county in 1828, and settled on a farm in Blanchard Township, where he 
passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1876, at Findlay, Ohio. Of his 
family of fourteen childi'en, nine grew to maturity, our subject being the 
tenth. Eli Dukes acquired his education in the common schools, and in Ober- 
lin and Delaware Colleges. He was clerk in a dry goods store for one year, 
and taught school foiir winters, but his principal business in life has been 
farming and dealing in stock. He is the owner of 486 acres of valuable 
land. At the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, Mr. Dukes promptly 
enlisted in Company A, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
served three years as a soldier in the ranks. He was in the battle of Chick- 
amauga, and also at Stone River. When his regiment was captured, he, 
with twenty-five others, escaped. Mr. Dukes was united in marriage, in 1865, 
with Mary H. Delaney, daughter of Mark Delauey, a pioneer minister in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. She is of Irish, French and English descent. 
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dukes: DelevanD. , Nannie B., 
Gustavus, Clemma I. and Laura G. Our subject and wife are members of 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 689 

the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has been class-leader for a 
number of years. Eli Diikes' father was one of the prime movers in found- 
ing the first church erected in this county. This building, a relic of the 
olden time, is still standing on the farm belonging to our subject. 

JACOB GROSE, farmer and stock raiser, P O. Fiudlay, was born 
in Westmoreland County, Penn. , April 25, 1825, son of Jacob and Marga- 
ret (Sheddinger) Grose, natives of Bucks County, Penn., and of German de- 
scent. Our subject's great-grandfather, in company with two brothers, 
came to America before the war of the Revolution, and settled in Bucks 
County, Penn. In religion they were Mennonites. The father of our subject 
died in Wayne County, Ohio; his family consisted of eleven children. Ja- 
cob Grose, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm; served an ap- 
prenticeship of three years and a half at the cabinet maker' s trade, which he 
followed for twelve years. He was united in marriage, in 1848, with Mary 
Sherick, a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Her parents, Peter 
and Barbara (Funk) Sherick, now reside in Findlay, this county. Our sub- 
ject and wife are parents of sis childi-en: David S., a school teacher and 
farmer; Peter J., Harriet E., Jacob I., Laura J. and William E. Mr. and 
Mrs. Grose are members of the Baptist Church of God. He has been 
trustee and school director for nine years, and clerk of the board. He is the 
owner of 326 acres of land, and takes great interest in the Grange move- 
ment, of which organization he is a charter member, and has tilled the office 
of overseer in the order. 

E. L. GROVES, meat market, Macomb, was born in Blanchard Town- 
ship, this county. February 6, 1861, son of Savadra and Lucinda (Fisher), 
Groves, natives of Ohio, of German and English descent. Savadra came to this 
county in 1828, with his father, Thomas Groves, and depart.ed this life in 
1877, aged fifty-three years. His widow still survives. Of their two chil- 
dren. E. L. alone is living. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, 
received a fair English education, and successfully followed the occupation 
of farming. He is the owner of 100 acres of land, on which he resides. 
He was married, December 30, 1885, to Alice McKinnis. 

L. C. GROVES, farmer and stock raiser, and postmaster of Oak Ridge, 
was born in Blanchard Township, this county, April 24, 1833, son of 
Thomas and Adaline (Choate) Groves, the former a native of Virginia, of 
German descent, and the latter a native of Vermont, of English descent. 
Thomas Groves, who was an early settler in this county, died in 1880. His 
family consisted of thirteen children, ten of whom grew to maturity, L. C. 
being the fourth. Our subject was reared on a farm, attended the common 
school and chose agricultu.re for his occupation in life. In 1856 he was united 
in marriage with Geninia, daughter of David Braucht, who entered 600 acres 
of land in this county in an early day and passed the remainder of his life 
here. Mr. and Mrs. Groves have two children: Izoia and Estella, wife of 
John Collingwood, a farmer in this county. Mr. Groves is the owner of 200 
acres of cultivated land. He has filled the office of trustee for five years 
and school director for eleven years, and is at present postmaster of Oak 
Ridge. He became a member of the Masonic fraternity at Findlay, and 
has attained the degree of Master Mason in that order. 

JOHN HADDOX. farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Gilboa. Putnam 
County, was born in Franklin County, Ohio, January 28 1830. eldest child 
of Mordecai and Margaret (Lanters) Haddox, the latter a native of Ger- 



690 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

many. They were paronts of five children. Mordecai Haddox, the father 
of our subject, born in Vii-ginia of German parentag-o, and who was engaged 
in farming all liis life, came to this county in 1 830 and entered 1 ()0 acres of 
land (where Samuel Haddox now resides) in Blanchard Townshij). He died 
in 1879. John Haddox, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the farm, 
attended the common schools and has been engaged in farming all his life. 
He has been successful and is the owner of a fine farm of 220 acres of land 
under a high state of cultivation. In 1854 ho was united in marriage with 
Lydia, daughter of Jolin and Elizabeth (Bysel) Bower; Mr. Bower was born 
in 1808, and has resided on a farm in Blanchard Township, this county, for 
many years. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Haddox are Elizabeth Alice, 
wife of S. A. Van Sickle; Lucinda Jane, wife of L. M. Orsborn; George P., 
at home; Harry P. and William Francis. The family are all members of the 
United Brethren Church, of which Mr. Haddox has been trustee and class- 
leader for several years. In politics he is a Republican. He takes a great 
interest in the schools of his district and is at present serving his fourth 
term as school director 

SAMUEL KEEL, retired farmer, P. O. Benton Ridge, Ohio, is one of 
the representative pioneers of this county, born in Perry County, Penn., 
March 1, 1813, son of Henry and Catharine (Bosler) Keel, natives of 
Pennsylvania, where they were married and first settled. About 1820 they 
moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, locating there until 1827, at which time 
they came to Jackson Township, this county, whore they remained six years, 
then moved to Eagle Township, this county, and here remained until their 
death. Henry Keel departed this life in 1853, his widow following him in 
1857. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom only four sur- 
vive, Samuel being the fifth. Our subject came with his parents to this 
county, and was united in marriage May 10, 1838, with Mary Povenmire, 
who was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., October 24, 1810, daughter 
of John and Sarah (Wagoner) Povenmire, natives of Pennsylvania, where 
they married and first settled, and remained until 1812, in which year they 
immigrated to Fairfield County, Ohio, thence moved to Pickaway County, 
where they located until 1837, after which time they moved to Liberty 
Township, this county, and here remained until their death. Mr. Poven- 
mire departed this life first, and his widow died some years afterward. They 
were the parents of thirteen childi-en, only five of whom survive, Mrs. Keel 
being the eldest in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Keel are the parents of seven 
children: Sarah, wife of Phenius Brown; Susanna and Christena, at home; 
Philip, married to Nancy Seitz; John, married to Martha Stover; Abraham, 
married to Margaret Eck, and Marvel, married to Mary Rudisill. All re- 
side in this county except Philip, who is in Putnam County, Ohio. Mr. 
Keel, before he was married, entered eighty acres of land in this county. 
This land he afterward sold and bought another eighty-acre tract, to which 
he has since added until he now owns 160 acres of land. He also owns 
town property in this county, and 100 acres of land in Putnam County, 
Ohio, besides having helped his children very liberally. Mr. Keel took 
part in the muster of early days. He has filled various ofiices in Jackson, 
Union and Blanchard Townships. During his early life he was a Demo- 
crat, but when Pierce became a candidate for the Presidency he changed 
his politics. He has followed farming all his life. His wife has been a 
church member for forty years. They reside in Benton Ridge, and are 
among the leading families of this county. 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 691 

P. A. KEMERER, farmer and teacher, P. O. Benton Ridge, was born 
in Blanchard Township, this county, December 28, 1853, son of David (son 
of John, SOD of Phillip Kemerer) and Susanna (Deal) Kemerer, the former 
a native of Ohio, of German descent, and the latter of Virginia, cf English 
descent. David Kemerer was a farmer during his life, and prominent 
among the early settlers of this county, moving to the farm on which he 
now resides in 1842. P. A. Kemerer, the subject of this sketch, the young- 
est in a family of six children, attended the common school and Ada Normal 
School, was reared on the farm and taught school five terms. In Novem- 
ber, 1877, he was united in marriage with Hattie E. Keller, daughter of 
Joseph Keller. Her parents were of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kemerer have had three children, two of whom survive. Alba Candace and 
Clarence. Mi-. Kemerer is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He and 
his wife are members of the United Brethren Church. He takes a great 
interest in the Sabbath-school and church. He is the owner of sixty-five acres of 
land in Wood County, Ohio, and has made most of his fortune by his own 
exertions. At present he is residing on and managing the farm belonging 
to his father (who is still living) in Blanchard Township. 

JACOB G. KNEPPER, farmer, P. O. Gilboa, Putnam County, Ohio, 
was born in Blanchard Township, this county, June 14, 1839; son of John 
and Elizabeth (Foglesong) Knepper. the former a native of Ohio, and the 
latter of the State of Maryland, who came to this county in 1834, and settled 
in Blanchard Township, where the former took up a half section of land. 
John Knepper died June 1, 1840, and his widow died March 10, 1888, at 
the age of eighty-one years. Of their family there were eight children, 
Jacob G. being the youngest. He was reared on the farm; attended the 
common school until March, 1856, when he with his parents moved to 
Westerville, Franklin Co., Ohio, where he attended Otterbein Univer- 
sity until March, 1857, when he with his parents returned to Han- 
cock County again. From 1858 to the spring of 1862 he worked at the 
carpenter trade. In the spring of 1862 he followed farming. On August 
12, 1862, he enlisted tinder Capt. J. A. Bope, in Company D, Ninety-ninth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for the term of three years ; he was captured by the 
enemy at the battle of Stone River January 2, 1863, but as the enemy 
were repulsed and driven back, he made his escape from them, being in 
their hands about two hours. He participated in many of the battles, from 
Murf reesborough to Atlanta, and then returned to Nashville and engaged in 
the battle at Nashville in November, 1864, which was the cleaning out of 
Hood's army. In Jamiary, 1865, his regiment was sent to North Carolina 
by way of Louisvillle, Ky., Cincinnati. Columbus, Ohio, to Washington 
City. He marched from Wilmington, N. C. , to Goldsborough, Raleigh, and 
Salisbury. While lying at the latter place war was declared at an end. He 
was carried from there thi'ough Danville, Petersl^urg, to City Point, by rail- 
road; from City Point to Baltimore, Md. , by boat; from there to Gallipolis, 
Ohio, by railroad, and wasmtistered out of service July 17, 1865. He was 
but six days absent from his regiment during the length of time he was in 
the service. He never received a scratch or bullet mark from the enemy, 
but is considerably broken down by hard marching and exposure. When he 
returned home he engaged in operating his mother's farm until 1873, when 
he moved on his own farm of 165 acres of valuable and well cultivated land, 
a part of the original entry made by his father August 10, 1837, the pat- 



692 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

ent for which is still in the possession of our subject, signed by Martin Van 
Buren. In March, 1SB6, Mr. Knepper was united in marriage with Mary 
E. Foltz, daughter of Noah and Mary (Hisie) Foltz, natives of Virginia and 
of German descent, but present residence in Eagle Township, this county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Knepper have six children: Noah Wilson, Jennie V., Adam 
Monroe, Eve V., Charles Albert, and Nellie B. Oiir subject and wife were 
members of C. U. Church. Mr. Knepper holds the office of school director. 
He was initiated into the I. O. O. F. in January, 1874; has passed the 
chains, and has been permanent secretary for the past three years of 
Gilboa Lodge, No. 45U, I. O. O. F. He also joined the G. A. R., Linsey 
Post, No. 75, in 18S2. He served two terms as Officer of the Day in said 
post. In politics he is a Democrat. 

NATHANIEL KNEPPER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Benton 
Ridge, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, April 24, 1828, son of John 
(a farmer and miller) and Elizabeth Knepper, natives of Ohio, of Ger- 
man descent. They reared a family of ten children, Nathaniel being 
the eldest of those now living. Our subject was reared on the farm, 
and has made agriculture the principal business of his life. In 1849 
he was united with marriage to Hannah, daughter of Lawrence Hartze, 
born in Germany. The union of oui" subject and wife has been blessed with 
ten children (two died in infancy): Peter (died at the age of twenty-two 
years), George, farmer, married, Mary Ann, Amanda, Cornelia, Jacob 
(farmer, married), Emma and Lucinda. Mr. and Mrs. Knepper were for- 
merly members of the United Brethren Church, of which he was a class- 
leader, but they have since united themselves with the Christian Union 
Church, of which he is an elder, class-leader and trustee. Mr. Knepper is 
the owner of a well improved farm of 300 acres of land, and has made most 
of his fortune in Blanchard Township, this covinty, since 1839. He takes a 
deep interest in the Grange organization of Blanchard Township, and is 
now overseer of that order. 

N. B. McCLISH, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Gilboa, Putnam 
County, was born in Franklin County, Ohio, August 16, 1821, son of James 
and Patience (Bishop) McClish, the latter born in New Jersey, of Irish de- 
scent. His father, a native of Maryland, a school teacher by occupation, 
and a soldier in the war of 181 2, came to this county October 3, 1836, and 
settled within a few rods of where the McClish l^ridge now stands, and died 
three days after his arrival. His family consisted of eleven children, ten of 
whom grew to maturity, seven coming to this county. Only three of the 
family are now living: N. B. , a sister residing in Illinois, and a brother who 
has resided in California since 1848, a large man, weighing 400 pounds. 
Our subject has made agriculture his occupation, and now resides on the farm 
where his father settled, in 1836, and to which our subject has since added 
until he now owns 410 acres, the farm being one of the most valuable in 
this county. Mr. McClish has been twice married; first, in 1848, to a 
daughter of Henry Moffit; she died in 1855, leaving three children: Ivy, 
Herman and Mary. In 1856 our subject was again married ; this time to a 
daughter of Owen Street, a pioneer farmer of Union Township, this county. 
The children of this union are Patience, Annie (wife of Samuel Cartwright), 
Harriet E. (wife of Samuel Burthart), Dean, P. B. , Anna G. and May. The 
mother of these children died in 1884, and since her death our subject's 
daughter has kept the children together. The family attend the Method- 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 693 

ist Cbmch. Mr. McClish take.s an active interest in the schools, and has 
served as school director. In politics he is a Republican. 

THOMAS McKlNNIS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Oak Ridge, was 
born on the farm adjoining where he now resides, in Liberty Township, this 
county, October '26, ](S2(), son of Charles and Mary (Vail) McKinnis, latter 
of whom was a native of Virginia, of Scotch-Irish descent. Charles McKinnis, 
a native of Pennsylvania, also of Scotch- Irish descent, a farmer by occupa- 
tion, came to this county in 1822, settled in Liberty Township, and in 1827 
took ap land where our subject now resides, in Blanchard Township. His 
family numbered six children, all of whom grew to maturity, Thomas being 
the second. Our subject was reared on the farm, received a fair English 
education, and has made farming his principal business. He is the owner 
of 180 acres of well improved land. In 1850 he was united in marriage 
with Elizabeth McClintock, a lady of Scotch-Irish descent, whose father 
was an early settler of Harrison County. Four children have been born to 
Mr. and Mrs. McKinnis: Violet (wife of Jacob Grubb, a farmer of this 
county), Cloys B. (at home), Alice (wife of E. L. Groves) and Laura (de- 
ceased). Mrs. McKinnis is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In poli- 
tics, Mr. McKinnis is a Democrat. 

J. R. McLEOD, M. D. , Benton Ridge, was born in Delaware County, 
Ohio, July 27, 1838, son of John and Elizabeth (Cole) McLeod, the former 
a native of Philadelphia, of Scotch and English extraction, and the latter a 
native of Ohio; they reared a family of eleven childi-en, J. R. being the 
eldest. Our subject came to this county in 1834 with his father, and they 
settled in Amanda Township, where the Doctor' s maternal grandfather, Mr. 
Cole, entered land. Our subject was reared on the farm, acquired his edu- 
cation in this county and at Delaware College in this State; he then began 
the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Williamson and commenced the 
practice of medicine in Clinton, 111., in 1857; in 1861 he turned his atten- 
tion to the study of law and in 1863 graduated in the law school of the 
Cincinnati College, and was admitted to the bar. He practiced law 
until 1876, when his health failed and his physicians gave him up, telling 
him that his disease would prove fatal in less than twelve months. Our 
subject now resumed the study of medicine, making his own case a specialty; 
he regained his health and graduated in medicine in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1877. 
In 1880 the Doctor came to Benton Ridge, and has been engaged in the 
practice of medicine since. He was united in marriage, in 1862, with Mary 
E. Howard, davighter of Capt. Samuel Howard, who was several times treas- 
urer of this coiinty, served in the war of the Rebellion and held a com- 
mission as captain of volunteers; he is a resident of Findlay, Ohio. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dr. McLeod are parents of the following named childi'en: Charles 
D. , Samuel H. and Bessie Belle. Mrs. McLeod and daughter are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Doctor is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, of the I. O. O. F. and of the Northwestern Ohio Medi- 
cal Association, also of the Hancock Medical Association. The Doctor re- 
sided in Shelby County, Mo. , for several years after the war, and in 1870 
was elected president of the county court of that county, serving for six 
years. During the war of the Rebellion he was a non-commissioned officer 
in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 

R. I. MOFFITT, farmer, P. O. Oak Ridge, was born in Blanchard 
Township, this county, October 1, 1837, son of William and Polly (Lattie) 



694 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Moffitt, natives of Ross County, Ohicj, of Irish descent. William Moffitt 
was among the early pioneers of this county and succeeded in accumulating 
a handsome fortune; he died in 1884. His family consisted of eleven chil- 
dren, four of whom survive, our subject being the youngest son. R. I. 
Moffitt received his education in the common schools, has followed farming 
all his life and resides on the home farm consisting of 840 acres of land. 
He owns a half interest in this farm and another farm of eighty acres. Mr. 
Moffitt was united in marriage, in 1867, with the daughter of William Mc- 
Clish, a pioneer farmer of Franklin County, of Irish descent. Mr. and 
Mrs. Moffitt are parents of the following children : Clarence I. , Arthur A. , 
David O., Mary E., Alonzo I. and Harold R. Mr. Moffitt is a Republican 
in politics; has been school director and trustee of Blanchard Township. 
He has never united with any secret organization, except the Grange. 

BEATMAN BEATTY POWELL, one of the leading farmers of 
Blanchard Township, P. O. Benton Ridge, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, May 14, 1838, son of Daniel and Eliza (Boatty) Powell, natives of 
Union and Lycoming Counties, Penn. , respectively. The Powells come of 
a long and worthy line of Welsh pioneer ancestry in Pennsylvania. In 1808 
Daniel Powell located in Fairfield County, Ohio. The suljject of our sketch 
was reared there, and at the age of twenty-seven came to this county and 
took up land, clearing and improving a nice farm of eighty acres, to which 
he has since added nearly 800 acres, making a total of 870 acres of valuable 
land. He resides on Section 28, Blanchard Township. He married, in 
1857, Elizabeth, daughter of John Whitehurst, of Fairfield County, Ohio, 
and they have a family of two sons and two daughters: Margaret Virginia, 
wife of Charles Heckerman, farmer, Blanchard Township, and America 
Belle, wife of John Kizbeth, also a farmer of Blanchard Township. His 
sons, Sherman Ellsworth and Henderson, are both of the same vocation as 
their father. Mr. Powell pays considerable attention to the rearing and 
breeding of fine bred cattle and hogs. He is a leading character in his lo- 
cality, of a genial nature, open-hearted, frank and generous to a fault. He 
has oftentimes been selected by the people of his township and county to 
represent their interests in the coiincils of Blanchard Township and the 
county. He and his wife attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, to which he is a liberal contributor. Mr. Powell has always done 
a leading share in the support of all measures tending to the welfare of his 
locality. In politics he is a Democrat. 

REV. JOHN POWELL, minister of the United Brethren Church, and 
author of the history of the Powell family, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, in 1811), son of Philip and Elizabeth (Radebaugh) Powell, natives of 
Pennsylvania, of Welsh and German descent, respectively, the former of 
whom died in 1849. Of their family of fourteen children twelve grew to 
manhood and womanhood, and still survive, our subject being the eighth in 
the family. Rev. John Powell received his schooling in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, and has been a minister of the gospel since he was nineteen years of 
age. He traveled a circuit when he was twenty-one years of age, and has 
been an itinerant preacher for forty-five years. In 1878 he commenced 
compiling the work known as ' 'The Powell History, ' ' completing the first 
volume in 1880; the second volume is now nearly ready for the press. Our 
subject is a successful farmer and at one time oAvned 000 acres of land. He 
stili owns a farm in Blanchard Township, this county. In 1848 Rev. John 



BLANCHARD TOWNSHIP. 695 

Powell was united in marriat^e with Elizaljeth Trapp, daughter of Andrew 
and Elizabeth (Berkley) Traj^p, of German descent. Our suljject and wife 
have four children living: Mary K. , wife of Elmer Harpst; Lydia A., wife 
of George W. Kinney; Ester J., wife of George Harpst, and John L., the 
last named being the only child of our subject now at home. John L. was 
born January 1, 1861; received his education in this county and is the 
owner of 100 acres of well improved land; he also works his father's farm, 
and deals in stock. He is remarkably successful as a farmer and trader; is 
also much interested in the breeding and rearing of horses. In politics he 
is a Republican. 

S. G. ROBINSON, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born 
in Erie County, N. Y., May 20, 1880, son of B. E. and Sarah (Gail) Rob- 
inson, the former a farmer and a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, of Irish 
descent; the latter a native of Erie County, N. Y., of English descent. Of 
their six children five are still living, the subject of this sketch being the 
eldest. S. G. Robinson was reared on the farm in Erie County, N. Y. . 
until seven years of age; next lived on a farm in Franklin County, Ohio, 
until he was twenty years old; then came to this county, where he has since 
continued to reside. He walked the entire distance from Franklin County, 
Ohio, to this coiinty, and when he arrived here he was a poer boy with only 
one suit of clothes and no money, but he was willing to labor. . He worked 
out at 50 cents per day, clearing land and„ chopping wood; also worked by 
the month until he was able to buy eighty acres of wild land, which he 
cleared, and on which he still resides. In 1859 Mr. Robinson was united 
in marriage with Mary, daughter of Enoch Haddox, a native of Virginia. 
Five children blessed this union: Edgar, Estella, Ida, Samuel and Everett. 
Mrs. Robinson departed this life in 1875; she was a member of the Method- 
ist Church. S. G. Robinson is at present the owner of 200 acres of well 
improved land. In politics he is a Republican. He was a delegate to the 
first Republican convention, in 1856. He has been school director for 
twelve years, and in 1884 was elected justice of the peace. 

W. S. SHAFER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Stark County, Ohio, October 20, 1829, son of John and Mary (Putnam) 
Shafer, natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. The father of our 
subject, who was a farmer, came to Allen Township, this county, about 
1834, and took up land from the Government; he died in 1849. Of his 
family of eleven children eight grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch 
being the ninth child. W. S. Shafer was reared on the farm until he was 
seventeen years of age, and worked three years at the tailor's trade. In 
1854 he was united in marriage with Jane Shaw, daughter of George Shaw, 
who was of Scotch and English descent, and was among the first settlers of 
this county, coming here in 1827 or 1828. His family consisted of eight 
children, Mrs. Shafer being the only one now residing in this county. Our 
subject and wife are the parents of eight children: Linus S., married, a 
farmer; L. W., farmer; Homer W., at home; Mary J. wife of B. Van- 
doren; Charles O., at home; Bessie May, at home, and Frank I. and Del- 
lia C. (twins). Mr. Shafer is a member of the United Brethren Church. 
He has never had a lawsuit in his life; he is the owner of 180 acres of land, 
and has served for many years as school director. 

AMOS WITTENMYER, justice of the peace, Benton Ridge, was 
born in Snyder County, Penn., December 24, 1825, son of George and 



696 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Mary (Bachtel) Wittenmyer, natives of PeniiHylvania and of German 
descent, the former a shoe-maker by trade but in later life a farmer. Our 
subject, who is the fourth in a family of six children, was educated in the 
common schools. He came to Ohio with his family in 1858, and has 
resided in this county since 1871. He was proprietor of the hotel at Benton 
Ridge for several years, and was also engaged in farming. Mr. Witten- 
myer is now serving his second term as justice of the peace in Blanchard 
Township. In politics he is a Republican. He has been successful in life, 
having accumulated a fair share of this world' s goods. 

JOHN WORTMAN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was 
born in Lawrence County, Penn., September 10, 18!^5, son of Jacob and 
Rebecca (Smith) Wortman, natives of Pennsylvania, former a farmer of 
German descent, and latter of Irish and Dutch descent. Our subject was 
the third in a family of eleven children (three being deceased). In early 
life he taught school. In 1855 he was united in marriage with Julia, 
daughter of Robert and Catherine (Davis) Dilworth, of English and 
Holland descent, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Wortman was a school teach- 
er in early life. In 1857 Mr. Wortman came to this county and settled on 
a farm of 100 acres of land where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Wortman 
are members of the Presbyterian Church in McComb, in which he is 
ruling elder, also at one time was assistant superintendent of the Sabbath- 
school. He served as township trustee for four years, has been justice of 
the peace four terms and was land appraiser in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wortman have been blessed with three childi-en: Mary Ellen (deceased), 
Edwin C, a farmer and school teacher, and Florence, at home. 



CASS TOWNSHIP. 



JOHN BAKER, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in Cass Township, this 
county, in 1847 ; son of Alexander and Catharine (Eckert) Baker, natives of 
Ohio. The original Baker stock came to America from England in an early 
day and settled near Baltimore, Md. Grafton Baker, grandfather of our 
subject, moved from Virginia to Carroll County, Ohio, and from there to 
this county about the year 1830. He had a family of five sons and one 
daughter. Mrs. Catharine (Eckert) Baker's people came to Cass Township, 
this county, from Fairfield County, Ohio, in an early day, and here settled. 
In 1844, after their marriage, our subject's parents came to Cass Township. 
The father died in 1849, leaving a family of three children — two daughters 
and one son, John. The eldest daughter died in 1860; the youngest mar- 
ried G. W\ Norris (they have a family of two sons and one daughter). The 
subject of this sketch was married in 1808 to Sarah C. Binger, whose par- 
ents came to this county from Carroll County, Ohio, in an early day, and to 
this imion have been born three children: Alexander, Lemuel and Amanda. 
Mr. Baker was elected to the office of justice of the peace for Cass Town- 
ship in the fall of 1883, which he still holds. He resides on the old home- 
stead, his mother, who is still living, being with him. 



CASS TOWNSHIP. 697 

DAVID R. BEESON, farmer, P. O., Arcadia, was born in Fayette 
County, Penn., September 13, 1827. He married, July 5, 1849, Elizabeth 
Sangston, and in 1854 they moved to Cass Township, this county, and set- 
tled on land which his father had entered in 1832. Here they began, in 
the woods, to clear and improve the farm to which they have since added, 
until they now own 232 acres of well-improved land. To David R. Beeson 
and wife have been born Martha A., now Mi's. Hosier; James E. ; Eliza A., 
now Mrs. Frederick; John A. ; Charles C. ; Mary, now Mrs. Bish; David R. 
Jr. ; Jacob E. Turley and Emma I. In addition to his general farming 
operations, Mi-. Beeson has devoted considerable attention to buying and sell- 
ing live-stock. During the war of the Rebellion he did an extensive business 
in dealing in horses for the United States Army. He has led a very active 
life, and his operations here have been attended with uniform success. He 
is one of the representative farmers of Cass Township, and enjoys the 
respect of the entire community. In politics he is a Republican. 

JACOB E. BEESON, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in Fayette 
County, Penn., January 21,1819, son of James and Agnes Beeson, who re- 
sided in Fayette County until tlieir death. Our subject married, in 1841, 
Eliza Dawson, who died in 1846, leaving two children, James and John 
(both now deceased). December 1, 1853, Mr. Beeson came to Cass Town- 
ship, this county, and settled on a tract of land which had been entered by 
his father in 1832. Here he began improving his land, and June 20, 1869, 
he married Mrs. Elizabeth Bowring, a native of England and whose parents 
resided there until their death. She and her first husband, Benjamin W. 
Bowring, immigrated to Canada in 1857, and moved to the United States in 
1859. Here Mr. Bowring lost his life in defense of the Union cause, in 
June, 1864, just one month before the expiration of his term of enlistment 
in the Union army. Of Mr. Bowi'ing's five children only one is now living 
— Margaret Elizabeth, wife of Henry B. Edwards, of Putnam County, 
Ohio. Mr. Beeson has been an industrious man, and has acquired a farm 
of 224 acres of fine land. His youngest son, John, enlisted when but six- 
teen years of age and served three years and four months in the Army of 
the Cumberland; he died in November, 1865. Mr. Beeson is a Republican 
in poltics. 

C. W. CANFIELD, farmer, P. O. Wineland, was born in Hancock Coun- 
ty, Ohio, January 23, 1845; son of Elijah Cyrus and Sarah Canfield, natives 
of Portage County, Ohio, and Luzerne County, Penn. , respectively. March 
28, 1872, our subject married Maria Ames, a native of Seneca County, Ohio, 
born October 15, 1851, and to this union were born four children: Sarah 
Amanda, born December 8, 1873; William Riley, born September 19, 1875; 
Earl M., born March 24, 1881, died April 14, 1881, and Gertie Ethel, born 
December 2, 1882. Mr. Canfield is one of the enterprising men of his town- 
ship and an industrious farmer. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JOHN FRANKS, farmer, P. O. North Baltimore, was born April 20, 
1786, in Fayette Covinty, Penn., son of John and Rachel (Huffman) Franks, 
natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in a very early day, being 
among the pioneers of Wayne County, Ohio. Our subject is the only 
survivor of his father's family, and was himself a soldier in the war of 
1812; he was in Hull's army at the time of that General's surrender, and 
made his escape from the British in company with some others of that com- 
mand. He now owns a piece of land on which Hull's army encamped. 



698 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Our subject helped raise Gen. Bell's house at Wooster, and also assisted in 
building Fort Ball. He was a poor man when he married his first wife, 
Sarah Musgrove. They came to this county in 1.S82 and had to cut their 
way from Tiffin to the farm on which they settled. Mr. Franks did most 
of the hauling from Sandusky to this county in an early day with an ox 
team, wading through swam})y lands to reach the mill. The children by his 
first wife are Elizabeth, Peter, Jasper, Nancy, Catherine, Rachel, Sarah 
and Henry, all married and living near their father. His second wife, nee 
Elizabeth Fast, had five childi-en: George, Isabella, Andrew J., John F. 
and Mary P. Mr. Franks came to this county an uneducated and a poor 
man, but wonderful perseverance and endurance have given him success in 
life, and he now owns about 2,600 acres of land on which he has located 
his children. 

A. J. FRANKS, farmer, P. O. Bairdstown, Wood County, was born 
Octobers, 1851, in Cass Township, this county, son of John and Elizabeth 
(Fast) Franks. John Franks, the father of our subject, is one of the oldest 
pioneers in Cass Township, and one of the largest land owners in this 
county. Our subject was united in marriage. May 24, 1873, with Olive 
Enswinger, of Wayne County, Ohio, and their union has been blessed with 
four children: Sarah E., John H., Nellie M. and Lucy P. G. 

WILLIAM REID, farmer, P. O. Wineland, was born in Perrysburgh, 
Wood Co., Ohio, sou of Robert and Isabell (Forrester) Reid, natives of 
Scotland, and who came to America in 1835, settling in Perrysburgh, Wood 
Co., Ohio, where they died. They were the parents of nine children, 
of whom four are now living: Thomas, Robert, Isabell (wife of Dallas An- 
derson), and William. The subject of this sketch was married August 25, 
1857, to Emily, second daughter of Jacob Shaffer. Her father came to this 
county in 1835 and settled in Cass Township, where he entered 240 acres 
of land. To our subject and wife have been born six childi'en: Margaret 
(married to George B. Bowman), James, John, Ida, (deceased wife of 
Hosea Nelson), George (deceased), and Charles. Our subject was a soldier 
in the late war, having enlisted in Company F, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1862, and served until June 9, 1865, when he 
was discharged; he was in the Fourteenth Army Corps, under Gen. Rose- 
crans. Mr. Reid lost his health in the army and has never fully recovered 
from the effects. He is the owner of a fine farm of seventy-five acres of 
land (a part of the Shaffer farm) in Cass Township, this county. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican. 

ANDREW SHAFER, farmer, P. O. Wineland, was born in Cass 
Township, this county, in June, 1839, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Shafer; 
the latter, whose maiden name was Jack, was the Widow Kensinger prior 
to her marriage with our subject's father. Jacob and Elizabeth Shafer 
were the parents of four children: Eliza J., wife of Thomas Ford; Emily, 
wife of William Reid; Sarah, wife of Owen Laney, and Andrew. The 
subject of this sketch resides on the farm where he was born, and which is a 
part of a 240- acre tract of land entered by his father on coming to this 
county in 1834-35. Mr. Shafer is a thorough farmer and has made many im- 
provements on the place since his father's death.. He was united in mar- 
riage in April, 1864, with Rebecca Crow, who died, leaving one child, Har- 
riet Rebecca, now the wife or Jacob Hill. After the death of his first wife 
our subject was married again; this time, in 1869, to Sabilla Lanning, and by 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 699 

her he has six children: Martha Jane, Mary E., Jacob H., John, Augusta 
and Charles. 

JACOB STECKER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Wurtem- 
burg, Germany, December 6, 1824. and came with his parents, Gottleiband 
Caroline Stecker, to America, and to Big Lick Township, this county, in 1 841. 
Gottleib Stecker died in 1868; his widow still resides on the home farm, in 
Big Lick Township. Jacob Stecker married, May 1, 1853, Miss Rosanna 
Klink, of Crawford County, Ohio, and they .then settled in the southern 
\rdvt of Cass Township, this county. To them were born four childi'en, two of 
whom are now living: Catherine, wife of Alden H. Cobb, and Daniel, who is 
now a student at the Ohio Wesleyan University. After the death of his first 
wife, May 1, 1877, Jacob Stecker married, April 8, 1879, Miss Maria Jameson, 
daughter of Rev. Ira Jameson, of Big Lick Township, this county. Our sub- 
ject has been industrious and successful in life, and has acquired a line farm 
of 227 acres of fertile land. He has erected thereon a handsome brick resi- 
dence, and made many other valuable improvements. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican. He was elected justice of the peace in 1870, which position he held, 
by re-election, until 1 882, and has discharged his duties faithfully and to the 
satisfaction of the people. Mr. and Mrs. Stecker are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He was largely instrumental in erecting the handsome 
structure, Salem Church, in Cass Township, this county. He is strictly a 
self-made man, and has made excellent use of the limited advantages he has 
enjoyed here in his adopted country. He is a valuable citizen, highly re- 
spected by the entire community. 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 

THOMAS WILSON ARNOLD, farmer, P. O. Forest, Hardin County , was 
born January 24, 1829, in Athens County, Ohio. His parents, Thomas and 
Rachel Arnold, moved to Delaware County, Ohio, about 1831 or 1832, where 
they resided until their death, an event that left our subject at the age of 
fifteen years to take care of himself, and he came the following year to 
Delaware Township, this county. Here he lived with William Moore, and 
afterward purchased a piece of land in Pleasant Township, this county, and 
in June, 1851, he married, in Pleasant Township, Miss Rachel Nicholson, 
who had been a resident of Wood County, Ohio, from girlhood. They sold 
their property in Pleasant Township, and located where they now reside, in 
Delaware Township. Hancock County, in 1853, where they have a farm of 
160 acres of land, after having given eighty acres to their sons. The chil- 
dren of our subject and wife were Mrs. Amelia Reigle, Aaron (killed in 1864, 
at the age of twenty years, by falling from a tree), Francis M., Mrs. Eliza 
Malone, Stephen A., Rebecca, Thomas W., Mary and Rachel. Mrs. Arnold 
died in September, 1870, and in 18/3 Mr. Arnold married, for his second 
wife, IVIi-s. Sarah A. Martin; they have one son, AVilliam Alton. Mr. Arnold, 
formerly a Whig, has been a Republican in politics ever since the organiza- 
tion of. the pai'ty. He is an enterprising and successful farmer, and one 
of the leading citizens of Delaware Township. In August, 1862, in response 



700 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

to the President's call for 600,000 troops, he enlisted in the One Hundred 
and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which regiment was assigned to 
the Army of the Cumberland, and took part in many of the battles of the 
campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. He received an honorable 
discharge from the service in August, 1 864, on account of disabilities. His 
record in the army is that of a brave and faithful soldier, who was always 
ready for the discharge of his duty. 

AARON FENTON BURSON, retired physician, Mt. Blanchard, was 
born August 27, 1812, in Loudoun County, Va., son of George and Susanna 
(Kent) Burson, who settled in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1818. They 
reared a family of nine children, the Doctor being their seventh child. After 
receiving a literary education our subject entered upon the study of medi- 
cine, in 1829, under the celebrated Dr. George McCook, Professor of Sur- 
gery in the University at Baltimore, Md. , and father of Gen. McCook. Dr. 
Burson completed his course in the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and 
in 1832 began the practice of his chosen profession at Mt. Blanchard, this 
county, where he has since resided. He was the first physician in Delaware 
Township, and also the first physician in this part of the county. He was 
widely known for his skill and success in treating milk-sickness and the nu- 
merous malarial troubles which afflicted the pioneers of the early days. He 
built up a very large practice, which extended into parts of several of the 
adjoining counties, and, on retiring, in 1862, he found it very difficult to 
relinquish his connection. Bu.t, having acquired a competency, and 
finding that, after having practiced medicine for over thirty years, fur- 
ther active interest in the profession would be injurious to his health, he re- 
tired, and for years has devoted himself to experimental chemistry. Dr. 
Burson has discovered a process for producing engravings by light and elec- 
tricity, a process by which a reproduction of photographs, drawings, en- 
gravings, etc., can be produced in the most minute detail, and either in 
relievo or intaglio, as desired. A brief outline of his process, which the 
Doctor has named " Helio-chemical Engraving," may be here given: A 
metal plate is first highly polished, then sensitized to light and placed under 
the di-awing, photograph or other object desired to be reproduced. It is 
then exposed to the light for a short time, and after certain manipulations, the 
plate is placed in the decomposition cell of a galvanic battery, and left there 
long enough to receive a metallic deposit, which elevates the lights and 
leaves the shades sunken, so that the shades will hold ink, and impressions 
can betaken fi-om the plate by means of a press; or, after silver or gold has 
been deposited on the lights, the plate itself may be framed and kept, the 
same as a photograph, engraving or other picture. 

JEREMIAH DRAKE, Jr., farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was 
born May 15, 1848, in Southampton County, Va. His father, Jeremiah 
Drake, Sr., was born in Southampton County, Va., October 15, 1804, of 
English descent; married. January 5, 1830, Miss Priscilla Williams, a na- 
tive of North Cai'olina. They lived in Sussex County, Va. , from 1853 to 
1860, then came to Madison Township, this county, and finally settled in 
Delaware Township, this county, in 1862. To them were born the follow- 
ing named children: Benjamin, residing in Marion Coimty, Ohio; John W. 
and William Allen (they were soldiers in the One Hundred and Thirty-third 
Regiment Ohio National Guards, and died at New Creek, Va.), Henry (de- 
ceased), Eliza (Mrs. Priscilla Osborne), Mrs. Temperance Eldert and Jere- 
miah, Jr. Our subject came to this county with his parents when twelve 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 701 

years of age. June 8, 1871, he married Miss TamseriR. Harris, and to them 
was born one son, who died in infancy. They have adopted and reared in 
their family Wilbert L.. son of William Warner, of this county. Since 
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Drake have lived one year in Morrow County, 
and five years in Marion County, Ohio. They purchased their present farm 
in Delaware Townhsip, this county, in 1883. Mr. Drake devotes a great 
deal of attention to buying and shipping live-stock. He is a Democrat in 
politics, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

DAVID M. DREISBACH, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount 
Blanchard, Ohio, was born September "28, 1845, in Pickaway County, Ohio. 
His father, Rev. Abraham E. Dreisbach, a native of Berks County, Penn. , was 
a son of Rev. John Dreisbach. one of the first preachers of the Evangelical 
Association and the founder of their present extensive publishing interests. 
Rev. John Dreisbach will be remembered as having done a large pioneer 
work for the church in Ohio, at Cleveland, Circleville, Dayton and other 
points; he died August 20, 1871, in his eighty-third year. While living in 
Pennsylvania he was twice elected to the Legislature. Rev. Abraham E. Dreis- 
bach married Miss Marianna Miesie, in 1840, and they moved to Seneca 
County, Ohio, near Tiffin, about 1852. He made that place the center of 
his work in the ministry nearly all the remainder of his life. He was well 
known as a popular preacher in many of the churches in this county, where 
he traveled for four years as a presiding elder. He died August 28, 1876. 
Of his ten childi-en four are now living in this county: Cornelius M., 
Grabriel M., Marianna M. and David M. The mother died February 9, 
1857. David M. Dreisbach, the subject of this sketch, gave ten months of 
his time (fi'om Febriiary to December) in 1865 to the service of his country, 
after which he carried on a grocery business and a grist-mill at Benton 
Ridge, Ohio, for two years. He married, October 15, 1867, Miss Caroline 
W^agner, who was born May 6, 1846, a daughter of Jacob and Mary Wag- 
ner. Our subject and wife resided in Findlay Township, this county, for 
ten years, and settled on their present place in Delaware Township, this 
county, in 1881. Here they have a fine farm of 240 acres of well improved 
land. Mr. Dreisbach is a successful breeder of fine stock and has a fine 
flock of French merino sheep, a herd of thorough-bred shoii horn cattle 
and several Poland China hogs. The children born to our subject and wife 
are Lillie W., Silas W., Helena W'., AVilliam H. W., Aaron W., David W. 
and Arthur W. Mr. and Mrs. Dreisbach are members of the Evangelical 
Association. He is an earnest Republican in politics and takes a deep in- 
terest in public aflPairs. He pays a great deal of attention to the education 
of his family, and has one of the finest private libraries in Delaware Town- 
ship. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. and is a 
F. & A. M. 

ISAIAH EAIRLEYWINE, farmer. P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born 
October 25, 1836, in Knox County, Ohio, ; sen of George and Susan (Dyal) 
Eairleywine, early settlers of that county, the former a native of soiathern 
Pennsylvania, and the latter a native of Fairfield County, Ohio. They came 
to Delaware Township, this county, in November, 1836, purchased a tract 
of land and began clearing up and developing a farm. They reared a fam- 
ily of nine children : Aaron, in Kosciusko County, Ind. ; Mrs. Mary A. 
Wolfort; Mrs. Sophia Davis; Lewis; Uriah; Isaiah; Mrs. Celina Hook; 
Mrs. Lovina Aurand and Adam. George Eairleywine, now ninety years of 

37 



702 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

age, resides in Mount Blanchard, this county. He is one of the oldest and 
most highly respected of the pioneers of Delaware Township, this county. 
His wife died March 4, 1869. Isaiah Eairleywine responded to the Presi- 
dent's first call for troops, and enlisted, in March, 1861, in defense of 
his country, serving faithfully as a soldier. October 22. 1868, he married 
Miss Margaret Weir, and they then settled in Delaware Township, this 
coiinty, where they have a fine farm of eighty acres of land. Their chil- 
dren are Robert W., Mrs. Eleanor Gordon, Elizabeth and Thurman. In 
politics Mr. Eairleywine is a Democrat. He has filled the office of town- 
ship trustee. He is a member of the Disciples Church, his wife being a 
Presbyterian. 

ISAAC F. ELDER, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born in Del- 
aware Township, this county, January 21, 1846, on the farm on which he 
now resides. Josiah Elder, his father, a famous pugilist in early times and 
a typical pioneer of the old school, married, September 27, 1832, Miss Sarah 
Ann Cessna, who was born in Bedford County, Penn. , January 17, 1813 (her 
father, John Cessna, a soldier in the war of 1812, moved to Coshocton 
County, Ohio, in 1814, and to Hardin County, Ohio, in 1831). She was 
very strong and active, and could handle an ax as skillfully as a man. She 
and her sister, Rebecca, cut all the logs for their cabin while their father was 
gone to Bellefontaine to mill. Josiah Elder and his wife cleared up a large 
farm on Blanchard River. Of their eleven children foiu' are now living: 
Franklin, in Missouri; Jonathan, in Kansas; Mrs. Sarah Ann Pugh and 
Isaac F. Josiah Elder died May 1, 1868. His widow now resides in Mount 
Blanchard, this county. Isaac F. Elder married, January 1, 1874, Miss 
Charlotte Greer, daughter of John Greer. They have six childi-en : Muzetta, 
Zoa, Zeller, Squire, Zana and Frank. August 7, 1879, Mr. Elder and his 
two daughters were struck by an express train as they were attempting to 
di'ive across the Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railway track near 
Forest, their wagon and team being literally torn to pieces. The girls es- 
caped with slight injuries, but Mr. Elder received injuries from which he 
has never fully recovered. Mr. and Mrs. Elder ''are members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Chiu'ch. 

GEORGE SILAS FAHL, farmer, miller and manufacturer, P. O. Mount 
Blanchard, was born May 25, 1840, in Delaware Township, this county. He 
received his education' in the schools of the home district, and his boy- 
hood was spent at work on the farm and in the saw and grist-mill owned by 
his father. February 22, 1861, our subject was united in marriage with 
Mary C. Hempy, born in Hancock County, O., January 14, 1844, daughter 
of Henry and Anna (Hall) Hempy. Since their marriage our svibject and 
wife have resided on their present farm of 399.^ acres of well improved land 
on the Blanchard River, in Delaware Township, this county. Their chil- 
dren are Monroe, Emma E., Bertha Gay. Arizona Jay, Owen H., Theron 
I., Marvin H., Clarence S. , Edson E. and Allie G. In 1862 our subject 
came into possession of the mill which was established by Godfrey Wolford, 
and now operates it as a grist and flouring-mill with a saw-mill addition. 
In 1872 he established a steam planing-mill, shingle-mill, lath factory, etc., 
to which he added, in 1880, the cider-mill which took the premium at the 
Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Penn., and he makes over 75,000 gal- 
lons of cider per year. Mr. Fahl is an energetic business man, highly 
respected by the entire community. 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 703 

ABDIEL GOBKECHT, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born January 14, 
1831, in York County, Penn., son of William and Elizabeth Gobrecht, who 
resided in Pennsylvania until their death. Our subject married, March 8, 
1852, Miss Caroline M. Hinch. and they then came to Delaware Township, 
this county, in the fall of 1853, and bought a tract of eighty acres of land, 
where they now reside, and which they have improved and developed, mak- 
ing it one of the finest farms in this part of the county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Gobrecht reared eight childi-en : Mrs. Elizabeth Lackey (deceased), Mrs. Mary 
Treece, Mrs. Emma Bowman, AVilliam E., Oliver T., Etta May, Jacob W. and 
Carrie Myrtle. Mr. Abdiel Gobrecht is a Democrat in politics. He and 
his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. 

SAMUEL FORD GREER, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born 
in Delaware Township, this county, July 8, 1851, son of John Greer, who 
was born May 15, 1812, in Stark County, Md. His parents moved to 
Fairfield County, Ohio, in 181(3, finally settling in Delaware Township, 
this county, in the spring of 1825. Here John Greer married, in 1836, 
Miss Mary Brown, who was born in June, 1813, in Pickaway County, Ohio, 
and came to this county about 1832; they settled on a farm in Delaware 
Township, this county, near Mount Blanchard, which they afterward sold, 
and then entered another place of 168 acres, one mile east of Mount Blanch- 
ard; they reared twelve childi-en: Joshua (who died in California). John 
(residing in California), Mrs. Sarah Armstrong (in Missouri), Hemy (in 
California), Eliza (in California), William, Nathan (in California), Mrs. 
Ellen Cole, Mrs. Charlotte Elder, Samviel Ford, Mrs. Harriet Messimore, 
and Jefferson (in California). The father died -October 24, 1882; the 
mother now resides in Mount Blanchard, this county. The subject of this 
sketch married, Februar}^ 1(5, 1871, Miss Catherine Corbin, and after resid- 
ing for five years in Amanda Township, this county, they located in Dela- 
ware Township, where they now reside and own 112 acres of land. Their 
children are Darwin, Jefferson, Elmer, Virgie, Bertie and John. Mr. 
Greer is a Democrat in politics. He is a successful farmer and an enter- 
prising man. enjoying the respect of the entire communitv. 

MELANCTHON S. HAMLIN, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was 
born July 29, 1818, on the present site of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. 
At the age of six years he came with his parents to Crawford County, 
Ohio, and in March following (1825) they started for this county, landing 
in Delaware Township after a three days' trip with oxen and wagon, and 
here they endured the hardships and privations peculiar to pioneer life in 
those early days. The mother died in this county in 1837 and the father 
afterward moved to Wyandot County, Ohio, and there died in 1854. At 
the age of nineteen years our subject purchased, of Henry Green, a tract 
of eighty acres of land; this was his first venture in real estate. January 
30, 1840, Mr. Hamlin was married to Miss Mary Marshall, and they settled 
down to their life work in Delaware Township, this county. Our subject 
engaged in farming and buying and selling stock, and adding to his farm 
until he now has, in and adjoining the town of Mount Blanchard, 720 
acres of as good land as there is in the county. In 1854 he established a 
general merchandise store which he caiTied on until 1861. In 1882 he 
began the erection of a brick edifice on his place; this he has completed 
and it stands to-day one of the largest, best constructed and finely finished 
residences in northwestern Ohio. To Melancthon S. Hamlin "and wife 



704 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

have been born one son, John M., residing in Findlay. Ohio, and one 
daughter, Mrs. Eliza J. McVay, residing in Mount Blanchard, this county. 

JACOB HARRIS, Esq. (deceased), was born June 26, 18'28, in Colum- 
biana County, Ohio, and came to this county with his parents, William and 
Nancy (Sterling) Harris, libout 1830. Both his parents lived to an advanced 
ao-e and died in this coiuity. Jacob Harris ccmipleted his education under 
the Rev. Emerson, in Mt. Blanchard, Ohio. He early engaged in teach 
incr, a profession he followed for about twelve years. He married Miss 
Susan E. Chase April '22, 1852, and they moved at once to their farm in 
Delaware Township, this county, where they went to work in the woods 
clearing up and developing a tine farm. They retired from this in Novem- 
ber, 1879, and moved to Mt. Blanchard, this county, where Mr. Harris 
died August 23, 1880. He was a life long Republican and was prominent 
in pablic affairs. He served as township clerk for seven years and justice 
of the peace for twelve years, being elected unanimously the last term. 
Mr. and Mrs. Harris were parents of four children: Mrs. Tamsen R. Drake. 
Chester M., Judah E. (deceased) and Luella A. Mrs. Harris now resides 
in Mt. Blanchard, this county; she and her entire family are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

CHESTER M. HARRIS, farmer and stock dealer, P. O. Mt. Blanchard, 
was born October 7, 1856, in Delaware Township, this county, on the farm 
on which he now resides. After completing a course in the home district 
school he attended three terms at Mt. Blanchard school and then engaged 
in teaching for two terms in Marion County, Ohio, in the intervals attend 
ing the Marion High School. SeptemVwr 9, 1879, Mr. Harris married Miss 
Lizzie A. Lee, daughter of Martin Lee, of Marion County, Ohio, and they 
then settled on the old homestead farm, where they still reside. They have 
two sons: Earl C. and Clark J. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are consistent mem 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is an earnest Republican and 
takes a deep interest in public affairs. He is an enterprising and energetic 
voung farmer, enjoying the respect of the community in which he lives. 

JOHN W. HUGHES, of the firm Hughes Bros. , Mt. Blanchard, was 
born August 21, 1849, in Franklin County, Ohio, and married Miss Emma 
Coleman, in 1872. He spent two years in Monroeville, Ind. , prosecuting 
his business as a harness maker, and several years in North Baltimore and 
Fostoria, Ohio, carrying on the butchering business. He finally, in 1883, 
formed a partnership with his brother, Barrett J. , in the dry goods busi 
ness, which partnership still continues. Their store is located at Mt. 
Blanchard, this county, where they carry a large stock of dry goods, 
groceries, etc., and are doing a thriving business. Mr. Hughes has two 
childi-en : Charles and Bernice. The Hughes Bros, are among the solid and 
reliable business men of Mt. Blanchard, and their success speaks well for 
their enterprise and energy. 

BARRETT J. HUGHES, of the firm Hughes Bros., Mt. Blanchard, 
was born November 28, 1852, in Franklin Coiinty, Ohio. His parents, 
James B. and Miriam (Dougherty) Hughes, both natives of Ohio, came to 
Amanda Township, this county, in 1860, and remained there on a farm 
until 1807, when they removed to Vanlue, Ohio, and finally settled perma 
nently in Mt. Blanchard, this county, in 1869. Here our subject began 
clerking for J. H. Biddle & Co. in 1871, remaining with them until March, 
1883, with the exception of six months spent with E. & A. Thompson, 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 705 

Mansfield, Ohio, in 1874. In March, 1883, Mr. Hughes, in partnership 
with his brother, J. W. , established a store in North Baltimore, Wood Co. , 
Ohio, and in March, 3881, they moved to Mt. Blanchard, this county, and 
located in the building formerly occupied by Biddle & Co. Here Huc^hes 
Bros, have a complete stock of dry goods, groceries, hats and caps, boots 
and shoes, clothing, millinery and notions. Their thorough acquaintance 
with the people and their uniform courtesy have enabled them to build up 
a large and flourishing trade. 

SAMUEL HUMPHREY, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born June 27. 
1811, in Columbiana County, Ohio. At the age of eighteen years he began 
running a boat from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New Orleans, La. , "which occupa- 
tion he followed until 1834. He married Miss Susannah Dorrow in 3841. 
He had previously walked out to Delaware Township, this county, in com- 
pany with his father, and entered land, and after his marriage he and his 
wife at once located on this property, which is now the family homestead, 
and which he added to until he finally owned 400 acres. There is now only 
one other man living in Delaware Township who entered land from the 
Government. Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey were parents of nine children: 
Mary A. , Margaret C. , Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Woods and Susan Louisa Scott 
are deceased; and William D., John J., Samuel E., Mrs. Mollie A. Ballard 
and Ida S. are yet living. Mrs. Humphrey died November 13, 1883; she 
had been a member of the Christian Church since 1841. Mr. Humphrey 
has also been a member of that church since same date. He now resides 
on the homestead, enjoying the peace and quiet of an honored old age. 

WILLIAM D. HUMPHREY, teacher and farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, 
was born April 2, 1853, in Delaware Township, this county, son of Samuel 
and Susannah (Dorrow) Humphrey. William D. Humphrey was reared on 
his father' s farm, iind after completing a course in the schools of the home 
district, he attended a short term each in the high schools at Mt. Blanchard, 
Findlay and Dunkirk, Ohio. He then taught a term of four months near 
Forest, Ohio, and afterward entered upon a course of instruction in the 
Northwestern Ohio Normal School, Ada, Ohio, in 1874. He continued this 
course, alternating with terms of teaching, until 1881. December 29, 1881, 
he married Mary Bell, of Logan County, Ohio. They purchased 160 acres 
of land, a part of the homestead farm, and located in Delaware Township, 
this county, where they now reside. They have one daughter, Bertha Bell, 
and an infant son. Mr. Humphrey has taught school, in all, thirty nine 
terms in Hancock, Hardin, Allen and Logan Counties, Ohio, including two 
years in the Union School of Mt. Blanchard, and the same length of time at 
Scott's Crossing. Allen Co., Ohio, and six years in home school. He has 
made thorough preparation for the profession of teacher, and has a fine 
record as a faithful and efficient instructor. Our subject is a Republican in 
politics; he takes a deep interest in public affairs, and is regarded as one of 
the leading citizens of Delaware Township. 

GEORGE KETCH, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born April 16, 
1824, in Columbiana County, Ohio, son of Thomas and Ann (Bilger) Ketch, 
natives of Pennsylvania, the former of whom died in 1832; the latter 
brought her family to Hardin County, Ohio, in 1836, and died in Delaware 
Township, this county, in 1868, while living with her son Thomas. George 
Ketch, the youngest in a family of six children, lived in Hardin County, 
Ohio, until his marriage with Miss Adeline Warner, March 16, 1848, when 



706 HISTORY OF HANCOCK. COUNTY. 

they at once moved to their farm in Delaware Township, this county, which 
he had then owned for several years, and on which they still reside. Here 
they went to work in the woods, clearing up and improving their farm, and 
they now have I'iO acres of fertile and well improved land, after having 
given their children KM) acres. Mrs. Ketch died in October, 1859, leaving 
three chikli'en: Thomas E., Clark and Sarah, who afterward married W. ¥. 
Cook, son of D wight Cook, a well known pioneer. After the death of his 
first wife Mr. Ketch married Miss Adeline Johnson, who died in February, 
1871, leaving a daughter, Laura; and for his third wife our subject then 
married Mrs. Paulina Switzer; she has one daughter, Lula Clare. Mrs. 
Ketch is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Ketch cast 
his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce, and has been a supporter of 
the Democratic party ever since. He is an enterprising and successful 
farmer, an upright and useful citizen, highly respected by the entire com- 
munity. 

CLARK KETCH, farmer, P. O. Wharton, Wyandot County, was born 
May 1, 1852, in Delaware Township, this county, son of the well-known 
pioneer, George Ketch. Our subject was reared on his father's farm, and 
received his education in the schools of the home district. He was married, 
September 4, 1873, to Miss Ellen F. Chase, and to them were born two 
childi'en: Ora, who died at the age of three years, and Merle, who died 
when three months old. IVL*. Ketch has a fine farm of 224 acres of land, 
in Delaware Township, this county, where he devotes considerable attention 
to live-stock. He is an enterprising and successful young farmer, and 
enjoys the respect of the entire community. He and his wife are members 
of the Methodist Protestant Church. In politics he is a Democrat. 

MILTON MAY, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born in Brooke 
County, Va. (now W^st Virginia), January 30,1829. In 1850 he went with 
the gold hunters to California and remained there six months; during this 
time he had a severe attack of mountain fever. He decided to return to his 
native county, and leaving San Franciso, with only one dime in his pocket, 
he worked before the mast for his passage to Panama, and arriving there, 
engaged at carpenting for two months, then crossed the Isthmus to Cha- 
gres, and shipped for New Orleans, being promoted on the voyage to second 
mate. • Arriving in New Orleans, he made his way up the Mississippi 
River to Steubenville, Ohio, and in the spring of 1852, he came to Delaware 
Township, this county, where he had previously acquired a tract of land. 
This land he now began clearing up and improving, antl September 15, 
1853, he married Sarah Louisa Smith, daughter of the pioneer Abij ah Smith, 
and they located in their present home in Delaware Township, this county, 
in the spring of 1857; hore they have a fine farm of eighty-one acres of well 
improved land; they also own a tract of 137 acres in Delaware and Amanda 
Townships, this county. Mr. and Mrs. May have two children: Dr. A. S. 
May, in Donaldson, Marshall Co., Ind., and Lewis B., at home. Mr. 
May is a member of the Methodist Church, Mrs. May of the Presbyterian. 

JOSEPH MOORE, farmer, P. O. Forest, Hardin County, was born 
June 6, 1815, in Beaver County, Penn. , and when he was seventeen months 
old his parents, William and Amelia Moore, brought him to Athens County, 
Ohio. The parents afterward spent nine years in Delaware County, Ohio, 
and came in 1839 to Delaware Township, this coiinty, where they entered 
160 acres of land from the Government, and cleared up a farm. Of their 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 707 

thirteen children seven are now living: Mrs. Margaret Durfee (in Rockport, 
Mo.), John (in Hancock County), Mrs. Eleanor Gallant (in Delaware 
County, Ohio), Mrs. Charlotte Calvert (in Athens County, Ohio), Samuel 
(in Delaware County, Ohio), Joseph and Mrs. Emily Gallant William 
Moore died December 12, 1852, aged seventy-seven years, and his widow 
May 18, 1858, aged seventy-seven years; they were upright pioneers, highly 
respected by all who knew them. The subject of this sketch spent eleven 
years of his life in Delaware County, Ohio. He married, October 20, 1836, 
Miss Martha E. Thompson of Athens County, Ohio, and they moved at 
once to Delaware County, Ohio, and from there, in 1843, to their present 
home in Delaware Township, this county. Here they have a fine farm of 
236 acres of well improved land. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have been blessed 
with six children, three of whom are now living: Sidney F. (in Forest, 
Hardin Co., Ohio), Naaman T., and Mrs. Mary C. Gilbert, in Forest. 
Those deceased are Mrs. Paulina Miller, Rebecca and Eliza E. Sidney F. 
and Naaman T., gave their services, from September, 1862, to the close of the 
war, in defense of the Union. July 10, 1873, while cutting wheat with a 
reaper, our subject met with an accident which resulted in the loss of his 
left leg below the knee. JMr. Moore, formerly a Whig, has been a Repub- 
lican since the organization of that party. He has served his township for 
several terms as trustee, and is one of the successful farmers and reliable 
citizens of Delaware Township, highly respected by his fellow citizens. 
^ THOMAS MUSGRAVE (deceased) was born March 5, 1827, in Coshocton 
County, Ohio, son of William and Margaret Musgrave, who came to Delaware 
Township, this county, in 1832, where they still reside. Our subject was reared 
on his father's farm and shared the lot of a pioneer's son. He married, July 
1, 1849, Miss Margaret Ann Wineland, born May 15, 1830, in Richland 
County, Ohio, and who came to this county in 1847 with her parents, John 
and Mary Wineland, who resided here until their death. Mr. and Mi's. Mus- 
grave resided in Delaware Township, this county, from the date of their 
marriage. In 1863 they settled on their present homestead, where he had 
a tine farm of 200 acres of well improved land. To our subject and wife were 
born the following named children: John W\ (married Miss Emma Moore 
and resides on the farm), Washington (in Jay County, Ind.), Franklin, Mary 
Jane, Mrs. Angeline Castor, Mrs. Laura Sink and Ulysses S. Mr. Musgrave 
died June 22, 1880. He was a Republican in politics and took a deep in- 
terest in public affairs, serving as township trustee. He was an upright 
citizen, a man of much influence in the community. His widow now resides 
on the family homestead. 

SAMUEL R. PHILLIPS, farmer, P. O. Forest, Hardin County, born 
in Athens County, Ohio, July 30, 1815, is a son of Daniel and Abigail 
(Cady) Phillips, natives of Vermont and Connecticut, respectively, who 
resided for some years near Cooperstown, N. Y. , and afterward moved to 
Pennsylvania; they came to Marietta, Ohio, in 1812, and finally settled in 
Ames Township, Athens Co., Ohio, in 1814, and theie Daniel Phillips died 
in 1831; his father was a soldier under Gen. W^ashington in the war of the 
Revolution for seven years, and died in 1835. The mother of Daniel 
Phillips was present at the massacre at Wyoming. Samuel R. Phillips, the 
subject of this sketch, came to Delaware Township, this county, with his 
mother and an elder brother. Job, in the fall of 1835; his mother resided 
here until her death, which occurred in 1849, in her seventy sixth year. In 



708 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

August, 1836, he entered eighty acres of land, which he still owns; there is 
but one other man in Delaware Township, this county, who is living on 
land originally entered by himself from the Government. Mr. Phillips has 
added eighty acres of land to his original entry and now owns 1(50 acres of 
line farming land. In 1842 he taught the first school in his district, teach - 
ino- in all four terms. July 8, 1849, he married Miss Matilda Roby, who 
was born in Franklin County, Ohio, January 80, 1817, and came to Hardin 
County. Ohio, in 1883 with her parents, Josiah and Margaret (Elsey) Roby. 
To Samuel R. Phillij^s and wife were born three sons: David Isaac, Daniel 
Josiah (deceased) and Samuel Hanson. Our subject cast his first presiden 
tial vote fof Henry Clay, and has suj^ported the Whig and Republican 
parties ever since. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco 
pal Church. Mr. Phillips is a man of upright principles and strict 
integrity, greatly respected and esteemed by all who know him. 

CHARLES RAMSEY, retired farmer, P. O. Dunkirk, Hardin County, 
was born in Montgomery County, Md. , in 1804. He was declared free at 
the age of twenty-one by the will of his owner, but^id not really obtain his 
freedom until he was thirty years old. Our subject ran a ferry boat twenty- 
five years on the Ohio River at Steubenville, and amassed a considerable 
sum of money. In 1858 he came to Delaware Township, this county, and 
began clearing up and farming '240 acres of land he had purchased in 1887 ; 
at one time he owned 520 acres of land. In 1868 his wife died. Of her ten 
children three ai'e now living: Mrs. Christyann L. Hawkins, Martha Jane 
and Emily L. In August, 1871, Charles Ramsey married, for his second 
wife, Mrs. Louisa Watson, who died of heart disease May 16, 1885. while 
visiting her daughter at Forest, Ohio. Mr. Ramsey now owns a fine farm 
of 240 acres of land in this county, besides having given liberally to his 
children. He also owns a comfortable house in Dunkirk, Hardin Co., Ohio, 
to which he moved in 1882 and where he is living a somewhat retired life, 
enjoying the peace and quiet of a prosperous old age. His daughters are 
members of the United Brethren Church. He has been a church member 
since he was eleven years of age, and is now a member of the Wesleyau 
Church. When he was a little boy, on being I'eproved by a gentleman for 
swearing, Charles made the remark: "I throw it all in the fire," and he 
has never been known to swear since that time. He also formed his habit 
of saving while very young, by taking the timely advice of a fi-iend. Charles 
Ramsey has been an industrious and energetic citizen and is very highly 
respected wherever known. 

JAMES RAMSEY, retired farmer, P, O. Williamstown, was born June 
1, 1805, in Montgomery County, Md. He left Maryland in 1885 and came 
to Steubenville, Ohio. He ferried and farmed for seven years. He pur 
chased 100 acres of land in Delaware Township, this county, in 1839, 
which he paid for by working for 50 cents per day; he came out and took pos- 
session of his property in April, 1842. His sister, Eletha Ramsey, came here 
and resided with him until her death, which occurred April 18, 1884, in 
her eighty -third year. James Ramsey is an earnest member of the United 
Brethren Chiu-ch. He has never taken upon himself the cares of the 
matrimonial relation, but his life has been devoted principally to the benefit 
of others. He is strictly a self-made man, and his record in this commun- 
ity is such that he is respected wherever he is known. In politics he is a 
life-long Republican. 



DELAWARE TOWNSHIP. 709 

AARON F. BURSON ROSE, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born 
August 13, 1841, in Delaware Township, this county. His parents, John 
and Margaret (Berry) Rose, natives of Maryland and Virginia, respectively, 
and early settlers of Fairfield County, Ohio, located in Delaware Township, 
this county, in 1828, the former having previously entered a farm, in 1828, 
on Blanchard River, and this farm they then began to clear and improve. 
John Rose was a strong Whig, afterward a Republican; he was one of the 
early commissioners of this county, and for seventeen years he was treasurer 
of Delaware Township, this county; a man of wonderful energy and 
strength of character, he exerted a powerful influence over those with whom 
he associated; he was very firm in his temperance principles, which he 
exemplified by practice as well as precept. His wife died January 6, 18()3. 
and he followed her March '21, 1888, in his ninetieth year. They were 
parents of the following named children: Joel B. , deceased, at the age of 
twenty-three years; James Gr., in Michigan; Mrs. Elizabeth Hall, in Car- 
roll County, Mo.; Elias Y., in Howard County, Wis.; John A., in Carroll 
County, Mo. ; Mrs. Sarah Eairleywine, deceased, at age of thirty-three 
years ; Amos H. . in Carroll County, Mo. ; Mrs. Amanda Elder, in Pike 
County, Mo. ; two who died in infancy, and Aaron F. Burson. The subject of 
this sketch enlisted September 1, 1862, in the One Hundred and Eighteenth 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving in the xirmy of the Cumberland 
and taking part in many of the memorable engagements throughout Tennes- 
see, Georgia and vicinity. He received his dischai*ge August 8, 1865, 
leaving an honorable record as a brave and faithful soldier, and on return- 
ing home he married, December 7, 1865, Miss Mary A. Roller. Our sub- 
ject and wife now own and occupy the old homestead farm of 167 acres of 
well improved land; this farm has never been out of the Rose family's 
possession since it was first entered. Mr. and Mrs. Rose have eight chil- 
di-en: John M., Elmer W., Hettie J., William R., Samuel E., Arthur K., 
Perry B. and Maggie E. Our subject is an enthusiastic Ref)ublican and 
takes a deep interest in public affairs. He is at present trustee of Delaware 
Township, a position he has filled for three years. 

SOLOMON SHAFER, farmer, P. O. Mount Blanchard, was born 
near Mount Vernon, Knox Co. , Ohio, March 23, 1836. His father, Michael 
Shafer, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Knox County, Ohio, in early 
boyhood, and there, in 1819, married Miss Nancy Ireland. Michael Shafer 
came to this county in 1835 with part of his family, and in 1836 returned 
to Knox County, Ohio, for the rest of them, bringing them back with 
him to this county. He cleared up two farms in Delaware Township, this 
county, and was one of the earliest settlers, as well as one of the foremost 
in the development and improvement of •the town. He kept the Mount 
Blanchard Hotel fi'om 1887 to 1850, and was one of the most highly re- 
spected and honored of oui* pioneer citizens. His death occurred in 1852 ; 
his widow died in 1869, while residing with her son, Solomon. The chil- 
dren of Michael Shafer and wife were Hezekiah, in Mexico, Mo. ; Mrs. 
Rhoda Miller (deceased); Mrs. Christy Ann Taylor, in Decatur, 111. ; Mi- 
chael Jackson, in Dubuque, Iowa; Mrs. Mary Fahl. in Mount Blanchard, 
Ohio; Isaiah, in Forest, Ohio; Solomon (deceased); Henry AVitt, in Hebron, 
Ind. ; Solomon, in Mount Blanchard, Ohio; Morgan D , in Findlay. Ohio; 
x4.aron B. in Findlay. Ohio, and Mrs. Laura J. Smith, in Lacon, 111. They 
are an intelligent and enterprising family, and are occupying high positions 



710 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

in business and society. The subject of this sketch received his education 
in the schools of Mount Blanchard. He married Miss Mary Elizabeth 
Hoge, of Amanda Township, this county, September 20, 1860, and they 
located in Delaware Township, this county, where they now reside, and 
where they have a fine farm of 100 acres of land, all in the corporation of 
Mount Blanchard. They also own about 500 acres of land in other farms 
in this and Van Wert Counties. To Mr. and Mrs. Shafer has been born 
one daughter — Anna Lorena. Mr. Shafer was elected auditor of this county 
in the fall of 1864, on the Democratic ticket. He took his position in 
March following, and was re-elected in 1866, serving in all four years; he 
was the youngest man who ever occupied that position. Mrs. Shafer is a 
consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. 

JAMES C. TREECE, postmaster at Mount Blanchard, was born in Jack- 
son Township, this county, March 1 , 1851. His father, John, the son of Hen- 
ry Treece, a native of New England, married. May 12. 1841, Sarah, daughter 
of Henry Treece, of Pennsylvania, and they reared a family of four sons and 
one daughter: William B., born November 24, 1848, married to Mary J. 
Marshall; Mary C, born February 6, 1845, married to William W. Ander- 
son; James C.-, Isaac N., born January 7, 1854, married to Mary E. Go- 
brecht; John T., born April 24, 1860, married to Minnie E. Fahl. They 
came to this county in 1832, and resided in Delaware Township until his 
death, which occurred March 7, 1861 His widow, the mother of our sub- 
ject, afterward married Daniel Aurand, and after living in Michigan for 
fifteen years returned to Jackson Township, this county, where she now re- 
sides. James C. Treece carried on the harness-making business in Mount 
Blanchard. this county, for three years (in 1871-73). He then went to the 
Northwestern Ohio Normal School, at Ada, Ohio, where he attended in all 
five years, and on returning he engaged in teaching, a profession he has 
since followed in Delaware Township, this county, and in Wyandot County, 
Ohio. During this time he taught for eight years continuously in his home 
district, and made a fine record as a faithful and efficient educator. He 
was elected justice of the peace in 1884, and was appointed postmaster of 
Mount Blanchard, under President Cleveland, April 23, 1885. Mr. Treece 
is uniformly polite and courteous, and discharges his duties to the satisfac- 
faction of the public. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. 

JOHN G. WILSON, farmer, P. O. Forest, Hardin County, was born 
November 28, 1829, in Medina County, Ohio. His parents, Rol)ert and 
Betsey E. Wilson, settled in Delaware Township, this county, in April, 1835, 
after having spent the winter in Hardin County, Ohio, and here they went 
into the woods and began clearing up and developing a farm. Robert W^il- 
son died in February, 1850, and his widow in February, 1867. John G. 
Wilson, the subject of this sketch, was reared on his father's farm, and re- 
ceived his education in the schools of the home district . He married Miss 
Mary Ann Higgins, October 16, 1854, and then settled in Delaware Town- 
ship, this county. They have acquired, by their own industry and good 
management, a fine farm of 400 acres of land, with excellent buildings and 
other improvements. Their children are Mrs. Amanda E. Spencer, Mrs. 
Harriet K. Porter, Mrs. Mary Ann McElrie, Alva M., Mrs. Maggie Cooper, 
Mrs. Martha Jane Smith, William H. and Effie B. Mr. Wilson is a Repub- 
lican in politics; has served two terms as township tnistee. He is a lead- 
ing and representative citizen of Delaware Township, this county. 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 711 

WILLIAM N. YOST, M. D., Mount Blanchard, was born April 14, 
1836, in Thornville, Perry Co., Ohio, son of Peter and Elizabeth Yost, na- 
tives of Virginia, and who were among the early settlers of Perry County, 
Ohio. The father died in LSfiS; the mother is now residing in Jackson 
Township, this county. When our subject was a lad of ten years of age his 
parents moved across the county line into Licking County, Ohio, where he 
was reared and educated. In 1860 he began the study of medicine with 
Dr. J. E. Black, in Hebron, Licking Co., Ohio. In 1862 Dr. Black en- 
tered the Federal Army as surgeon, and William N. Yost went as hospital 
steward, under Dr. Black's instruction. Our sul)ject served in the Army of 
the Cumberland, under Gen. Sherman, throughout Tennessee, Alabama. 
Georgia and on the famous "march to the sea." He received an honorable 
discharge July 15, 1865, and the following September he entered the Miami 
Medical College, from which he graduated March 8, 1 867. After remain- 
ing as house physician at the Commercial Hospital one year. Dr. Yost es- 
tablished himself in Jacksontown, Licking Co., Ohio., and in 1872 located 
at Houcktown, this county, and in 1877 removed to Mount Blanchard, this 
county, and here, by strict attention to his profession, the Doctor has suc- 
ceeded in building up a large practice. Dr. Yost was married, May 12, 
1868. to Miss Rebecca A. Stewart, daughter of Capt. James Stewart, of 
Licking County, Ohio, and their chikhen are Minnie Laura, Maggie May, 
Gertrude, Charles C. and Clarence. Dr. Yost is recognized as one of the 
leading and influential citizens of this county. In politics he is a Democrat. 
Ho has been an active and useful member of the school board of Mount 
Blanchard ever since his location here. He is a member of the Northwest- 
ern Ohio Medical Association, and of the Ohio State Medical Society. He 
is a Royal Arch Mason, and helped to organize the lodge of Master Masons 
at Mount Blanchard, and was its Master for the first three years. The 
Doctor has also filled all the chairs in Odd Fellowship, and is a leading 
member of the G. A. R. at Mount Blanchard. 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 



JOHN ARRAS, Sr., farmer, P. O. Jenera, was born November 19, 1821, in 
Brandau. Hessen- Darmstadt, Germany, and came to America with his father. 
Peter Arras, in 1831, and to Eagle Township, this county, in 1839. He 
married, October 19, 1846, Miss Margaretha Essinger, of Amanda Town- 
ship, this county, and they located in Eagle Township, March 11, 1848. 
The place was new, and they at once began to make a home for themselves. 
Mr. Arras has here a fine and fertile farm of 201 acres of land, and has built 
thereon a fine brick residence, besides making other valuable imj^rovements. 
Mr. and Mrs. John Arras are parents of six children: Harriet, Peter, John, 
Philip, Mrs. Margaret Glick and Nicholas. Mr. An-as and family are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church. He is one of the successful farmers of Eagle 
Township, a good citizen, highly respected by the community in which he 
lives. 



712 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

PETER ARRAS, farmer, V. (). Jenera, was born May 19, 1825, in 
Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. He came to America, and to Union County, 
Ohio, with his parents, Peter and INIargaret Arras, in 1831, and to Eagle 
Township, this county, in 1889. They settled in the woods and young 
Peter worked for his father until twenty-seven years of age. Our subject 
married, October, 1849, Miss Barbara Essinger, and his father gave him a 
start in life with 120 acres of new land, on which the young couple settled 
in 1851. This land Mr. Arras- has cleared iip and converted into a fertile 
farm and a pleasant home, and has built thereon a fine brick residence, and 
has made other valuable improvements. He and his wife were parents of 
the following named childi-en : Philip, Anna Barbara (deceased), John, Peter 
(deceased) and Eva Maria Redick. The mother of these children died 
November 22, 1858, and Mr. Arras afterward married, in March, 1859, 
Miss Maria Heldman, who die(^ November 9, 1862, leaving one daughter — 
Mrs. Eva Wilson. Mr. Arras was next united in marriage, August 15, 1865, 
with Miss Eva Elizabeth Reddick, who was born in Germany and came to 
Erie County, Ohio, with her parents. By this union there are three daugh 
ters living: Christena, Matilda and Maggie Katy, and one son deceased, 
named Benjamin. Mr. Arras has added to his farm until he now owns 300 
acres of land, after having given each of his sons a good start in life. He 
and his family are members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Arras is a suc- 
cessful farmer and a good citizen, highlv respected by all. 

PHILIP ARRAS, farmer, P. O. Jenera, was born April 8, 1832, in 
Union County, Ohio. His parents, Peter and Margaret Arras, of Hessen- 
Darmstadt, Germany, came to America in 1831, and after living a few years 
in Union and Marion Counties, Ohio, finally settled, in 1839, in Eagle Town- 
ship, this county, where they bought a new farm and began making a home 
for themselves. Philip, their youngest son, remained at home and under- 
took the care of his father and mother. Peter Arras died in 1860, his 
widow August 25, 1883. May 21, 1861, Philip Ai-ras was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Catharine Heldman, daughter of Henry Heldman. Mr. 
Arras now owns the old homestead farm of 240 acres of land, whereon he 
has built a fine brick residence and made other valuable improvements. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Arras have been born five children: Henry, Carl, Mena, Lucy 
and Jacob (latter deceased); those living are all at home, a bright and 
interesting family, and Mr. Arras is giving them good educational ad- 
vantages, both literary and musical. The entire family are members of 
the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Arras is an enterprising and success- 
ful farmer, a good citizen, highly respected by all who know him. 

GODFREY CRATES, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born July 20, 1831, 
in Washington County, Penn. His parents. Christian and Magdalena 
(Miron) Crates, of AVurtemburg, Germany, came to America with three 
young children in 1829. They lived in ^Vashington County, Penn., until 
1842, when they came to this county and located in the wilderness, in Van 
Buren Township, settling on a tract of eighty acres of land, which Christian 
Crates had entered fi-om the Government about ten years previous. Of 
the eight childi-en of Christian and Magdalena Crates four are now living: 
Mrs. Caroline Rhinehart, John, Godfrey and Mrs. Rosa Ann Harris. 
Christian Crates died May 13, 1870, in his seventy-sixth year; his widow, 
the mother of our subject, now resides with her son and is eighty-nine years 
of age. Godfrey Crates was reared as a pioneer's son in Van Buren Town- 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 713 

ship, this county. He was united in marriage March 30, 1858, with Miss 
Lydia Wahl. who was born in Canton Basel, Switzerland, and came in 1844 
to this county with her parents, Frederick and Anna Maria Wahl. who set- 
tled in Van Buren Township. Her parents now reside in Orange Tow^nship, 
this county. Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey Crates resided in Van Bviren Township, 
this county, until April, 1880. when they sold their farm and purchased the 
Qld J. C. Ricketts farm of 200 acres of land in Eagle Township, where they 
now reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Crates have been born ten children : Mrs. 
Louisa Jane Bame. Christian F., William E.. John W., Marion E., Mar- 
o-aret E. . Daniel G. , Mary Magdalena, Henry A. and D. William, a twin, 
who was accidentally scalded in infancy. Our subject united with the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church at the age of seventeen years; subsequently, in 
1859, he withdrew from that church, connected himself with the Methodist 
Protestant Church, and was licensed to preach by the Ohio Conference in 
1877. Mi-s. Crates and son. Christian, are also members of the chm-eh. 
Godfi-ey Crates is one of the leading farmers and representative citizens of 
Eagle Township. 

WILLIAM CROSLEY, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, September IG, 1820, son of George and Maria Crosley, who 
were residents of this county from 1849 to the time of their death, dying at 
the age of seventy-four and eighty-one years, respectively. George Crosley 
was a soldier in the war of lSi2, and passed through Fort Findlay long 
before a town was thought of there. William Crosley married, March 1, 
1841, Miss Sarah Runkle, of Fairfield County, Ohio, and they came, in 
February, 1849, to Eagle Township, this county, where they bought a tract 
of land partly cleared; this they have improved and built upon until their 
farm now comprises 115 acres 'of well improved land. Mrs. Crosley died 
October 16, 1881, leaving six children: Mrs. Catherine Bish, Mrs. Polly 
Hoch, Mrs. Lydia Smith, Jacob, Mrs. Betsey Kramer and Joshua. June 4, 
1882, William Crosley married, for his second wife, Mrs. Meena Brookman, 
a native of Magdeburg, Germany, and who came to America in 1871. Her 
first husband, Frederick Brookman, died May 28, 1878, leaving three chil- 
dren: William, Theodore and Minna L. William Crosley is an industrious 
and honest citizen, respected by all who know him. 

DANIEL FELLER, farmer, P. O. Rawson, Hancock Co., Ohio, was born 
January 17, 1811, in Fairfield County, Ohio. His parents, Henry and Cather- 
ine (Robinult) Feller, natives of Lehigh County, Penn. , spent their active lives 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, where the former died in about 1831; the latter 
afterward came to this county on a visit and died in Rawson in September, 
1868, aged seventy-nine years. Daniel Feller, the subject of this sketch, 
was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Donaldson, while in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, and they settled near the center of Eagle Township, this 
county, in April, 1834. Mrs. Feller dying in the spring of the following year, 
Ml-. Feller then sold his farm and returned to Fairfield County, Ohio, where 
he was again man-ied (this time, September 4, 1836, to Miss Mary Donald- 
son), and came again to Eagle Township November 13, 1839, entering the 
farm on which he now resides. Mr. Feller at once began clearing np the 
farm and developing it, erecting thereon a fine brick residence in 1852, the 
third brick house built in the township, and has also made many other valu- 
able improvements. He is now the owner of a fine and valuable farm of 
160 acres of land. To IMi-. and Mrs. Daniel Feller were born twelve 



714 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

children. They had the misfortune to lose five of them within two weeks, 
in November, 18G9, from diphtheria; the eldest of these was seventeen 
years and the youngest four years of age. They also lost one child, two 
years of age October 24, 1842, and May 11, 1884, a daughter, Mrs. Catherine 
Sterling, of Wood County, Ohio, died in the thirty-ninth year of her age. 
Their children now living are Oliver H. , of Wood County, Ohio; Mrs. Lucy 
Ann Fahl and Mrs. Mary Watkins, of Hancock County, Ohio; John D., of 
Wood County, Ohio, and Mrs. Melissa Emeline Cromley, of A\'ood County, 
Ohio. Mrs. Feller died February 13, 1886, in the sixty-ninth year of her 
age, after twelve weeks of lingering illness. She was a member of the 
Evangelical Association, as is also Mr. Feller, who ranks among the most 
honored pioneers of Eagle Township. 

JOSEPH FOREMAN, farmer, P. O. Rawson, was born August 30, 
1830, in Franklin County, Penn. His parents, William and Eleanor (Mc- 
Nealj Foreman, came to Eagle Township, this county, with a family of 
eight children in 1845. The country being then new, they made the entire 
journey by wagon train, the older children, including Joseph, walking 
the whole distance. They settled on a farm in the northern part of Eagle 
Township, of which about twenty-five acres were cleared, and at once began 
improving and developing the place. They resided on this farm until their 
death; the mother died in 1850 and the father in 1803. Manifesting a 
spirit of patriotism, the boys, Joseph, John and George, gave their services 
to the Government during the war of the Rebellion. Joseph Foreman, the 
subject of this sketch, united in marriage, March 21, 1852, with Miss 
Christine Alspach, who was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, February 2, 
1832, and came to this county in April, 1849. Her parents, Jacob and Polly 
(Miller) Alspach, lived in Fairfield County, Ohio, until the latter' s death, 
after which Mr. Alspach moved to Indiana, where he now resides. Mr. 
and Mrs. Foreman settled in 1800 on an entirely new place, where they now 
reside. In May, 1864, Mr. Foreman enlisted in the One Hundred and 
Thirty-fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guards, and served in the campaign 
in Virginia. He left an honorable record as a brave and faithful soldier, 
and on returning home he again devoted himself to the work of clearing up 
and developing his farm, upon which he has erected a handsome residence 
and made many other valuable improvements, owning 175 acres of good 
land. To Mr. and Mrs. Foreman have been born ten children : Ellen (de- 
ceased), John Milton, Jacob M., Charles Ellsworth, James Gideon, Fred- 
erick (deceased), Edmund, Ada Belle, Cora Dell and Tena. Mr. Foreman 
has given his children excellent educational advantages, both literary and 
musical. He is a man of firm principles, highly respected by all who know 
him. He was chosen, for nine years, trustee of Eagle Township. 

PETER LINE, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born October 11, 1832, in 
Eagle Township, this county. Coonrad Line, the father of our subject, a 
native of Pennsylvania, was united in marriage, in Fairfield County, Ohio, 
with Miss Catharine Case, a native of Maryland. Peter Line, the subject 
of this sketch, acquired his education partly in the primitive schools of the 
pioneer days, but mostly by private study by the light of the old-fashioned 
chip-fire. When twenty-one years of age he went to Missouri, where he 
remained seven years. He married, October 7, 1860, Miss Mary B. Jewett, 
and returned to Eagle Township, this county, in 1861, settling on the farm 
which he had purchased and where they now reside, consisting of 170 acres 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 715 

of well improved land. On this place Mr. Line has a tile factory, the first 
ever established in this county, which he has operated for foiu-teen years. 
He manufactures exclusively for the home market. To Mr. and IVIrs. Peter 
Line have been born ten childi'en: Kate E., Fannie S., Amanda Jane, 
Coonrad D., Jacob, Edson, Henry D. (deceased), Mary E., Bessie and 
Edith. Mr. Line is a life-long Democrat. He has served his township in 
various official capacities, including clerk and trustee. He and his worthy 
wife are consistent members of the Predestinarian Baptist Church. Mi-. Line 
is a man of strict integrity, respected by the entire community. 

JOSEPH MARKEL,' farmer, P. 6. Findlay, was born in Schuylkill 
Township, Berks Co., Penn. , July 14, 1830. His parents, George and 
Catherine Markel, moved to Pickaway County, Ohio, the year after Joseph 
was born, and there resided until their death. Joseph Markel was reared in 
Pickaway County, Ohio, and there acquired his early education. He united 
in marriage with Miss Eliza Ann Everet, of Ross County, Ohio, July 6, 
1857, and three weeks thereafter they moved to Eagle Township, this 
county, where Mr. Markel rented a farm on which he resided eight years. 
He then returned to Pickaway County, Ohio, and took care of his father 
until the death of the latter March 3, 1875, he dying at the age of eighty- 
three years, one month and three days. After the death of his father our 
subject returned to Eagle Township, this county, and purchased the farm 
he had formerly rented. He now owns 160 acres of well improved land 
with good buildings thereon. Mr. Markel takes a lively interest in fine 
stock, and has owned some of the finest thorough-bred cattle in this county ; 
he has also given considerable attention to fine horses. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Markel have been born three children: Mrs. Anna Walters, Mrs. Rachel 
Alspach and George S. Our subject and wife are members of the Lutheran 
Church. He is a life-long Democrat; has been a delegate to the Demo- 
cratic convention nearly every year since his residence in this County. He 
is an upright and worthy citizen, and is highly respected by the entire com- 
munity. 

WILLIAM F. NOWLAN, farmer, P. O. Rawson, was born in JefPerson 
County, Ohio, March 2, 1825, son of Thomas D. and Margaret Nowlan, na- 
tives of England, who emigrated to Nova Scotia, and fi-om there moved to Ohio. 
Thomas D. Nowlan settled in Union Township, this county, in 1840. He was 
a carpenter by trade, and worked on canal work in the eastern part of this State ; 
also put up many buildings in this county. His wife died in Rawson in May, 
1878, and he in December following, in his eighty -third year. William F. 
Nowlan, the subject of this sketch, remained with his parents until his mar- 
riage with Miss Sarah Ann Troxing, November 11, 1849. She died June 8, 
1850, leaving one child, Sarah, now deceased. August 21, 1851, IMr. Nowlan 
was again united in marriage, this time with Mary Lanning, and to this union 
were born the following named children: David, La Fayette (deceased), 
Thomas, Malinda, Andrew and Mary. Mr. Nolan located where he now re- 
sides in 1864. He served from October, 1864, to July, 1865, as a soldier in 
the Sixty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was inthe Ai*my of the 
James, and took part in the closing campaigns of the war in Virginia, earn- 
ing a record as a brave and faithful soldier, always ready for the discharge 
of duty. Mr. Nowlan has a fine farm of eighty acres of well improved land. 
He is one of the pioneers of this county, and a highly respected citizen of 
Eagle Township. 



716 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

JOHN OMAN, farmpr, P. O. Findlay, was born in Columbia County, 
Penn., February 14, 1804. His parents, Henry and Ellen Oman, came to 
Eagle Township, this county, in 1840, and settled on a new farm, where 
they resided until their death. Of their twelve children, six are now living: 
John, Joseph, Mrs. Elizabeth Foreman, Mrs. Rachel Hosier, Hanna Jane 
and Mrs. Sarah Ann Keller. John Oman left Columbia County, Penn., 
when he was a young man, and came to Portage County, Ohio. He was 
united in marriage with Miss Faithful Ellet, and they located in Eagle Town- 
ship, this county, in 1840, here settling on a new farm, which they 
cleared up and developed. The children born of their union were Josiah, 
Ephraim I., Mrs. Hannah Jane Crouse, Mrs. Rebecca Ellen Crouse (de- 
ceased), and Margaret (deceased). Ephraim I. was a soldier in the Twenty- 
ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served fi'om September, 1864, 
to June, 1805. He went through with Shennan to the sea, taking part in 
many of the historic engagements of the Georgia campaign, and left an 
honorable record as a brave and faithful soldier. Returning home Ephraim 
I. Oman married Miss Minerva Newell, daughter of Joseph Newell, of Jack- 
son Township, this county. The result of this man'iage is one daughter, 
Emma Sedora. Mrs. Oman died May 28, 1875. John Oman, the subject of 
this sketch, was a famous and skillful hunter in the early days of this county. 
During the winter of 1843-44 he shot forty deer, most of them within one 
or two miles of his house. He was one of the best marksmen at long range 
ever known in this county, shooting accurately at a distance of fi-om 150 to 
200 yards. Mr. Oman is a life-long Whig and Republican. He and wife 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church from early life. He is one 
of the honored pioneers of Eagle Township, highly resjjected by all who 
know him. 

JOSEPH OMAN, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born in Columbia Coun- 
ty, Penn., October 17, 1807. He moved to Portage County, Ohio, in 1833, 
and came fi-om there, in 1837, to Eagle Township, this county, where he 
had been and purchased land the year before, paying for it in Canton bank 
notes, which money became worthless a few days after he made the purchase, 
by the failure of the bank. Joseph Oman was united in marriage, Feb- 
ruary 6, 1837, with Miss Eliza Ann Frees, of Seneca County, Ohio, a native 
of Columbia County, Penn. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Oman moved 
to their new place, and began the pioneer work of clearing it up and making 
a home. There being no mill near, they had to grate corn to make bread. 
He succeeded in developing a fine farm of 320 acres. The children of Mr. 
and Mrs. Oman are Jacob F. , now living in Schuyler, Colfax County, Neb. 
(He was a soldier in Company B, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry ; was taken prisoner at Chickamauga, and held in various prisons in 
the South until the close of the war. He earned an honorable record as a 
brave and faithful soldier.) The next son, Henry, now at home, was a sol- 
dier in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment Ohio National Guards; 
Wesley B. F. was also a soldier in the One Hundred and Thirty -fourth Reg- 
iment Ohio National Guards. (He united in marriage, March 15, 1883, with 
Miss Amy D. Mahon; they have one son, John Wesley. ) John H. is at home; 
Rachel Ellen died at the age of ten months. The mother of these children 
died of paralysis, June 19, 1884. The entire family are earnest Repub- 
licans. Joseph Oman is very firm in his temperance principles, having signed 
the pledge during his pioneer days in Portage County, Ohio. He would 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 717 

never join in the general custom of treating, and his sons have followed in 
his footsteps in this regard. Mr. and Mrs. Oman were two of the first seven 
to form the Keller Methodist Episcopal Church, and in LSTi) they united 
with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Oman is one the leading and 
honored pioneers of Eagle Township. 

PETER H. POWELL, farmer and justice of the peace, P. O. Findlay, 
was born in Eagle Township, this county, July 17, 1838. His father, Phil- 
lip Powell, of Mifflin County, Penn., came to Fairfield County, Ohio, when 
nine years of age, and remained there until 1833, when he moved to this 
county and settled on a farm of 160 acres of land which his father had en- 
tered for him in Eagle Township. Here Phillip married, February 22, 
183(3, Miss Elizabeth Fellers, who died March 0, 1841, leaving three "chil- 
dren: Joshua, of Liberty Township, this county; Peter H., the subject of 
this sketch, and Simon VV., in California (he married, May 2(3, 187(3, Miss 
Volarian Dolora Lovisa CheenecofP, of St. Petersburg, Russia). Phillip 
Powell's second wife was Miss Susanna Tussing, to whom he was married 
April 15, 1842; she died October 25, 1857; she had one child — Moses— born 
February 19, 1851, and died March 2, 1851. Mr. Powell afterward mar- 
ried, in October, 1861, Mrs. Magdalene Meisel. Phillip Powell died August 
29, 1866, leaving an honorable record as a faithfiil man and worthy pioneer 
citizen. The subject of this sketch married, March 24, 1861, Miss Cathe- 
rine E. Cogley, daughter of Jacob Cogley, and they settled where they now 
reside, in August, 1867. Here they purchased the interest of the heirs, and 
now own the homestead place of 160 acres of well improved land. Their 
children are Jacob S., Alice Altona, Simon Joshua, Emma Virginia, Mary 
Elmina and Clemens Laurence. IMr. Powell is a life-long Democrat. He 
was called upon to serve his township as trustee, and soon after, in the fall 
of 1872, was elected justice of the peace, and was re-elected in 1875, 1878, 
1881 and 1884. He also holds the position of treasurer of Eagle Township, 
this county. Judge Powell discharges all his duties faithfully and honestly, 
and to the entire satisfaction of the people. He and his wife are members 
of the Evangelical Lutheran Chiu'ch; he is a member of the I. O. O. F. He 
is a man of strict integrity, progressive, public-spirited, a valuable citizen, 
highly respected by the entire community. 

CONRAD SCHMIDT (deceased) was a native of Wui-temburg, Ger- 
many, born in 1791. He married Miss Magdalena Otterbach, and they came 
to America with a family of seven childi-en, in 1834, landing in Baltimore, 
Md. They hired a team to take them to Pittsburgh, and there hired another 
team to bring them out to Holmes County, Ohio. After living in that 
county foui>years they settled permanently in Eagle Township, this county, 
September 16 (Sunday), 1838, on land which our subject had entered in 
1834. Mr. Schmidt had to open out the Lima road about one mile, to ex- 
tend it to his residence. After living a long and useful life, Mr. Schmidt 
died in 1864, aged seventy-three years. Mrs. Schmidt died in 1865, aged 
seventy-five years. Their children were Mrs. Louisa Bauer, who died in 
Philadelphia, Penn.; John; Mrs. Catharina Doll, of Stockton, Cal. ; Mrs. 
Rosa Ann Cogley; Christian; Michael and Mrs. Magdalena Fellers. 

HENRY SHANK, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Fayette County, Penn., September 11, 1807, son of Jacob and Nancy 
(Stauffer) Shank, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 
1834 Henry Shank moved West, and after spending eighteen years in Allen 

38 



718 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and Putnam Counties, Ohio, he came to this county, where he has since 
been successfully connected with his present industry. Mr. Shank was 
united in marriage, October 10, 1828, with Emily Fleming, who died in 
Allen County, Ohio, leaving nine children. Mr. Shank's second marriage 
was February 1, 1849, with Maria Coughenour, who bore him eleven chil- 
dren, the result of both unions being nine sons and eleven daughters, of 
whom one son and two daughters died in infancy, and three daughters died 
after reaching maturity. Mr. Shank is a worthy member of the Disciples 
Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

REV. LYMAN SHARP, minister of the United Brethren Church, P. 
O. Findlay, was born in Eagle Township, this county, February 7, 1836. 
His father, Jacob Sharp, a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, of Welsh de- 
scent, came with John D. Bishop to this county, about 1832, and entered 
•1 GO acres of land in Section 23, Eagle Township; he was a blacksmith by 
trade, and carried on a shop in that line on his farm for many years; in 
1835 he married Miss Julia Ann Whitman, a native of Orleans County, N. 
Y. , an only child. When Mrs. Sharp was an infant her mother died, and, 
her father being killed by the explosion of a cannon at Albion, N. Y. , she 
was reared by her uncle, Benjamin O. Whitman, with whom she came to 
this county. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Sharp lived on their farm in Eagle 
Township, this county, until her death from cholera, in 1854. Jacob Sharp 
afterward married again, and after living about seven years in Hardin 
County, Ohio, he moved to W^hitley County, Ind. , and in 1867 to Clinton 
County, Mich., where he died Jvily 5, 1871, in his sixty-third year. The 
siibject of this sketch was reared on his father's farm, in Eagle Township, 
this county, and attended the schools of the home district, also one term in 
the Findlay school. He joined the United Brethren Church May 20, 1855. 
During his youth he was engaged in teaching; he taught for three terms in 
Eagle Township, this county, and two terms in Allen County, Ind. Mr. Sharp 
was united in marriage, October 16, 1859, with Miss Polly A. Line, who was 
born June 6, 1837, in Eagle Township, this county, daughter of the pio- 
neer, Coonrad Line. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sharp 
settled where they now reside, in Eagle Township, this coiuity, where they 
have a fine farm of eighty acres of well improved land. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Sharp have been born five children: Mrs. Catharine E. Reider, of Bowling 
Green, Ohio; J. C. Fremont; Matilda Jane; William Milton and Florence 
Luella. Mr. Sharp has been a devoted member of the church of his choice 
(United Brethren), and in 1859 he was licensed as an exhorter. In 1870 
the quarterly conference gave him a license to preach, and in 1875 he was 
licensed by the annual conference, since which time he has been regularly 
engaged in the work of the ministry. He has filled the following circuits: 
Bellmore, two years; Bluff'ton, two years; Vanlue, one year; Blanchard, 
one year; Eden two years, and is now completing his second year on the 
West Independence Circuit. Mr. Sharp is very earnest in the cause of the 
gospel, devoting to it the best energies of his life. His wife and all his 
children, except the youngest, are members of the church. Our subject is 
a life-long Republican; has held the office of clerk of Eagle Township for 
one term, and takes a deej:) interest in public affairs. From May 2 to Sep- 
tember 2, 1864, he served as a soldier in the One Hundred and Thirty- 
fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guards. 



EAGLE TOWNSHIP. 719 

ISAAC SMITH (deceased) was born February 14, 1813, in Franklin 
County, Ohio, son of William and Christine (Tussing) Smith, of Pennsyl- 
vania. He married. November 19, 1832, Miss Mary B. Bishop, who was 
born May 22, 1816, in Franklin County, Ohio; a daughter of George and 
Catherine Bishop, and a sister of John D. and Henry Bishop, of Eagle 
Township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Smith moved to Adams Town- 
ship, Seneca Co. , Ohio, in 1833, where our subject carried on a tan-yard for 
thirteen years. They then located in March, 1848, in Eagle Township, this 
county, where Mr. Smith cleared up and developed a fine farm of 240 acres 
of land, through which Eagle Creek flows. This farm was originally en- 
tered by John AVoodi-uff, in 1829. He built a saw-mill on this farm in 
1852, which he continued to operate until 1876. The childi'en born to the 
union of our subject and wife were Mrs. Catherine Himrod; Eve, who died 
in infancy; George, who died at the age of seventeen years; Mrs. Julia Ann 
Lanning; Jacob B. ; John, who died June 6, 1885, in his forty-second year; 
Henry (see under); Mrs. Mary Fellars, now in Wood County, Ohio; Sydney 
Ann, who died in infancy, and Emma. Isaac Smith died August 10, 1869. 
He was a member of the Predestinarian Baptist Church for about thirty 
years, with which denomination he and his wife united the same day. In 
politics Mr. Smith was a Democrat. He took an earnest interest in public 
affairs. His widow and her son, Henry, and daughter, Emma, now reside 
on the family homestead. 

HENRY SMITH, farmer, P. O. Findlay, son of Isaac and Mary B. , 
(Bishop) Smith, was born November 3, 1845. He married, October 11, 
1874, Miss Eliza Adelia Bibler. daughter of John Bibler. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Henry Smith have been born four children: Charles H., John C. Mary H. 
and Arnott L. Mr. Smith is an earnest Democrat. He is one of the enter- 
prising and representative farmers of Eagle Township. 

REV. JACOB B. SMITH, farmer, and minister of the Baptist Church, 
P. O. Findlay, was born October 21. 1841, in Adams Township, Seneca Co., 
Ohio. His father, Isaac Smith, a native of Franklin County, Ohio, mar- 
ried Miss Mary Bishop, and moved in a very early day to Seneca County, Ohio, 
where he carried on a tanning establishment, which he operated until 1848, 
when he moved to Eagle Township, this county. Here he purchased a new 
farm of 240 acres of land and began clearing and developing it. He and 
his worthy wife were members of the Predestinarian Baptist Church from 
early life. Isaac Smith was a consistent supporter of the Democratic party. 
He rendered valuable services in the settlement of this portion of Hancock 
County. He was prostrated by heat in 1863, which resulted in heai-t disease, 
causing his death in 1869. His widow still resides on the homestead farm. 
Rev. Jacob B. Smith, the subject of this sketch, spent his early life on his 
father's farm. Beginning in 1863 he taught school five winter terms, with 
uniform and undoubted success. August 10, 1864, he became united in 
mai'riage with Miss Eliza Helms, of Madison Township, this county, who 
died July 9, 1873, leaving three children: Edson K., Laura I. and Nellie 
I. ; the latter died April 10, 1881, aged seven years and nine months. De- 
cember 13, 1874, Mr. Smith was again married, this time to Miss Evalina 
Barnd, and they have two daughters living, Orpha and Elva, and have 
buried three infants. Mr. Smith united with the Predestinarian Baptist 
Church in 1869, and was ordained a minister thereof in 1874. He has de- 
voted his services unselfishly to the cause of his church most of the time 



720 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

since his ordination. Mr. Smith is one of the leading and most able min- 
isters of the Sandusky Association. Being a life-long Democrat he has 
taken an active interest in public affairs. He has served his township five 
years as clerk, and six years as assessor. He was chosen justice of the 
peace in 1879 and has held the position ever since. He discharges his 
duties faithfully and to the entire satisfaction of the people. He carried on 
a mercantile establishment in Findlay, Ohio, with Charles Elms as partner, 
from 1871 to 1874, when he moved back to the farm, which he owns, com- 
prising 140 acres of well improved land in Eagle Township. He is a man 
of extensive and varied abilities, having carried on, successfully, a black- 
smith shop on his place since 1804, doing work for an extensive community. 
He has also been very successful in the carpenter business; he built his own 
very large and commodious house, also several residences and V^arn build- 
ings in this township and in Findlay, also in Dunkirk, Hardin Co., Ohio. 
He is a man of wonderful energy and excellent judgment, and is called 
upon to transact business for his neighbors for miles around. He is bring- 
ing up a bright young family who are taking a high position in society and 
business. 

DAVID ZOLL, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Bloom Township, 
Fairfield Co. , Ohio, September 11, 1812. His parents, Jacob and Mary 
Ann (Alspach) Zoll, were natives of Schuylkill County, Penn., and among 
the earliest settlers of Fairfield County, Ohio. They started with teams for 
this county, April 15, 1834, and landed April 22, in Eagle Township, where 
they settled on a tract of 240 acres of land which Jacob Zoll had entered 
the year before, and at once began to clear up and improve their land. 
Jacob Zoll departed this life in July, 1861, and his widow in August, 
1880, aged eighty-three years. They were parents of nine children: David, 
Mrs. Ellen Oman, Mrs. Elizabeth Alspach, John, William, Mrs. Mary Ann 
Fellers (deceased), Joshua, Josiah and Eli. Our subject came to this 
county with his parents, and married, March 14, 1839, Sarah Crist. He 
and his wife settled where they now reside, and here they have a fine farm 
of eighty acres of well improved land. Their union has been blessed with 
nine children, four of whom are now living: Mrs. Mary Jane Hartman, 
Rufus R. of BlufPton, Ohio; Jacob W. and William H. They lost three of 
their children in one week by diphtheria, in October, 1862. Mr. Zoll is a 
life-long Democrat; has served as township treasurer for ten years. He and 
his worthy wife are members of the Lutheran Church. He is one of the 
honored pioneers of Eagle Township, a valuable citizen, highly respected 
by the community. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 721 



FINDIiAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 

JAMES T. ADAMS, manufactairer, Findlay, was bora in Perry County, 
Penn., April 22, 1825; son of AVilliam and Elizabeth (Ball) Adams, who 
came here in 1860. William Adams was a worthy minister in the Church 
of God and died here in 1882, leaving four sons and three daughters: Mary 
Ann, deceased wife of Levi Tarr, of Wood County, Ohio; James T. ; Sarah 
J. ; Elizabeth, wife of John Ferguson, of Liberty Township, this county; 
William B. , hardware merchant, of Corunna, Ind. ; John and Newton, prom- 
inent business men in Findlay. The subject of our sketch served an appren- 
ticeship to the tinsmithing business in his native county, and, upon coming 
to Findlay, Ohio, in 1854, embarked in hardvrare, tin and stone business. 
In 1 862 he engaged in linseed oil manufacturing, with which he remained 
successfully connected for twenty years, retiring from it to give his more 
especial attention to his already extensive foundry business, in which he had 
become interested some years previous. He married, in Richland County, 
Ohio, in 1849, Harriet L. , daughter of Peter Bodine, by whom he has one 
son and one daughter: Frederick C. , and Lizzie B., wife of John A. Weeks, 
Jr. The family attend the Presbyterian Church. Mr.- Adams has been 
an Odd Fellow for over forty years. He has always avoided holding public 
ofl&ce, but has served in the council for sixteen years and is now a worthy 
member of the school board of Findlay. In politics he is a Republican. 

JOHN ALTMAN, builder and contractor, Findlay, was born in Marion 
Township, this county, March 6, 1837; son of John and Delilah (Young) 
Altman, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively, and, who came 
of worthy pioneer ancestry in their respective States. They settled in this 
county in 1832. Of their nine children seven are residents of this county. 
One son resides in Allen County, Ohio, and one, Henry, lost his life in the army 
during the war of the Rebellion. John Altman, the subject of this sketch, 
was reared a farmer, but at the age of twenty- four years he engaged in con- 
tracting and building, and has taken a leading part in that industry in this 
county, both in private building and public improvements. In 1857 he was 
united in marriage with Elizabeth Wingate, who died in 1864, in full com- 
munion with the United Brethren Church. Of her three daughters and one 
son, only one daughter survives: Eliza, wife of Henry Dillman, a saddler, 
in Findlay. The deceased are John Will)ur, who died at the age of twenty-four 
years; Ida May and Lillie, both of whom died young. For his second wife 
John Altman married, in 1870, Amanda, daughter of William and Harriet 
Burns, and by her he has four children: Orpha Caroline, Edward Orrin, 
Augusta Millard and an infant daughter. Our subject and wife attend 
the services of the Evangelical Union Church. He has, in company with 
William Prosnell, Esq., an extensive stone quarry in addition to his large 
building interests, and gives employment to a goodly number of skilled 
workmen. 'Mr. Altman is a public-spirited man and contributes liberally to 
all measui-es calculated to benefit his county. 

AARON BAKER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Rockingham 



722 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Coiinty, Va., February 8, 1810; son of John and Mary (Dane) Baker, natives 
of Virginia, who came to Ohio in 1812 and located in Madison Township, 
Franklin County, whore they remained until 1830, when they removed to 
this county, settling in Findlay Township, and here passed the remainder 
of their days. They had nine children, of whom two are now living: Reu- 
ben, in Kosciusko County, Ohio, and Aaron. The subject of this sketch was 
married, January 29, 1838, to Mary Hartley, and by her he had ten children 
(seven of whom are now living): Tabitha, wife of Joseph AVagoner; Benja 
min P.; Perry D. ; Hester A., wife of Emory Rice; John W., who was a 
soldier in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantiy, under Capt. Howard, and was killed in a skirmish in Tennessee; 
Diana, wife of George Sager; Elizabeth, wife of John Sager; Reuben H. ; 
Isaiah M. and Lurie, wife of Mason Bibler. Mr. Baker began his business 
career one mile and a half northeast of Findlay, Ohio, where he remained 
for nineteen years. He then sold and afterward purchased the John P. 
Hamilton farm, which had been entered by Mr. Hamilton during Presi- 
dent Monroe's administration. This farm, which is located on the bank of 
the Blanchard fork, Mr. Baker improved. Our subject is a well-to-do 
farmer; in politics a stanch Republican. 

N. J. BAKER, proprietor of livery and feed stable, Findlay, was born 
in Allen Township, this county, October 11, 1845; son of George and Mar- 
garet Baker, natives of Fairfield County, Ohio, and of Pennsylvanian and 
Virginian ancestry, respectively. They settled in this county in an early 
day, and reared a family of seven sons and five daughters. The father 
and one daughter, Almira, who married A. J. Roberts, of Allen Township, 
this county, are deceased. The surviving children are Hannah, wife of 
Wilson Decker, carpenter and builder, North Baltimore, Ohio; Solomon, a 
farmer, in Johnson County, Iowa; Thomas, a farmer, in Putnam County, 
Ohio; Almeda, wife of Stewart Skinner, of Allen Township, this county; 
Benjamin F. a farmer, of Allen Township, this county; George W., a 
farmer, of Allen County, Kas. ; Malissa, wife of J. C. Overholt, of Pleasant 
Township, this county; Ella (unmarried), Clement and William C, living at 
home; and the subject of this sketch. N. J. Baker was reared a farmer and 
still owns a fine farm in Section 16, Cass Township, this county. During the 
war of the Rebellion he served in Company C, One Hundred and Ninety- 
eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He embarked in the livery busi- 
ness in 1883. Mr. Baker was united in marriage in Allen Township, this 
county, with Verona, daughter of William and Mary Miller. The family 
attend the services of the United Brethren Church. 

WILLIAM H. BALDWIN, M. D. (deceased), was born in Champaign 
County, Ohio, January 10, 1810, and settled in Findlay, Ohio, in the fall of 
1832. Having studied and attended lectures at Cincinnati, he entered the 
medical profession in early life and rose to a very respectable rank as a phy- 
sician. His high reputation and success gained him a very large practice 
which extended into adjoining counties, as well as all over the one in which 
he lived. His extensive practice necessitated long and frequent rides, and 
those who enjoy the advantages and improvements of the present day know 
but little of what those rides involved; there were but few well -beaten roads 
and scarcely any bridges; streams had to be forded, swamps and marshes 
had to be crossed, and large tracts of country often under water had to be 
traveled; but distance, difficulties and ceaseless labors neither discouraged 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 723 

nor checked this faithful physician in his untiring efforts to relieve the 
afflicted, honor his profession, and supply the wants of those dependent on 
him for support. These hard and indefatigable labors at last produced their 
effects; the vigorous constitution was impaired, and he who had been the 
embodiment of health, and had so successfully practiced the healing art upon 
others, became prematurely old and feeble, as all can testify who saw him 
totter on his staff during the few years before his death, which occurred 
December 14, 1868. Dr. Baldwin was married, April 19, 1835, to Mary 
J. Patterson, who was born July 13, 1817, in Harrison County, Ohio, 
daughter of John Patterson, who came to Findlay in 1834. In all the 
relations of life Dr. Baldwin was considerate, respectful, just and honorable, 
and enjoyed the highest esteem of all the people. He experienced the bless- 
ing of a saving peace under the ministry of Rev. J. Tibbals, and joined 
the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1842. He was unassuming and unswerv- 
ing in all his Christian duties, and made all his worldly interests conform to 
these. Family wor.ship was regularly attended to, besides which it was his 
custom, to the close of life, to retire into his closet several times each day, 
to commune with his God, so that when the Master called we may well be- 
lieve it was with the words "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord. " At a meeting of the members of the med- 
ical profession of Findlay, Ohio, Drs. Spayth, Detwiller and F. W. Firmin 
were appointed a committee to draft resolutions, expressive of the feelings of 
the profession at their loss of Dr. Baldwin by death, and the following res- 
olutions were presented and adopted: 

Resolved, That the medical profession of Findlay have heard with feelings of pro- 
found regret and sorrow of the death of our colleague, Dr. William H. Baldwin. 

Resolved, That in Dr. Baldwin we have always found the polite gentleman, the 
agreeable associate, the zealous student, and the attentive and skillful practitioner of 
medicine, always at his post of duty, despite its dangers and responsibilities. 

Resolved, That we, members of the medical profession of Findlay, tender, individ- 
ually and collectively, to the family of Dr. Baldwin, our deepest sympathy in their 
affliction, and assure them that we will always cherish the memory of our deceased 
associate with heartfelt gratitude. 

Resolved, That as a body we attend the funeral of Dr. Baldwin. 

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the family of Dr. Bald- 
win, and that they be published in the county papers. 

Mrs. Dr. Baldwin united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1836, 
and remained to her death a consistent and active Christian. She died Feb- 
ruary 5, 1881. She was attended during her last hours by her four sur- 
viving children: Mrs. W. S. Osborn and Miss E. E. Baldwin, New York 
City;" John J., Ada, Ohio, and L. A. Mrs. Dr. Baldwin was highly 
respected by all who knew her, and esteemed most by those who knew her 
best. As a Christian she was quite unobtrusive and strongly averse to all 
parade. Her house before her death was always a home for Methodist Min- 
isters, and many such recall with kindly feelings her generous hospitality in 
years gone by. 

L. A. BALDWIN, produce dealer, Findlay, was born in Findlay, this 
county, July 13, 1836. His father, Dr. William H. Baldwin, settled here, 
coming fi'om Champaign County, Ohio, in 1830, and was for many years one 
of theleaders in the development of the then new country; he served Han- 
cock County, as clerk of the common i)leas court, from 1836 to 1843; he 
married here Mary Jane Patterson, who borehimten children, of whom two 
sons and two daughters survive : L. A. , John J. , a produce dealer in Ada, 



724 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Oliio; Elizabeth E. rosidino- in Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Mary Jane, wife of W. S. 
Onborn, a commission merchant in New York City, residing in Brooklyn. 
The subject of this sketch, when a lad, engaged in merchandising, with 
which he has since been connected. He spent fonr years in the drug trade 
at Mount Blanchard, where he also served as postmaster (this occurred during 
the war). After the Rebellion, he returned to Findlay and engaged in his 
present business, with which he has since been successfully connected. He 
married in Findlay, March (), 1862, Ellen, daughter of the late John 
Decker, Esq. Mr. Baldwin has always held aloof from puljlic office. He is 
a worthy member of the I. O. Q. F. , and is at present Grand High Priest of 
Ohio. He is also a member of the Masonic fi-aternity. The Baldwins are 
descended from worthy Virginians and of Scotch -Irish pioneer stock in that 
State. 

ALFRED H. BALSLEY, publisher, Findlay, was born in Pittsburgh, 
Allegheny County, Penn., December 15, 1828, and resided* in that city until 
the fall of 1858. At the age of twelve years, or in the fall of 1840, he 
obtained employment in the nail factory of Miltenberger & Brown, and 
remained there until the spring of 1841, when the iron mills and nail factor- 
ies were shut down in consequence of the financial crisis and until the tariff 
of March 6, 1842, was passed; same year he became a "devil" in a print- 
ing office, where he learned the rudiments of the art, in which he acquired 
instruction from 1845 to 1847. He then worked alternately at either busi- 
ness until 1851, when he obtained a "case" on the Pittsburgh Dispatch, 
where he remained till the strike of 1853 again threw him out of employ- 
ment. In the fall of that year he located at Painesville, Lake Co. , Ohio, 
and published the Grand River Record until July of the following year, 
when he moved to St. Clairsville, Belmont Co. , Ohio. There he remained 
until October, 1855, publishing the St. Clairsville Independent. Early in 
October he located at Plymouth, on the line of Richland and Huron Coun- 
ties, having purchased the Plymouth Advertiser, the paper first established 
by "P. V. Nasby." Here he remained thirteen years. In the fall of 1868, 
having purchased the Fremont Journal, he removed to that city on the day 
Gen. Grant was first elected President of the United States, and there 
remained till the spring of 1876, when he purchased the Findlay Jefferson- 
ian, removing here with his family in August of that year. He still 
retains the Jeffersonian, and November 15, 1880, brought out the Daily 
Jeffersonian, which has now become a necessity to the good people of the 
city. While located at Plymouth, in 1861, he was elected postmaster, serv- 
ing acceptably eight years, or until his removal to Fremont. In 1861 he 
purchased the Shelby News, which he published till the spring of 1862, and 
then incorjDorated it with the Plymouth Advertiser. Soon after his removal 
to Fremont he established The Advertiser, at Milan, Erie Co. , Ohio, which he 
still continues to publish, and, in 1874, began the publication of the Times 
at Huron, same county, but discontinued it after his removal to Findlay. 
In 1878 he purchased the Attica Journal, which he carried on in connec- 
tion with his other papers, until the fall of the next year, when he sold it. 
He afterward purchased the Carey Times, the outside of which he still 
prints in his office at Findlay, as well as the outside of his most recent vent- 
lU'e, the North Baltimore Beacon. Mr. Balsley, who has been twice mar- 
ried, had one child (a daughter, now Mrs. G. H. Tallman, of the Carey 
Times) by his first wife, and five sons and three daughters by his second; 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 725 

three sons and one daughter living: Alfred W., llollin and Rollo (the last 
two twins) and Nellie M. Our subject has had reasonable success in bus- 
iness; owns a fine residence in Findlay; the block in which his office is sit- 
uated, and several residences in the city of Fremont, Ohio, besides other real 
estate. In pcjlitics ho is a Republican. 

T. G. BARNHILL, physician, Findlay, was born in Wayne County, 
Ohio, May 5, 1851; son of Joseph and Sarah (Frankhauser) Barnhill, for- 
mer a native of that county, and of Pennsylvania pioneer ancestry, latter 
born in Pickaway County, Ohio. ' In 1853 they removed to this county and 
settled in Liberty Township, where they reared four sons and three daugh- 
ters. T. (t. . who is the third child, received a good common school educa- 
tion, and at seventeen engaged in teaching; at eighteen he began the study 
of medicine in the office of Drs. Oesterlin & Detwiler. and in his twenty- 
second year graduated fr-om the Cleveland Homoeopathic Hospital College 
class of 1873. He immediately began the practice of his profession in 
Findlay, and has been successfully connected with it since, introducing, in 
1880, his valuable medicated baths. He married here, in 1874, Mary J., 
daughter of Conrad and Christina Renniuger, pioneers of Liberty Town- 
ship, this county, and they have one son, Joseph C. The Doctor is a public- 
spirited citizen, and contributes liberally to the advancement of Hancock 
County's interests. He is a worthy Odd Fellow, a member of the Legion 
of Honor; has served as coroner of the county three terms; county physi- 
cian eleven successive years; has been a member of the Board of Education 
of Findlay; has just lately received his appointment as district physician by 
the Board of Health of Findlay. He is an active member of the American 
Public Health Association of the State Society of Ohio. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 

ABRAHAM RUSSEL BELDEN, Findlay, was born in the city of New 
York, the youngest child of Richard Nathaniel and Hilah (Russell) Bel- 
den, the former a native of New London, Conn., and the latter of New 
York. At the death of his mother, our subject, when but six years of age, 
went to live at New London, Conn. , and at twelve was sent to Wilbraham, 
Mass., to school, and at fourteen returned to New York, shipped on board 
the brig ' 'Paulina, ' ' and sailed for Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Ayres, South 
America; was absent nine months and then joined the ship "Canada," Rad- 
cliff Hicks, commander, on which he was clerk and supercargo for nearly 
five years on a trading voyage around the world, during which time he 
doubled Cape Horn four times, and Cape of Good Hope twice. He was in 
every quarter of the globe, at Valparaiso seven times, and lay at Canton 
nine months waiting for teas. He afterward sailed as mate on several ves- 
sels, losing one in coming into New York. The ship "Rienzi" was the last 
ship he sailed in, having been around the world twice. ]\Ii\ Belden gave 
up seafai-ing life, and, leaving New York, went to Louisville, Ky., where 
he remained for two years in the dry goods business; from there he went to 
Sandusky, Ohio, where he continued ten years in the drug trade, sold out 
in 1858 and came to Findlay, this county, and took charge of the Findlay 
Branch Railroad and elevators, and was largely interested in the grain, 
pork, salt and coal business for twenty-fom- years; was also United States 
Express agent for sixteen years. At that time this was a great grain point, and 
one day he took in 10, 000 bushels of wheat off of wagons, and would aver- 
age from 400,000 to 500,000 bushels a year. He has paid out to merchants 



726 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and farmers for grain as mnch as any other person living here, if not more. 
He was married, in 1861, to Sadie E. Bope, of Lancaster, Ohio, and they 
have five children — four daughters and one son. The eldest, Sadie Estell, 
was married October, 1883, to Charles R. HufPman, and lives in Battle 
Creek, Mich., Mr. Huffman being in the grocery business at that place; 
Grace Russell, James C, Carrie E. and Mai-y Edna; are all living with their 
parents in Find] ay. Mr. Belden is now in the real estate and insurance 
l)usiness, which he expects to continue in, the residue of his life. He is of 
English descent, and looks and feels as if he was just m the prime of life, 
though he is past sixty. 

CHARLES H. BIGELOW, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born on his present farm, in Findlay Township, this county, June 5, 1854, son 
of Philip Doddridge and Harriet H. (Frisbie) Bigelow, natives of Vermont, the 
former of whom came to this county July 4, 1841, and sold goods for a time, 
but subsequently engaged in farming, in which latter industry he accumulated 
nearly 300%,cres of fai'm land and some fine town property in Findlay, Ohio. 
Philip D. Bigelow was always known as a leader in his vocations as well as 
in his public life. He served with credit in different local offices and upon 
the board of appraisement of Findlay Township, this county, in 1859-60, 
subsequently becoming a member of the State Board of Equalization. 
He was an exemplary member and worthy official of the Presbyterian Church. 
In politics he was a stanch Republican. He died August 13, 1868, leaving 
a handsome competence to his family and an honored name among public 
and social circles, and this county may well feel proud of his record. His 
widow is still living. The other surviving members of his family are a 
daughter and two sons: Ella Jane, wife of George L. Cusac, Esq., a mer- 
chant of Findlay, Ohio; Frank F., a farmer, married to Viola A. Stephen- 
son (they have three children : Clarence, Edna and Ethel), and Charles H. , 
who is married to Flora May, daughter of H. M. Vance, Esq. , of Findlay 
(they have one son, Bernard). In politics Charles H. Bigelow is a Repub- 
lican; his father was also a stanch Republican. 

JAMES A. BOPE, lawyer, Findlay, was born in Winchester, Adams 
Co. , Ohio, November 30, 1833. His ancestors on the paternal side, were 
Moravians. At the age of sixteen his grandfather did duty as a soldier at 
the battle of Yorktown, and emigrated from Rockingham County, Va., 
about the year 1804. The family name was originally Pope, but has been 
altered in some of the branches into Bope. Our subject's father, Philip 
Bope, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and was a merchant. Our sub- 
ject, on his mother's side (whose maiden name was Eliza Weaver) is of 
Scotch and German stock. James A. Bope lived in Adams County, Ohio, 
until he was six years of age, when the family moved to Lancaster, Fairfield 
Co. , Ohio, where his father continued in mercantile business. Our subject 
then attended the jDublic schools until he was ten years of age, when he went 
into his father's store, where he remained iintil he was seventeen. He then 
attended Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, and remained at that insti- 
tution five years, graduating in 1855, when he commenced the study of law 
with Hunter & Daugherty, at Lancaster, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar 
in the fall of 1857, commenced to practice at Lancaster in 1858, and re- 
moved to Findlay in 1859. In July, 1862, he was elected captain of Com- 
pany D, Ninety- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and while storming earth- 
works at Atlanta was wounded and sent home. Subsequently recovering 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 727 

from his wounds be returued to his regiment, and was promoted to the 
rank of lieutenant- colonel, in command of the Fiftieth and Ninety-ninth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This occurred in North Carolina, iri the spring 
of 1865. Altogether he was wounded four times. He continued in the sei'vice 
until he was mustered out, in July, 1865, when he returned to Findlay, Ohio, 
and resumed the practice of law. Mr. Bope has the reputation of Ix'ing an 
exceedingly careful and conscientious lawyer. He has been thoroughly and 
classically educated, and has carried into the profession the scholarly habits 
acquired in a collegiate course. His papers are industriously and accurately 
prepared, and have often received the encomiums of the coiu't. He has a 
high regard for the honor and dignity of the profession, and discredits ev- 
erything that would degrade it. He enjoys a large and growing practice, 
and is frequently called to do business in the United States Courts. He 
prefers civil ti criminal practice, but practices with success in all l^ranches 
of the profession. May 7, 1861, Mr. Bope married Miss Martha, daughter 
of Rev. -John S. Meeks, formerly pastor of the Presbyterian Church in 
Findlay, but now preaching near that town. They have had four children, 
two of whom are living. In politics Mr. Bope is a Republican. 

HENRY BROWN, State Attorney for Hancock County, Findlay, was 
born in Albion, Orleans Co., N, Y., November 5, 1826, son of Oliver and 
Sarah (Wiltz) Brown, the former a son of Benjamin and Sarah (Cass) 
Brown, of Welsh and English pioneer descent in Rhode Island and New 
Hampshire, respectively; the Wiltz family were of Holland pioneer stock 
on the Hudson River, in New York State. Oliver and Sarah Brown were 
born on the Hudson River, New York, and reared eight sons, of whom 
Benjamin died in Humboldt County, Cal., leaving a family; Hiram is a 
farmer in Ionia, Mich. ; Anthony is a mechanic in Findlay ; Jeptha is a 
farmer in Wyandot County, Ohio; Ezra is an attorney and justice of the 
peace in Findlay; Alfi-ed, who died without issue, was a farmer in Fostoria, 
Wood County; Franklin is a farmer in Albion, N. Y., and Henry, the 
youngest child. Our subject obtained a good literary and classical educa- 
tion at the academy in Albion, his native city, and became a clever linguist, 
especially in Latin and Greek. At the age of eighteen he came West, and 
was engaged in teaching in the vicinity of Fostoria, meantime reading law 
in the office of the Hon. Warren P. Noble, an eminent member of the Tiffin 
bar, and was admitted to practice in 1848. He soon after located in 
the practice of his profession here with Edson Goit and A. H. Bigelow, 
with whom he remained successfully engaged for a few years. Upon the 
dissolution of this partnership he united with Aaron Blackford, with whom 
he remained for a few years, retiring fronl this partnership to accept the 
office of auditor of Hancock County, to which he had been elected, retiring 
at the end of his term for a few years from all active professional work, on 
account of ill health. He had during his partnership with Mr. Blackford 
united with that gentleman in the proprietorship of the Hancock Courier, 
which he ably edited for about six years. In this connection it may be said 
to his credit that among the many progressive interests advocated by him, 
that of the railway enterprises (which were calling the attention of the peo- 
ple of this portion of the West) demanded considerable recognition, wherein 
he originated and recommended a project of a connection of the Lake Erie 
and the Ohio River, the germ of the present Lake Erie & ^\'estern Railway. 
After recuperating his health he returned to active professional work again. 



728 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

In 1862 he was appointed to till a vacancy in the county attorney's office, 
to which he was elected for the two succeeding terms. Retiring, in 1867, 
from this incumbency, his many friends, recognizing his sterling worth, 
brought him before the convention of 1868 for the nomination as candidate 
of his party for the senatorial honors of this district, which was then largely 
Kepublican. He received a very unanimous nomination and carried the 
ticket largely, reducing the hitherto majority of 2,200 to but 227 votes. In 
1875 he accepted the nomination of attorney for Hancock County, and was 
elected, succeeding himself the following term, 1877-79, and again in 
1884. Mr. Brown has always been a worthy and hard-working public 
official, and has held a respectful recognition from all parties. In his 
earlier years he served with credit upon the board of school examiners 
for the county, and has been an active member of the board of education 
of Findlay. Upon the organization of the First National Bank of Findlay 
he became a stockholder and one of the board of directors, and served it as its 
attorney for several years. Mr. Brown was married in Findlay in 1858, to 
Hannah E. Stiles, a widow lady of estimable attainments, daughter of the late 
Hugh Newell, the union being blessed with two sons and two daughters: 
Sally T. , a lady of fine literary attainments, a teacher in Mansfield, Ohio ; 
Henry Wiltz, an apprentice journalist; Kittie and Carl Parker at home. 
The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which 
Mrs. Brown is an active worker in the field of Christianity and temperance. 
Mr. Brown is tall, of slight proportions, but of a vigorous disposition which 
has only too often had its set back by poor health. He is, however, of an 
amiable character and versatile nature, which, together with his broad 
professional principles have given him rank among the leading brethren of 
his profession in this portion of the State. Mr. Brown for many years 
was the favorite stump speech- maker of his county, and always drew 
large audiences, composed of both political parties, because of his candor 
and sincere manner of treating the subjects discussed. He has never been 
desirous of being nominated for Congress, but has been on one or two 
occasions put forward as the choice of Hancock County and cordially sup- 
ported for the nomination; and might, on several occasions have received a 
nomination for Congress had he put forth any effort in his own behalf. Mr. 
Brown has also been highly recommended and urged to accept the nomina- 
tion of judge of Hancock Common Pleas, but has as often declined to be a 
candidate. He is a F. & A. M. , and in politics a Democrat. 

SAMUEL J. BROWN, restaurant and saloon keeper, Findlay, was 
born in Medina County, Ohio, August 1, 1846, son of Ephraim H. and 
Eliza M. McConnel Brown, natives of Pennsylvania who settled in this 
county from Medina County, Ohio, in an early day. They now reside in 
Arcadia, this county. Their family consists of one son and three daugh- 
ters: Ellen Jane, wife of David Brubacher, of Wood County, Ohio; 
Rachel, wife of C. Roller, of Arcadia, this county; Martha, wife of Philip 
Ruch, of Fostoria, Seneca Co., Ohio, and Samtiel J. The subject of this 
sketch spent his early life on a farm in Cass Township, this county, and at 
the age of eleven years began clerking in the store of David Peters, of 
Arcadia, Ohio, where he spent five years. He next sold goods in Fostoria, 
Ohio, and March 8, 1863, came to Findlay, where he was in same line for 
several years. In 1875 he embarked in the boot and shoe trade in company 
with Mr. Schuch, which partnership continued until 1883 when our 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 729 

subject retired from same and went into the restaurant and saloon business, 
^ith which he has been prominently identified since. Mr. Brown has 
always taken an active part in matters tending to the development of Find- 
lay, and while being averse to holding public office, has served with credit 
in the councils of the city. He is a woi-thy member of the Masonic order; 
a polite and amiable gentleman; and, although possessed of all the fine 
qualifications essential to the making of a good husband, he is still tread- 
ing the thorny paths of celibacy. 

JACOB F. BURKET, lawyer, Findlay, was born March 25, 1837, 
near Somerset, Perry Co. , Ohio, son of Solomon Burket who was of Swiss 
descent. One of his ancestors, who came fi-om Switzerland and settled 
near Lancaster, Penn. , had two sons, John and Jacob Burket, who were 
the progenitors of the Burket family in this country. The grandfather of 
our subject, John Burket, who served in the Revolutionary war, emigrated 
from Pennsylvania to Ohio and lived to the advanced age of ninety-six 
years. Mr. Burket' s mother, Mary (Brehm) Burket, whose father was also 
in the Revolutionary war and emigrated from Pennsylvania to this State, 
was of German extraction. In September, 1839, the Burket family moved 
from Perry to this county. This region was then a forest; settlers were 
few and the country was sparsely inhabited. Young Burket went to the 
log schoolhouse and had at the same time to do work on the farm. When 
he was ten years of age his father died leaving a widow with nine children, 
of whom Jacob F. is the youngest son. When he reached the age of 
seventeen he removed to Findlay and was apprenticed to his brother -'in- 
law, Jacob Folk, for the purpose of learning the carpenter's trade. The 
term of apprenticeship was for two years, one of its conditions being that 
he should receive three months' schooling in the winter. After having 
worked for him thirteen months, his brother-in-law's health failed, where- 
upon, by mutual agreement, the indentures were canceled. June 4, 1855, 
he began teaching at Lewisville, Blanchard Township. Having taught 
for three years he attended a very excellent select school at Vanlue, in 
Hancock County, the proprietor being Mr. William K. Leonard; complet- 
ing his term he returned to his trade (carpentering) for a time, engaging 
in mechanical labor in the summer and teaching school in winter and at- 
tending school in the fall and spring. In 1859 he entered an academy 
at Republic, Seneca Co., Ohio. The principal of this institution was Mr. 
A. Schuyler now professor of mathematics in the Baldwin University at 
Berea. Prof. Schuyler was the author of works on logic and algebra. 
From this gentleman Mr. Burket received a thorough training in logic 
which has been of great advantage to him in the legal profession. June 
29, 1859, he commenced reading law with Judge Palmer (since deceased) 
and having remained with him a little more than a year, he entered the 
office of Goit and Brown, in the meanwhile teaching school every winter. 
July 1, 1861, he was admitted to the bar when he commenced the practice 
of his profession at Ottawa, Putnam Co., Ohio, where he remained until 
April, 1862. On the 16th of that month he opened an office in Findlay, 
and September 7, of that year entered into partnership with Henry Brown 
under the firm name of Brown and Burket, which was dissolved May 1, 
1869, since which time Mr. Burket has been alone in his practice. While 
working at carpentering he, on one occasion, attended court, and becom- 
ing intensely interested in the proceedings, he resolved to be a lawyer, 



730 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and since he was admitted to the bar he has been a devotee to his profes- 
sion. Mr. Burket has an extensive practice in the State and Federal Courts, 
and has encountered some of the most distinguished lawyers in the country, 
and has been highly complimented by his professional brethren for the 
clear manner in which he expounds the principles of law which underlie a 
case. He is stockholder and director in the First National Bank of 
Findlay, and was a director of the FintUay Savings and Building Loan 
Association, and has acted as attorney for both these institiitions. He has 
conducted much litigation for the latter and never lost a case. He was 
married in the year 1859, to ^Miss Pamy D. Walters, of Lenawee, Mich. 
They have had six children — five sons and one daughter — all of whom are 
living. In politics Mr. Burket is a Republican; he was one of the electors 
in the presidential contest of 1880, and still has in his possession the tick- 
ets by him voted for James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur in the 
Electoral College held in the Senate Chamber, at Columbus, Ohio. 

ABSALOM P. BYAL, Findlay, was born in Stark County, Ohio, June 
19, 1821. In September, 1833, his father, William Byal, with his family, 
consisting of wife and four children, Absalom P. Amy C, William W. and 
Sarah J., settled in this county on land partly the present site of Findlay, 
and soon after another child, Samuel A. , was born. Our subject, although 
a mere lad. was brought face to face with the realities of life incident to the 
settling of a new country. At that early day the motto of the pioneers was 
"honesty, industry and economy," and an adherence to this motto was ab- 
solutely necessary in order to secure even a scanty living. Under such dis- 
cipline Absalom P. Byal formed habits that have characterized his life and 
provided him a competency in his declining years, with the appellation of an 
honest man. In December, 1833, when he was but a few months over 
twelve years of age he was sent on horseback by his father fi'om Findlay to 
Union County, Ohio. The route was through Wyandot Reservation and a 
new, wild country, and the melting of a deep snow had so swollen the Scioto 
River that it was necessary to swim the horse over. The stream was quite 
high, and in some places twelve miles intervened without a house, but Mr. 
Byal made the round trip in safety. Our subject's father died when the 
former was eighteen years of age, and some months afterward Absalom P. 
told his mother he woiild like to learn a trade, to which she replied that it 
would please her, but if he left home the happy family would soon scatter, as 
she could not support them ; ' ' then, ' ' said he, ' ' I will never leave home until 
the family can take care of themselves," and he faithfully fulfilled his 
promise. In September, 1845, Mr. Byal married Miss Sarah A. Youngkin, 
who died in May, 1865, leaving fom- childi-en. About three years after the 
death of his first wife our subject was married to Miss Sallie Maveety, the 
union resulting in two children: Nellie and George, the former of whom, 
at the age of three years, was drowned by falling down a well. Mr. Byal 
received a common district school education, and subsequently studied the 
higher branches of mathematics, including surveying. He read law and 
was admitted to the bar, but prefeiTed and followed farming. He was 
elected sheriff of this county in 1846, resigned in 1848, and was at once 
appointed clerk of the court of common pleas, which position he filled until 
the close of 1854. In 1872 he was elected justice of the peace for Findlay 
Township, serving one term. He was a member of the convention of 1873- 
74 to revise and amend the constitution of the State, and was a mem- 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 731 

ber of the House in the sixty-sixth General Assembly of Ohio, and has just 
been re-elected to the same. In politics Hon. Absalom P. Byal is a Democrat. 

HENRY BYAL, retired farmer, Findlay, was born in Stark County, 
Ohio, March 23, 1817, son of John and Elizabeth (Newstutter) Byal. He is 

the fourth in descent fi'om Byal, who settled in Baltimore, *Md. , fi-om 

Paris, France. Elizabeth Newstutter was a daughter of Henry Newstutter, 
who served as a Hessian soldier with the British under Burgoyne was capt- 
ured at Saratoga and never exchanged. He came to Ohio in 1809 and set- 
tled in Stark County. John Byal came with his father, William, to Ohio 
in 1809, when a lad, and after spending twenty-three years in Stark County 
moved to this county in 1832, where William died in 1840, followed by his 
son John in 1853* (his widow surviving him about six years). They left a 
family of nine children — four sons and five daughters. Our subject, when 
a young man, worked on a farm and attended the saw-mill of his father. 
Upon reaching manhood he engaged in farming, and cleared up a nice place 
for himself, which he rented in 1847 and embarked in merchandising in Put- 
nam County; retiring fi-om that after seven years' successful experience, he 
returned to Findlay, where he has been identified with many different inter- 
ests since, principally, however, in buying and selling real estate. He was 
married, in 1842, to Dorotha Comer, who bore him one son and three dauo-h- 
ters, of whom Mary Elizabeth, wife of S. D. Houpt, is the only survivor. 
In 1860 Mrs. Byal passed away her life in full communion with the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, and is biu-ied in Maple Grove Cemetery with her 
children: Squire C, Amanda and Ida. In 1862 Mr. Byal was again united 
in marriage, this time with Mary, daughter of the late Jacob Lamb. Mr. 
and Mrs. Byal attend services at the Presbyterian Chiirch, of which he has 
been an efficient official. He has always been a cordial supporter of meas- 
ures tending to the advancement of the interests of Hancock County, and 
has served this city and township in useful official positions. 

CAMPBELL BYAL (deceased), son of John and Elizabeth (Newstutter) 
Byal, was born in 1835, and reared on the farm which he subsequently 
owned, in Findlay Township, this county. He took great pride in this prop- 
erty, and built upon and improved it until he had made it one of the most 
beautiful farms in Hancock County. Carapb(^ll Byal always took an active 
interest in the development of the social and industrial life of this locality, . 
and was for many years a prominent spirit in the United Brethren ChiU'ch, 
but the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion created considerable dis- 
sension in that body, and Mr. Byal chose a quiet retirement from church 
matters. He served as infirmary director two terms, and as member of the 
school board of his district for several terms, also in many township offices. 
He was happily married in this county to Anna, daughter of Joel and Amy 
(Sherman) Pendleton, and to them were born three sons and one daughter: 
John Melville, Nora M., Clement L. and Leslie L. Campbell Byal de 
parted this life August 11, 1881, and his remains are buried in Maple Grove 
Cemetery. 

GAGE CARLIN, of the firm of Carlin & Carlin, fire and life insurance, 
real estate and loan agents, Findlay, is the third son and eighth child of 
Parlee and Sarah (DeWitt) Carlin, pioneers of this county. The subject of 
our sketch was born October 16, 1850, at Findlay, Ohio; received a good 
education and engaged in banking for several years. In 1880 he united 

* At page 526, through typographical error, this date is given 1859. ~~ 



732 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

with William L. Carlin in their present bixsiness. In 1877 he married 
Charlotte F., daughter of J. W. Knaggs, a pioneer of Wood Coimty, Ohio. 
Mr. and Mrs. Carlin have no children. Mr. Carlin has always been a lib- 
eral supporter of all measures conducing to the public good of his locality. 
In politics he is a Republican. 

WILLIAM L. CARLIN, attorney at law, dealer in real estate and insur- 
ance and loan agent, mayor of Findlay, son of the late Dr. William D. and 
Harriet E. A. (Rawson) Carlin, and grandson of Squire Carlin and Dr. Bass 
Rawson, was born and reared in Findlay, this county. After completing 
a good education, he engaged in merchandising for a time, then read law 
and was admitted to its practice. This profession, however, not being pal 
atable to him, our subject became united, in 1880, with Gage Carlin (a 
cousin) in their present business. He was married. May 26, 1874, at El 
Paso, 111. , to Lizzie, daughter of the late John King, Esq. They have two 
sons: Rawson King and Earl. Mr. Carlin has always been an active busi- 
ness man and citizen, and has served his city in its councils as a useful 
member. He is public spirited and progressive, and contributes liberally to 
measures tending to the benefit of the public weal. In politics he is a Re- 
publican. 

JOB CHAMBERLIN, Findlay, was born January 5, 1815, son of Job 
and Deborah (Root) Chamberlin, natives of Connecticut, where they mar- 
ried. They STibsequently removed to New York State where to them were 
born the following named childi'en: Deborah, Sallie, Nancy, Lucy, Vesta, 
Julia, Norman and Job. In 1819 the family came down the Allegheny and 
Ohio Rivers to Lawrenceburg, and soon after located at Georgetown, Ind. , 
and two years subsequently at Urbana, Ohio, and in 1822 they settled on 
Chamberlin' s Hill, this county, where, January 8, 1829, Mrs. Chamberlin 
died. She called her children around her bed when she was nearing her 
last and gave them her usual advice, warning them against the evils of the 
world and lu-ging that they meet her in heaven. After the death of his wife, 
the elder Job Chamberlin prevailed on his eldest daughter. Deborah Whit- 
man, and her husband to remove from New York and live with him. Later 
he married Miss Sarah Criner and with her removed to a farm six miles west 
of Findlay, Ohio, where he died in 1848. He was a Democrat of the old 
school, but, says his son Job, ' ' he could not support the new fangled 
Democracy, and voted for Henry Clay for President, on account of his pro- 
tective tariff principles. He supported John Q. Adams for the same reasons, 
and for supporting the United States Bank which had been established to 
relieve the people from the burden of direct taxation to pay the war debt. 
He was willing it should cease when it had accomplished the purpose for 
which it was created." He was for non-extension of slavery; was an active 
politician, but would not be a candidate for office. He was a Christian, 
belonging to the Baptist denomination while in New York, and a Presbyte- 
rian at the time of his death. His second wife died in 1854. In 1835 he 
divided the hill farm of 240 acres between his sons Norman and Job. The 
eldest son was married, in 1832, to Elizabeth Baker, who died the following 
year, leaving an infant son — John B. He then married, in 1834, Miss Eliza 
Watson, with whom he lived eleven years, and died. Job, our subject, 
attended the country schools, walking several miles distance. He was mar 
ried, September 20, 1838, to Mary B. Hamilton, a native of Gallipolis, Ohio, 
and by her he has three children: Irvin S., Lucy (married first to Rev. 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 733 

William Barber, deceased, and second time to George Woodley), Sopbrona 
J. (married to Samuel McCahan). In 1874 Job Chamberlin, Jr. , moved to 
Findlay, Ohio, whore he has led a somewhat retired life. In 1882 he 
invested means, with his son Irvin S. , in the hardware business, with which 
he has been connected since. He is a stanch Republican, the oldest living 
pioneer of this county, and a worthy, upright gentleman. 

IRVIN S. CHAMBERLIN, dealer in hardware and agricultural imple- 
ments, Findlay, comes of pioneer stock of Hancock County, Ohio. His 
father. Job Chamberlin. Jr., was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., January 
5, 1815, sou of Job and Deborah (Root) Chamberlin, who settled on what is 
known as "* Chamberlin' s Hill," in this county, Februaiy 15, 1822. Job 
Chamberlin, Sr. , died in 1848, preceded by his worthy wife some ten years. 
They left a son and two daughters. Job Chamberlin, Jr. , married Mary 
B. , daughter of John P. and Martha (Parks) Hamilton, and by her has one 
son and two daughters. The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm, 
and at seventeen engaged as typo in the office of the Jeffersonian, and 
eventually became its proprietor with D. R. Locke (now of the Toledo Blade) 
and O. T. Locke (now of the Tiffin Tribune). In 1,865 he retired from this 
profession and engaged in farming. In 1870 he embarked in his present 
business, with which he has been successfully connected since. During the 
late war of the Rebellion he served first in Company A, Twenty-first Reg- 
iment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and afterward in Company I. One Hundred 
and Sixty-fii'st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Chamberlin. was married, in 
1872, to Nancy E. Pugh (widow of the late Dr. Pugh), who died in 1880, 
leaving one daughter — Grace. In 1882 he maiTied Mrs. S. J. Hill, by 
whom he has one son and one daughter: Clarence C. and Pearl L. Mr. 
Chamberlin is a pi'ogressive citizen and business man, and a very liberal 
contributor to measures tending to the advancement of Hancock County's 
interest. In politics he is a Republican. 

GEORGE A. CHANEL, proprietor of the " Senate " restaurant and sa- 
loon, Findlay, was born in New York City, March 1 , 1855, son of Dominick 
and Elizabeth (Bernard) Chanel, who came to this country in 1852, and now 
reside in Bay City, Mich. Dominick Chanel is a native of Luneville, and his 
wife of Baccarat, France. They reared a family of four sons and three daugh- 
ters, of whom three sons and three daughters are still living. George A. 
Chanel, the subject of this sketch, when a lad of fourteen years, joined a 
circus troupe, and for fourteen years he was well and favorably known in 
the "ring," as one of the "Leon Brothers," acrobats. In 1879 he retired from 
the "ring, " and engaged in the liquor business. In the following year he came 
to Findlay, where he fitted up one of the finest saloons ever known in the 
place, and has been well known to the trade since. Mr. Chanel was united 
in marriage, in Bay City, Mich. , with Kitty Bryce, and to them have been 
born two children: Louis (deceased) and Edward S. A. Oiu' subject and 
wife are regular communicants of St. Michael' s Church. He is a member of 
the Band Tournament Association. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JAMES R. CLARK, undertaker, Findlay, was born in Harrisburg, 
Penn. , July 24, 182<), son of James and Sarah Ann Clark, the former of 
whom, a native of Ireland and a coppersmith by trade, located in Harrisburg, 
Penn., and reared three sons and one daughter. James R. Clark served an 
apprenticeship at the cabinet-maker's trade in Gettysburg, Penn., and after 
spending a year in Philadelphia came West, and located in Findlay, Ohio, Oc- 



734 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

tober, 1884, where he has since resided. He was uuited iu marriage in Findlay, 
with Mary Devine, of Chambersburg, Fenn. , and they have three sons : Charles 
M., coach-maker in Celina, Ohio; John F., coach-painter by profession, and 
Walter S., associated in business with his father. Sarah Ann, an only 
daughter, is deceased. Mr. Clark has held aloof from public office, but has 
served with credit upon the school board of Findlay. He has been a mem- 
ber of the board of cemetery trustees for the past twenty-nine years. He 
is a worthy member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Encampment. 

JUDGE JAMES M. COFFINBERRY has been a conspicuous figure in 
the legal galaxy of northern Ohio, for twenty-five years past, and for over 
forty years was an able and hard-working member of the profession in which 
he chose to spend his life. As a lawyer he won great success; as a jurist 
he was sound, impartial and logical; and as a man he has always deserved 
and held the respect of his associates and the general public. He comes of 
honored ancestry. 

George Lewis Coffinberry, of Virginian birth, grandfather of our 
subject, and who died in Mansfield in 1851, at the advanced age of 
ninety-one years, became, at the age of sixteen years, a volunteer in 
the grand old Revolutionary army, serving bravely and faithfully under 
Gen. Green. In 1796 he cast his fortunes with those of the Territory now 
known as the State of Ohio, being one of the men who opened it up to civil- 
ization, braved its rigors and faced its manifold dangers. His son, Andrew, 
was one of the leading pioneer lawyers of the West (being admitted to prac- 
tice in 1813), leaving a name that is remembered with love and honor where- 
ever he was known. Andi'ew Coffinberry was not only a lawyer, but a man 
of great literary talent, a poem of his, "The Forest Rangers," attracting 
wide attention. He was married to Mary McCluer, a daughter of Ju.dge 
James McCluer, a Kentuckian, who stood high in the community where he 
dwelt, and James M. Coffinberry was born to this union May 16, 1818, at 
Mansfield, Ohio. 

Receiving only such education as was possible in the district school 
of a small village, in the crude i^ioneer days, the subject of this sketch 
made such use of it as his natui'al energy and deep thirst for knowl- 
edge made possible; he entered his father's law office at an early age, and 
was admitted to practice in 1840, at Perry sburgh, Wood Co. , Ohio, where 
his father was then residing. In partnership with his father he opened a 
law office in Maumee City, in the beautiful Maumee Valley. He devoted 
himself to his profession with great energy and close attention, and his abil- 
ity soon found recognition in an election to the position of prosecuting attor- 
ney of Lucas County, which office he filled for two years with signal success. 
In 1845 he removed to Hancock County, Ohio, where, for ten years, he suc- 
cessfully practiced his profession, at the same time editing and publishing 
the Findlay Herald. In 1855, feeling the need of a larger field for the full 
exercise of his maturer powers, he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where he 
soon built up a large and hicrative practice, taking a prominent place at 
this bar fi'om the first, and maintaining the high reputation that had pre- 
ceded him. In 1861 he was given a new field for the exercise of his talents, 
being elected to the common pleas bench of Cuyahoga County. He held 
that position for five years, and was recognized as one of the ablest and 
purest men who had ever been called to that position of trust. ' * His 
charges to the jury, " says one of high authority, ' ' were models for clearness, 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 735 

directness aud logical compactness, and it is complimentary to his judicial 
learning and professional ability that no legal opinion pronounced by him 
was ever reversed on review by a higher coiu't. " He held in a remarkable 
degree the power of seizing upon the strong points of a case, and was orig- 
inal in his manner of presenting his arguments and decisions; his appar- 
ently intuitive perceptions of legal triith giving to his utterances a freshness 
and vigor that commanded the admiration of all. While he had a line appx'e- 
ciation of the learning of the profession, and was never unmindful of its nicest 
distinctions, he made them subservient to the broad and liberal views of the 
case, looking beyond the mere technicalities of the law, thus evincing a 
broad, liberal and well -developed judicial mind. After retiring fiom the 
bench he returned to the practice of his profession, but was soon compelled 
to retire fi-om its activities by reason of failing health. He devoted many 
of his leisure hours to scientific reading and investigation, in which he took 
great interest. 

Judge Coffinberry was always a busy man; even while engaged 
in the most severe labors of his prfession, he found time for general 
reading and study, developing and broadening out in all directions, and 
making his mind a rich store-house, always ready for any demand for mate- 
rial that might be made upon it. He was always, and is yet, a useful man 
to his community. He was, dui'ing 1857 and 1858, a member of the city 
council of Cleveland, Ohio, and diu'ing the latter year president of that 
body. At the breaking out of the Rebellion he was chairman of the Demo- 
cratic Central Committee of Cuyahoga County, but warmly espoused the 
cause of the Union, and labored earnestly to promote the recruiting service, 
making many speeches in favor of a zealous suppoi-t of the war. He was 
principal secretary of the great Union Convention of Ohio, which nominated 
David Tod for governor, and was the candidate for Congress and common 
pleas judge of his party in his district for several terms, but, on account of 
its numerical minority in those days in Cleveland, even his personal popu- 
larity was not sufficient to elect him. He has always had an eye to the 
commercial and material advancement of Cleveland, and, fi'om the first, was 
a firm advocate for the construction of the great viaduct that spans the Cuy- 
ahoga River and valley, and connects the east and west sides of the river. 
He attended every meeting called to consider the practicability of the enter- 
prise, always spoke earnestly and hopefully of its ultimate success, and with 
voice and pen contributed largely to secure its accomplishment and to make 
it a free bridge. He was a corporator and stockholder of the first street 
railroad (the East Cleveland) in that city ; a corporator and president of the 
West Side Street Railroad; a corporator and director of the Fremont & Indi- 
ana Railroad (now the Lake Erie & Louisville) ; a director of the Atlantic & 
Great Western Railroad, and a corporator and director of the Rocky River 
Railroad. He was a corporator and stockholder in the Savings & Trust 
Company, and a corporator and director of the People's Savings & Loan 
Association, and president of the Forest City Fire Insurance Company. 

The Judge met with a most serious accident in April, 1875, which 
resulted in the loss of a leg, being run into by a railroad train at Lighthouse 
Street crossing, as he and his wife were being driven fi-om the depot in a 
carriage. Mrs. Coffinberry was seriously injured but finally recovered. 
Since that time the Judge has not practiced his profession, but has devoted 
himself to his private business, consisting principally of the management of 
two farms, and his rental property in Cleveland. 



736 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Judge Coffinberry was married, January, 1841, to Miss Anna M. Gleason, 
of Lucas County, Ohio. Of seven children born to them five died in infancy; 
the survivors are Mary E. (wife of Stei)hen E. Brooks) and Henry D. Mr. 
Brooks and Mr. Henry D. Coffinberry are regarded as two of the ablest and 
most successful young business men of Cleveland. Judge Coffinberry is 
spoken of in terms of the highest commendation in " Knapp's History of the 
Maumee Valley," in " Beardsley's History of Hancock County," in " Cleve's 
Representative Men of Cleveland," and in the "'Biographical Encyclopedia 
of Ohio. ' ' He is a man of convictions, fi-ank and open in their expression, 
but tolerant of dissenting opinions, and especially regardful of the sensibil- 
ities of the young and diffident. He is not wealthy according to the modern 
standard of riches, but possesses ample means to render one of his simple 
tastes and inexpensive habits as nearly independent as a man can well be in 
this world of mutual dependence. 

D. C. CONNELL, dealer in books, stationery and jewelry, Findlay, was 
born in Columbiana County, Ohio, September 13, 1830, son of Aaron and 
Amelia (Davidson) Connell, natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject learned 
merchant tailoring in New Lisbon, and was connected with merchandising 
there and at Mansfield, Ohio. In October, 1864, he came to Findlay, this 
county, and was in the hat and cap trade two years, then in the dry goods busi- 
ness till 1867, when he retired for a few years, and in 1872 embarked in his 
present line. He married, in Mansfield, Ohio, September 8, 1853, Mary A. 
Paisley,who died in Findlay, March 20,1867; she bore him two children : Edwin 
T., who died October 29, 1861, and Ella, now the wife of C. A. Lockhart, of 
Fostoria, engaged as salesman for a Boston dry goods house. Mr. Connell 
was again united in marriage, on September 3, 1868, with Mrs. Sarah E. 
Hutchinson (nee Tate), who died March 5, 1885, and who bore him one son 
and one daughter: George C. and Anna E. Mr. Connell has been a worthy 
Odd Fellow for thirty-three years, and is a member of the Royal Arcanum 
of the Knights of Honor. During the late war of the Rebellion he served 
in the One Hundred and Second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry for two 
J ears, receiving an honorable discharge fi'om it as quartermaster. He has 
been a worthy member of the Presbyterian Church for many years, and is 
now serving as trustee of the Presbyterian Church here. In politics he is a 
Repiiblican. 

D. J. CORY, farmer, stock dealer and ex-judge, Findlay, was born in War- 
ren County (then in the Norwestern Territory) April 17, 1801, nine months 
before the State of Ohio was organized, son of Elnathan and Hannah (Jen- 
nings) Cory. His father, of Knickerbocker stock, born in Essex County, 
N. J., immigrated to Ohio about 1795, and settled in Columbia, which now 
forms a part of the city of Cincinnati. The country was new and sparsely 
settled, and he had to endure all the privations incident to pioneer life. Not be- 
ing satisfied with his prospects in Columbia, he removed to what is now known 
as Warren County, and established a nursery. He was one of the earliest nur- 
serymen in the State; the well-known apple entitled the "Cory Red," origi- 
nated in his orchard. Ex- Gov. Vance and Elnathan Cory laid out the town 
of Findlay in 1827, and built a mill-dam at Blanchard's Fork of the Au- 
glaize River, which were the first important improvements in the county. 
The mother of Judge Cory, Hannah (Jennings), descended from English 
ancestry, was born in Virginia, but immigrated, with her family, to Ohio 
about 1800, and settled near Cincinnati. Her father, David Jennings, was 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 737 

shot and mortally wounded by the Indians as he was retui'ning home from the 
mill. Our subject attended a log-cabin school in his boyhood, and early 
worked on his father' s farm. When he arrived at eighteen years of age he 
removed to Dayton, Ohio, where he had some farther educational advantages, 
and, although engaged in the store of Steel & Price, he attended school for 
eighteen months. Returning home, he engaged in the farming and milling 
business, the saw and grist mill, which had machinery for wool-carding, be- 
ing the property of his father. At the expiration of four years he relin- 
quished the business and settled on a farm near Springfield, at a place now 
called Enon, and there commenced raising stock as well as engaging in ag- 
ricultural operations. Thence he went to Williams (now Henry) County, 
about eight miles below Napoleon, and was there engaged in farming and 
stock raising for nearly fifteen years. In February, 1835, he was appointed 
by Gov. Lucas an associate judge of Henry County, which ofiice he held 
for several years. Being a member of the Whig party, which was defeated 
at the polls by the Democrats, his career as a judge closed. For twenty 
years he was director and stockholder in the Fremont & Indiana (now the 
Lake Erie & Louisville) Railroad, and devoted his best energies to promot- 
ing its success. April 17, 1827, he was married to Miss Martha Meek, who 
died February 26, 1868, without leaving any issue. This marriage took 
place near New Carlisle, Clark Co. , Ohio. On September 7, 1869, he 
was married to Miss Anna W. Wright, of Urbana, by birth a Virginian. 
Her father. Reed Wright, had an intuitive hatied of slavery, which was the 
cause of his leaving Virginia, as he desired to rear and educate his children 
in a free State, and his wife, the mother of the second Mrs. Cory, had in- 
herited slaves, which she, however, manumitted, or otherwise liberated, in 
accordance with the laws of Virginia. November 2, 1848, Judge Cory re- 
moved to Findlay, where he had built a family residence, still managing his 
business of farming and stock raising, being the owner of considerable sec- 
tions of land in Wyandot, Marion and other counties. He has always oc- 
cupied a high and honorable position as a public-spirited and philanthropic 
citizen, and has taken a great interest in the temperance and religious work 
of Findlay, giving to both his sympathy and financial support. He is in 
earnest accord with the Methodist Church; and has the esteem and respect 
of the community of which he is so worthy a member. In politics he is a 
Republican, strongly attached to the principles of our country, and down 
on ballot-box stuffing. 

WILLIAM J. CREIGHTON, treasurer of Hancock County, Findlay. 
was born in Cass Township, this county, May 29, 1847, son of Samuel and 
Arabella (Gilliland) Creighton, the former of whom, a native of County 
Down, Ireland, came to this country when a lad, with his parents, who set 
tied in Allegheny County, Penn. , where they died, leaving five sons and 
three daughters, of whom two sons and one daughter survive: David, in 
California; Ellen, now IVIi-s. McCrea, of Allegheny County, Penn. (she was 
widow of John McCrea) ; Samuel, who moved here in 1842 and settled in 
Cass Township, where he i-eared nine children — four sons and two daugh- 
ters of whom survive. William J. , the sixth child of this family, received 
a good education, and at seventeen taught school, and was connected with 
the profession of teaching till 1875. when he moved here and served as 
clerk in Treasurer Hosier's office during that gentleman's incumbency. Mr. 
Creighton was a prominent candidate before the convention which nomi- 



738 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

nated Samiiel Howcird. Esq., as treasurer, falling short, but one or two 
votes. He, however, retired to his farm, and in October, 1882, received 
the nomination and was elected, and in 1884 was re-elected to his present 
incumbency. He was married, in 1873, to Martha, daughter of Henry 
Ebersol. of Washington Township, this county. They have one son and 
one daughter: David Maurice and Jessie Mable. Mr. Creightou and fam- 
ily attend the services of the Presbyterian Church, the faith of his fathers. 
He has always taken an active interest in all measures tending to the public 
weal of his county, and has contributed liberally to matters tending to the 
advancement of its social and industrial life. In politics he is a Democrat. 
A. B. CROZIEK, of the firm of Crozier & Linaweaver, photographers, 
Findlay, was born in Washington Township, this county, January 25, 
1853, son of John and Susan Scott Crozier, the former a native of Brooke 
County. Va. (now West Virginia), and the latter of Carroll County, Ohio. 
They settled in this county in an early day, and reared a family of live sons 
and one daughter. A. B. Crozier, the subject of this sketch, spent his early 
life on the farm, but at the age of twenty-three years he took up photog- 
raphy, with which profession he has been successfully connected since. He 
was united in marriage in Findlay with Etna A. Ray, and to them have 
been born two children: Charlie Merle and Nellie Ray. Mr. Crozier is a 
member of the Photographers' Union. In politics he is a Republican. 

GEORGE L. CUSAC, grocer, Findlay, was born in Portage Township, 
Hancock County. October 5, 1854, son of Isaac and Sarah (Van Eman) 
Cusac, 2:>ioneers of this county. He was reared to mercantile pursuits in 
his father's store in McComb, this county, and in 1878 embarked in the dry 
goods trade in Findlay, retiring from the same in 1882 to take up his pres- 
ent business, which may be said to be the most extensive in this locality. 
Mr. Cusac was united in marriage in Findlay with Ella, daughter of Dod- 
di'idge and Harriet Bigelow, and to them has been born one daughter: Inez 
May. Our subject and wife attend services at the Presbyterian Church. He 
is a worthy Mason, an energetic business man and a public -spirited citizen. 
He contributes liberally to all enterprises tending to benefit the county. He 
is a member of the Findlay Improvement Company, and also of the Findlay 
Boring and Drilling Company. In politics he is a Democrat. 

J. H. DECKER, deputy sheriff of Hancock County, Findlay. was born 
in Marion Township, this county, August 9, 1848, only son and the young- 
est in the family of six children of John and Sarah (Zimmers) Decker, 
who came to this county from Pennsylvania in 1833. He was reared in 
Marion Township, this county, on a farm, and at the age of seventeen 
years he engaged in the drug business with S. & J. M. Huber, continuing 
with them for five yerirs, after which he embarked in same line for himself, 
which he carried on successfully for ten years, retii'ing from it in 1882 and 
engaging in railway business, representing the Indiana, Bloomington & 
Western Railway, till accepting his present jjosition in January, 1885. Mr. 
Decker was united in marriage, in 1876, with Annie McManness, sister of 
the present worthy sheriff of this county, and to them have been born three 
children: Lemuel, Tod and Ina. Mrs. Decker attends the Lutheran 
Church. Mr. Decker is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Encamp- 
ment; is also a Master Mason. In politics he is a Republican. 

DR. AVILLIAM M. DETWILER (deceased) was born in Mifflin County, 
Penn., August 23, 1832, son of George and Julia A. (Matter) Detwiler, 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 739 

who came of worthy German pioneer ancestry of Pennsylvania and Mary- 
land. The subject of this sketch learned his father's trade (plastering), 
and in 1851 came West and located in Findlay, this county, where he car- 
ried on his trade for some time. He subsequently moved to Illinois, and, 
on returning from there, in 1859, entered the office of Dr. Osterlen, where 
he prosecuted the study of medicine. On the breaking out of the war of 
the Rebellion our subject left his worthy preceptor's office and enlisted his 
services in defense of the Union; three years of his time, however, were de- 
voted to service as hospital steward, and upon the close of the war he re 
tiu'ned to his medical studies, graduating fi-om the Homoeopathic Hospital 
College of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1867. Dr. Detwiler located in Findlay, and 
for ten years was prominently identified with the profession of medicine in 
this portion of the State. The Doctor's death occurred April 30, 1877. He was 
at that time president of the Ohio State Homoeopathic Medical Society, and 
also president of the Alumni Association of Cleveland College. The Masonic, 
Odd Fellows and K. of P. societies, the Findlay Guards and the ex-soldiers 
all took part in the funeral ceremonies in his memory. Dr. Detwiler was 
an ardent Sabbath-school and church worker, and was an acknowledged 
leader in all interests he sought to serve. In politics he was a Republican. 
He was a liberal contributor to measures conducing to the public welfare, 
and was a kind fi-iend and an exemplary husband. He was happily mar- 
ried, December 19, 1854, to Miss Harriet Tritch, by whom he had no chil 
dren, but they adopted and reared a son and a daughter: William M. , now 
a merchant tailor, and Victoria, now the wife of E. H. Young. 

E. G. DeWOLFE. editor of the Republican, Findlay, was born in Centre 
ville, Butler Co. , Penn , April 16, 1837. He is the fourth son of Dr. E. Gibbons 
and Sarah A. (Harris) De Wolfe, of Pennsylvania, the former of French Hugue- 
not stock, descended fi-om one of three brothers of that name who fled from 
persecution in their native land and settled in New England about the year 
1690, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. At the death of his 
father, in 1846, the subject of this sketch resided with an uncle, T. R. 
DeWolfe, in Vernon, Trumbull Co. , Ohio, until 1850, when he entered the 
office of the Whig, Butler, Penn. , as an apprentice, but completed his trade 
on the Record, Prospect, Penn. His health failing he was compelled to 
relinquish the printing business and settled on a farm, teaching school in 
the winter. In 1861 he removed to Ohio and in 1863, in company with his 
brother Joseph, purchased the Pike County Repiihlican, which they pub- 
lished at Waverly for three years, during which time he held the position of 
deputy assessor of internal revenue. Refusing to follow Andrew Johnson 
into the Democratic party he was removed from office, sold out his paper 
and accepted a position as foreman of the Ohio State Journal, at Columbus, 
Ohio, where he remained until September of 1 868, when in company with 
Dr. A. P. Miller, of the Toledo Blade, he purchased the Findlay Jeffer- 
sonian, with which he was connected until May 1, 1876, when he retired to 
accept the appointment of postmaster by President Grant, was reappointed 
by Hayes in 1880 and reappointed by Arthur in 1884. In 1881 he pur- 
chased an interest in the Findlay Republican, with which he is still con- 
nected. In 1855 he married, in Butler County, Penn., Miss Emma 
Flemming, and the union has been blessed with four sons and four daughters, 
five of whom are yet living. 



740 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

EDWARD DIETSCH, furniture manufacturer and dealer, Findlay, 
was born in Eliersdorf, kingdom of Saxony, March 12, 1838, son of Charles 
and Christina Dietsch, who came to America in 1849 and settled in Find- 
lay, where Charles Dietsch carried on his trade of cabinet- making, and 
eventually engaged in the furnitui'e business. He died here in 1888, leav- 
ing his widow, three sons and a daughter: Edward; C. H. , proprietor of 
the Commercial Hotel; Anthony, with Edward in the firm, and Euphemia, 
wife of Richard Honnesy. of Findlay. The subject of this sketch was 
reared to his })resent lousiness, and embarked in it in 18(51 with his father, 
and in 1871 Anthony united with him in the business. Mr. Dietsch mar- 
ried, in 1861. Wilhelmina Karg, a native of Boenningheim, Wxirtemberg. 
Germany. They have one son and two daughters; Clara, wife of Christian 
Heyne, of Findlay; Charles Edward and Lela. The family attend the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Dietsch is an active citizen and public - 
spirited man, and has served in several of the city official positions. In 
politics he is a Democrat. 

FREDERICK DUDUIT (deceased) was born in Scioto County, Ohio, 
in 1807, son of William and Agnes Duduit, natives of Paris, France, who 
came to America in 1790 and finally settled on the French grant. He mar- 
ried September 22, 1833, Miss Helen H. Gilruth, daughter of Rev. James Gil 
ruth, a clergyman widely known in connection with Methodism in Ohio, and a 
son of Thomas Gilruth, Esq. , a native of Scotland and of old Covenanter stock. 
He came to this county November 22, 1833, and cleared land and made a home. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Duduit were born ten children: James Gilruth, 
supposed to have lost his life at the burning of the steamer "Sultan," 
April 2, 1858; Agnes, deceased wife of Capt. Oliver P. Capelle, who lost 
his life at the battle of Stone River, Georgia; Mary, deceased at the age of 
fourteen years; John Wesley, who died in 1870, leaving a widow and three 
children; William, at home; Naoma, wife of C. C. Godman, of Lincoln, 
Neb.; Sarah, wife of W. E. Snyder, of Findlay, Ohio; Grace, at home; 
Kate, at home; Edward, at home. Mrs. Frederick Duduit died January 
12, 1886, and Mr. Frederick Duduit March 28, 1886. They were members 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Duduit was a Repub- 
lican. 

ELIJAH T. DUNN, attorney at law, Findlay, was born in Knox County, 
Ohio, June 20, 1840. His father was a farmer and tobacco grower. In 
1 844 he removed with his people to W^ood County, Ohio, in what was then 
known as the ' ' Black Swamp, " where, around a hickory bark fire, and three 
terms of winter school, his early education was finished. At the age of thir- 
teen he entered the office of the Herald of Freedom, at Wilmington, and 
became an expert ^jrintoi. He taught several terms of school in Clarke and 
Hancock Counties, pursuing in the meantime the study of law. On the break- 
ing out of the Rebellion he united with the Union party, while yet a minor, 
and did service for a short time as a member of the Twenty-first Regiment 
Ohio Volunteers. Becoming unable to perform duty as a soldier, he con- 
tinued for a while in a clerkship in the qiiartermaster department at Nash- 
ville, Tenn. Returning to Findlay he completed his law course, and on 
the 2d of August, 1862, was admitted to the bar. He was then twenty-two 
years of age. He then settled down in Findlay, and has ever since been 
creditably identified with the legal profession. Mr. Dunn is a very busy 
man. Besides a laige law practice, he owns and controls a good farm, and 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 741 

devotes considerable attention to fine cattle. He is a stockholder and direc- 
tor in the Farmer's National Bank, director and secretary of the Findlay 
Gas Light Co. , of the Findlay Oil & Gas Co. , and President of the Wood & 
Hancock Oil & Gas Company. He devotes a great deal of attention to 
financial matters. He favors public improvements, and on all questions in- 
volving public enterprises he takes a leading and aggressive part. 

January 12, 1865, he was married to Martha I., daughter of Anthony 
Strother, of Findlay, and by her has had three sons: Bernard L., John A. 
and James C. Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church; Mr. Dunn of Stoker Post, G. A. R. and Hancock Lodge, I. O. O. 
F. He is not a politician, but votes with the Democrats. Has held the ofiices 
of justice of the peace and collector of internal revenue. Of his family, 
so far back as they are known, it may be said that they have been honest, 
industrious, intelligent and generous. Never was one convicted of crime. 
They have not been distinguished, but along the vale of life have kept the even 
tenor of their way. Yet the " simple annals of the poor" are, to those in- 
terested, well worth preserving, because we may all meet again on the 
morning of a better day. Indebtedness is due to J. B. Dunn, of Deshler, 
Ohio, for the following genealogy of the Dunn family. He has preserved it 
with great care, and it is believed to be correct. 

Genealogy of the Dunn family as given by Jacob B. Dunn, of Deshler, 
Henry Co., Ohio: ''About the year 17'20 one Geoi'ge Dunn, with two 
lirothers, all Protestants, came from North Ireland (near Londonderry), to 
Long Island. One brother subsequently settled in New Jersey, and George 
Dunn in Maryland. From these brothers, the Dunns of Hamilton County, 
Ohio, or Indiana, and part of those of Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania, 
derive their descent. 

' 'The above mentioned George Dunn was a Baptist preacher, and carried 
his ' rather damp ' gospel west of the Allegheny Mountains, through what 
from his name was called ' Dunn' s Gap. ' The date of his birth, death 
and marriage, and the name of his wife, are not within the knowledge of 
the writer, but there lived such a man called George Dunn. His son (also 
named George), was a farmer, living near Harper's Ferry, in Maryland or 
Virginia. This second George Dunn had four sons and two daughters: 
John, George, Jacob and Peter; Catharine married James Schnebly, 
and with him settled near Xenia, Ohio; Mary (or Polly) married a man 
named Elam, and settled in western Ohio. Their father (the second George 
Dunn) died February 22, 1817. Of the sons, Peter died in Kentucky, a 
few years before the war of the Rebellion. Jacob died in Knox County, 
Ohio, about 1862. John died in Washington County, Md., about 1831. 
George (the second son of the second George Dunn, and the third bearing 
the name), was born in Washington County, Md., January 8, 1779. He 
died in Wood County, Ohio, December 13, 1865. The wife of the 'second 
George, ' and mother of the above six childi-en, was named Susanna, maiden 
name imknown. She died April 27, 1811. The third George Dunn was 
married near the close of the eighteenth century, to Sarah Mills, who was 
born 1770 (day not known), and died in 1845. 

"Their children (all born in Maryland), were as follows: Robert, born 
September 8, 1798; died August 21, 1872; married to Mary Forsyth. John, 
born December 1, 1799; died March 9, 1851; married to Elizabeth D. Bool- 
man. Susanna, ; died August 7, 1802, in infancy. Jacob, born July 



742 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

8, 1803; died , 1879; married to Sally Boolman. George, born Feb- 
ruary 20, 1805; died , 1881; married to Rachel Mills. James, born 

February 20, 1807; died March 16, 1867; married to Margaret Coplin. 
Moses, born January 20, 1809; died August 22, 1829; never married. Will- 
iam, born January 29, 1811; died February 1, 1859; never married. Maria, 
born December 16, 1812; alone survives, widow of Jonathan Dean (deceased). 
Elizabeth, born June 19, 1814; died January 31, 1817; in infancy. Peter, 
born May 4, 1816; died AiTgxTst 19, 1855; never married. 

' ' Elizabeth Dorothea Boolman, wife of John Dunn, second son of the ' 
third George Dunn, was born January 1, 1803, in Washington County, Md. 
Her father's name was Nicholas Boolman, whose father (first name unknown), 
came to Maryland from Germany, about 1765. Nicholas Boolman was born 
about 1774, his wife, Magdalene Troxel, was born about the same time. Of 
her family we know very little, except that she had a brother named David. 
The children of Nicholas and Magdalene Boolman, were as follows: Catha- 
rine, born about 1796; died, ; married to Hiram Lynch. Samuel, born 

in 1798; died in 1864; twice married; wives were sisters, last named Sarah 

A. Jacob, born , 1800; died about 1817; never married. Elizabeth 

D., born January 1, 1803; died March, 1883; married to John Dunn.* 

Sally, born , 1804; died , 1856; married to Jacob Dunn. Nancy, 

born about 1806; died about 1822; unmarried. 

"John Dunn, his wife Elizabeth D. , and their three eldest children 
removed from Maryland, with his (John's) father, George Dunn, to Fair- 
field County, Ohio, in 1826. From thence they removed to Green County, 
Ohio, thence to Knox County, Ohio, and in 1844 John Dunn and family 
removed to Wood County, Ohio, where he died as above shown. The children 
of John and Elizabeth D. Dunn, are as follows: Ann, born December 5, 
1820; married Adam Cosner April 15, 1841. Jacob [B.], born September 30, 
1823; married Angeline Culp September 23, 1847. Joseph, born January 

I, 1826; married Mary Niebel April 12, 1883. George, born October 3, 
1827; died August 29, 1855; unmarried. Maria, born September 22,1829; 
married Wilson Stretcher July, 20, 1865. Aaron, born December 16, 1831 ; 
died October 20. 1846; unmarried. Samuel, born May 4, 1834; married 
Margaret Bishop March 3, 1859. Phebe, born May 7, 1836; married Joseph 
Hoot July 7, 1861. Nathaniel, born September 5, 1838; died October 14, 
1846; unmarried. Elijah [T.], born June 20, 1840; married Martha I. 
Strother January 12, 1865. Mary Magdalene, born June 5, 1842; died 
October 17, 1846, in infancy. John [R.], born March 24, 1844; died August 

II, 1865; unmarried. Thomas Corwin, born November 3, 1847; married 
Emma T. Lewis March 9, 1871. 

"The above names (not including th^j initials in brackets) are the names 
by which the children of John and Elizabeth D. Dunn were christened, the * 
initials 'B.,' 'T.' and 'R.' being afterward chosen by Jacob, Elijah and 
John, partly to aid in distinguishing fi'om others having similar first initials, 
and partly to preserve traces of the old family names of Boolman, Troxel 
and Rench, though in what way we are related to the Rench family does 
not appear on any of our records. Our mother was related (though whether 
through the Boolmans or Troxels does not appear) to the Hagers, after one 
of whom Hagerstown, Md., was named. A family named Chambers, of 
Chambersburg, was also in some way connected with our ancestors. ' ' 

*John and Jacob Dunn were brothers. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 743 

C. A. EBLING, merchant tailor, Findlay, was born in Leesport, 
Penn., May 24, 1853; son of Addi and Mary Ann (Bahr) Ebling, natives 
of Berks County, Penn. Addi Ebling served with honor in the late war of 
the Rebellion, and iipon his discharge he came to Ohio, and in 1869 to 
Findlay; by his first wife, who died February 9, 1858, he had three chil- 
dren — two sons and one daughter — latter of whom died at age of two years 
and by his second wife, whom he married October 6, 1862, there are two 
children — one son and one daughter. The subject of this sketch was 
raised to his present business (his father's) and April 17, 1880, embarked 
in it in Findlay where he has since been successfully connected with same. 
He was married in Findlay, in October, 1870, to Amanda, daughter of 
Thomas B. Scott, Esq., a native of Pennsylvania, and they have two 
daughters: Mary Ann and Clara Belle. Mr. Ebling and family attend 
the services of the Presbyterian Church. He has been a Mason since 1875 
and was knighted in Shawnee Commandery at Lima, Ohio. He is also 
Past Chancellor in the K. of P. In politics he is a Republican. 

CHARLES J. ECKELS, Findlay, was born in Westmoreland County, 
Penn.. January 1, 1821, son of John and Esther Booth Eckels, also natives 
of Westmoreland County, who settled in Cass Township, this coiinty, in 
April, 1836, with four sons, of whom William is deceased; James M. is in 
Fort Wayne, Ind. ; Charles J. in Findlay, and Cyrus L. near Findlay. 
The subject of this sketch spent several years at the carpenter trade; in 
1854 he came to Findlay, where he assisted in carrying on undertaking 
till recently; meantime he took an active part in the advocacy of boring 
for natural gas and, in 1884, he with Dr. Osterlen and a few others, 
sank their celebrated test well and developed this wonderful interest, 
which now has seven wells yielding gas, and two oil. The company pro- 
pose putting other wells down in the near future, for gas and oil. The 
last well, known as the "Karg well," has the largest flow of any of the gas 
wells, yielding over 1,000,000 cubic feet of gas every twenty four hoiu-s. 
Findlay is now partially heated and lighted with natui-al gas. Mr. Eckels 
was married, in Cass Township. Hancock Co.. Ohio, to Ann McMui-ray, 
who departed this life July 20, 1879, leaving one son and two daiighters: 
James, a railway engineer, now with the Noi-thern Pacific Railroad, run- 
ning from Glendive, Mont., west to Billings; Jennie E. and Margaret E. 
Mr Eckels has always taken an active part in the development of the indus- 
trial life of Findlay. During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted in 
Company A. Twenty -first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three 
months' service, then afterward enlisted and served in Company F, Twenty- 
first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and later in Company I, One Hun- 
dred and Sixty first Ohio Volunteer Veteran Infantry, receiving an honorable 
discharge fi'om each service. In politics he is a Republican. 

W. EDWARDS, harness-maker, Findlay, was born in Tunbridge Wells, 
England, January 2, 1841, son of Elisha and Susan (Damper) Edwards, 
who came to our shores in 1846, and located in Findlay, Ohio, where the 
father died in 1849, leaving five sons and four daughters. William, our 
subject, when eighteen years old became apprenticed to the harness-making, 
and in 1867 embarked in the business on his own account, with which he has 
since been prominently identified in Findlay. He was married in Findlay, 
in 1865, to Catherine, daughter of Philip Hoch, of Eagle Township, this 
county, and they have five sons and three daughters: Ada, Charles, Merlee, 



744 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Annie, Kittie, Fred, George and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards attend 
services at the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of the K. of 
H. and of the Royal Arcanum. In the beginning of the war of the Rebellion 
he enlisted in Company B, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and did 
active service for thirty-two months, when he was honorably discharged on 
account of disability, occasioned by wounds received at the battle of Chicka- 
mauga. He is an enterprising and progressive business man and a liberal 
contributor to measures for the welfare of his adopted city. Upon the 
organization of the Findlay Natural Gas Company he became a stockholder 
and has continued with it since. He is also a member of the Findlay Im- 
provement Company and other important industrial interests. In politics 
he is a Republican. 

WILLIAM J. EDWARDS, livery stable, Findlay, was born in Phila 
delphia, Penn. , September 28, 1837, son of Josiah P. and Ann (Young) 
Edwards, natives of Ireland. Josiah P. Edwards learned shoe-making 
in Donegal, his native city, and when a young man came to this country 
and settled in Philadelphia. He afterward moved to Fairfield County, 
Ohio, and from there to Findlay, this county, in 1852, where he died in 
1871. He had a family of three sons and three daughters, of whom one 
daughter and one son remain : Sarah Ann (wife of Luther Norton, of 
Charleston, 111,, and William J. Our subject carried on farming till 1866, 
when he came to Findlay and embarked in the livery business with which 
he has been favorably connected since. In 1874 he built his present ex- 
tensive barn and stables. He was married in Findlay, in 1860, to Lucinda 
J. , daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Powell) Foltz, and they have one son 
and one daughter living: Wilson J. (married to Nettie Ferard, daughter of 
John F. and Fanny J. S. Ferard (they have one son and one daughter), 
and Clara Blanche, and have buried Margaret J. , Emma May and an infant. 
Mrs. Edwards is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to 
which her husband is a liberal supporter. Mr. Edwards is an active and 
enterprising business man and a worthy citizen. He has had charge of 
carrying the mails here for the past fourteen years. He is a member of 
the K. of P. 

FRANKLIN WAYNE ENTRIKIN, M. D., Findlay, late professor 
of gynecology in Fort Wayne Medical College, was born in Chester County, 
Penn., July 27, 1830; son of Emmor and Susannah (Bennett) Entrikin, of 
pioneer English Quaker ancestry in that State. In 1832 Emmor Entrikin 
moved to Columbiana County, Ohio, where he reared a family of five sons 
and one daughter in the Quaker faith. Franklin W. Entrikin received a 
good literary training and at seventeen entered the Quaker Academy at 
Salem, being a class-mate of Byron Shariton, M. D. , professor of diseases 
of women, Miami Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio. After completing a 
thorough literary and scientific course there he engaged in the study of 
dentistry, in which profession he spent a few years. He, however, con- 
tinued reading medicine and graduated from the Ohio Medical College of 
Cincinnati. In 1855 he came to Findlay, where he has spent most of his 
time since in excellent professional practice. He, however, has spent some 
considerable time in public lecturing on his profession, and for three years 
held the chair of gynecology in Ft. Wayne, Ind. , Medical College. He is a 
scientist of considerable ability and has contributed leading articles to the 
Medical and Surgical Journal, of St. Louis, Mo. , also to the Lancet and 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 745 

Observer, of Ciuciiuiati (now the Lancet and Clinic), the Medical and Surgi- 
cal Journal, of Toledo, and others. He is a member of the Northwestern 
Ohio Medical Association, and of the Cleveland Microscopical Society. The 
Doctor was married, in October, 1851, to Sarah Ann, daughter of Thomas 
Lyon, of Deerfield, Portage Co. , Ohio, and by her he has three sons : Emmor 
Lyon, a leading jeweler in Findlay; Leonidas A., also a jeweler, with E. L. ; 
Franklin Bennett, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Entrikin attend the services of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and 
is an A. F. & A. M. He is a hardworking, painstaking physician, and 
although possessed of an ample competence in the way of worldly goods, 
has probably earned a very great proportion of his money in medical prac- 
tice since he lived in Findlay. Besides his already mentioned professional 
connections he has had charge of the sanitariums in Cleveland and Green 
Springs. He possesses nearly all the known instruments used in surgery. 
Although old in the profession the Doctor is to-day as great a student as he 
was in his younger years. Dr. Entrikin was elected professor of gyne- 
cology in the Toledo Medical College in August, 1885, and delivered a full 
course of lectures in that institution in the session of 1885-86. He now 
holds that position. He is of strong physique and of a vigorous nature. 
In politics he is a Republican. His father was a Whig and he and all the 
sons early identified themselves with the anti- slavery movement and of 
course drifted into the Republican party. 

JACOB FELLER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born in 
Northampton County, Penn. , in 1806, and the following year his parents, Fred- 
erick and Susanna (Rabinalt) Feller, moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where 
our subject was reared. In October, 1831, Jacob Feller came to this county, 
and has been successfiilly connected with his present industry (farming and 
stock raising) since. He was united in marriage, in August, 1830, with Mary, 
daughter of Peter Powell, Esq. , and to them have been born seven sons and 
five daughters: Eli, deceased while young; Jonathan, a member of Company 
A, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, died in the army; 
Susanna, deceased wife of Samuel Biggs, Esq. ; Samuel, residing in Dakota; 
Paul and Jacob, farmers of Findlay Township; Mary, wife of G. D. Insley, 
of Wood County, Ohio; Enos, residing in Wood County, Ohio; Elizabeth, 
wife of John D. Wagner, of Frankfort, Dak. ; Timothy, a merchant, of 
Findlay, Ohio; Ella, wife of Marion Cox, of Wood County, Ohio, and Sarah 
Ann, wife of Adam Wagner, of Indiana. The subject of this sketch, Jacob 
Feller, Sr. , came to this county when it was nearly new, and, settling in the 
woods, cleared land and made a home for himself. By steady and persist- 
ent industry he accumulated property, until at one time he owned over 400 
acres of land. He is a worthy citizen, and a good husband and father, and 
has given each of his children a good start in the world. He is a member 
of the Evangelical Church ; in politics a Republican. 

FRANCIS W. FIRMIN, M. D., Findlay, was born in Richfield, Sum- 
mit Co., Ohio, July 15, 1842, and is a descendant of pioneers of that name 
in Massachusetts, who came to our shores in 1630, in the fleet with Gov. 
Winthrop, and followed literary and mercantile pursuits. He is a descend- 
ant of Solomon De Firmin, who followed the fortunes of William the Con- 
queror from Normandy, and settled at Ipswich, England, in the eleventh 
century. His descendants number among them leading ecclesiastics and 
preserve the original crest and shield with the motto Firiaus in Christo 



746 MISTORV OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

(Steadfast in Christ). The first records in this country show Giles, John, 
Josiah, Eobert and Thomas Firmin, of whom Giles practiced medicine and 
preached the gospel, and died in Ridgewell, England, in 1697; John settled 
in Watertown, Mass., and Thomas, who was a merchant, settled in Haver- 
hill, Mass., and removed to Salisbury, Mass., in 1652. Josiah Firmin 
came to Boston in 1640, and lived with Gov. Winthrop; Robert settled in 
Newton, Long Island, in 1645. The subject of this sketch comes in all 
probability fi'om John of Watertown, Mass. His father was Francis B. , 
born in 1809, son of John, born in 1773, and he of John, born in 1713, at 
Somers, Conn., where his father lived. Here there occurs a break in the 
genealogy, but cotemporaneous genealogy of its different branches traces 
the ancestry to John Firmin, of Watertown. Dr. Francis W. Firmin, a 
son of Francis B. and Mary (Chapin) Firmin, received a good education in 
Wilbraham, Mass. (whither his parents had removed), and at Oberlin, Ohio, 
in 1862-63. In 1862 he came to Ohio and engaged in the study of medi- 
cine with his uncle, Dr. Lorenzo Firmin, and in 1867 he graduated from the 
Cleveland Medical College. He located in Findlay, this county, and has 
been in very creditable professional work here since. He married here in 
1869, Mary L. D. , daughter of the Rev. John A. Meeks, a pioneer minister 
of the Presbyterian Church. They have four sons and one daughter: 
Alfi-ed Scott, John Meeks, Clara H. , Frank B. and Carl Giles. Dr. Firmin 
was made a Mason in 1868 and is a member of Findlay Lodge, Chapter and 
Council, and of Shawnee Commandery, at Lima, Ohio; is also a worthy Odd 
Fellow and a member of the Patriarchs Militant. The Doctor is a member 
of the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, 
and of the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, and has been United 
States Examining Surgeon for pensions since 1872. During the late war 
of the Rebellion, July 15, 1863, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred 
and Twenty- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after doing service for 
eight months, was honorably discharged. He is a member of Stoker Post 
G. A. R. Dr. Firmin has always held himself aloof from public office, but 
has served with credit in the councils of the city. He holds high rank in his 
profession; is a liberal contributor to all measures tending to the develop- 
ment of the social and industrial life of this locality, and is a public -spirited 
citizen. In politics he is a Republican. 

DR. LORENZO FIRMIN, retired physician, Findlay, was born March 
31, 1808, in South Wilbraham, Mass., son of John Firmin. Our subject 
when a lad learned the trade of shoe-making with his father in South Wil- 
braham (now Hampden), Mass., with which he was connected in the East 
till 1834, when he came West to Richfield, Summit Co., Ohio, and 
entered into partnership with Dr. Secretary Rawson, in a tannery, which he 
continued in until 1841, when he sold out to O. M. Oviatt, of Richfield. In 
1841 he came to Findlay, Ohio, read medicine with Dr. Bass Rawson and 
graduated in the profession. He practiced at Benton, this county, till 
1847, when he returned to Findlay, where he has been favorably known 
since. He was married June 28, 1838, to Clara H., daughter of Dr. Secre- 
tary Rawson. They have no children. Dr. Firmin has always been a public- 
spirited and liberal man. He is a clever financier and has accumulated a 
handsome competence. He and his lady are worthy members of society, 
esteemed by all who know them. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 747 

REV. ANDREW J. FISH, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
Findlay, was born near Springfield, Clark Co. , Ohio, October 26, 1840, son 
of John and Jnstina (Myres) Fish, the former of whom, a native of Bremen, 
Germany, and a stone- cutter by trade, came to this country in 1834, he 
being then twenty- one years of age. He eventually settled near Springfield, 
Clark Co. , Ohio, where he was favorably known in connection with impor- 
tant contracts for public road building, and prominently may be mentioned 
the National road between Springfield and Columbus. Ohio. His original 
name was ' ' Fiersch, ' ' which for convenience he changed to ' ' Fish. ' ' The 
Myres family come of a long line of German ancestry in Adams Connty, 
Penn. Rev. Andi-ew J. Fish, the subject of this sketch, is to a great extent 
self-made in his profession. In his earlier years he taught school and by 
this means furthered his education. At the age of twenty-three he entered 
the church, and when twenty-seven years of age he took charge of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church at Quincy, Ohio, his successive charges being 
Elida, Delphos, Greenville, Defiance, Van Wert, Toledo, coming to Findlay, 
this coimty, in the fall of 1884. He married, in Springfield, Ohio, Lusetta, 
daughter of the late Philip and Mahalah (Shockey) Kiplinger, and they 
have three daughters and two sons: Jessie May, Lou Anna, Samuel Rob- 
erts, Henry Wagoner and Aui'elia Veda. Rev. Andi'ew J. Fish is an earnest 
and indefatigable church worker, and an ardent temperance advocate. Dur- 
ing his pastorate in Ohio he has dedicated seventeen chiu'ches for his own 
and sister denominations. In connection with the Central Ohio Methodist 
Episcopal Conference he instituted the ' ' Preacher' s Aid Society, ' ' which 
has raised a fund of $22,000, has served as conference missionary treasurer 
for twelve years and has been usually accepted as a leader in his profession. 
He is a worthy member of the Masonic fraternity and of the United Order 
of Honor. Besides his very active professional works Rev. Andrew J. Fish 
has given some attention to accumulating a competency for the better rear- 
ing and education of his little family, and has been eminently successful in 
this particular. His musical attainments should be remarked, he being a 
graduate in composition, and he has produced some very fine arrangements 
in music. 

D. C. FISHER (deceased) late manufactui-er, was born in Greensbor- 
ough, Penn., July 27, 1821, son of John and Esther (Smith) Fisher, of 
pioneer German ancestry, in that State. Jacob Smith, father of Mi's. 
Esther Fisher, served all through the Revolutionary war as a worthy officer 
under Washington. D. C. Fisher learned carpentering in his native place 
and was prominently identified with the building interests of that locality 
for many years. In 1861 he retired from business there and came to Find- 
lay, this county, to engage in the lumber trade, with which industry he was 
successfully connected up to his death. He was one of Findlay" s most 
active citizens, and assisted materially in the development of many of its 
important manufacturing interests. In 1865 he built and established an 
extensive planing-mill and sash, door and blind factory, and upon the 
organization of the Findlay Stave and Handle Factory he became a leading 
proprietor, as also of the Findlay Manufacturing Company, both of which 
interests he retired from with loss. He married, November 12, 1850, in his 
native place, Deborah Miller, who bore him two sons and five daughters, of 
whom one son and foiu- daughters survive: Hany W., Annabel (wife of 
Newton McLure), Addie M. (wife of Henry Byers), Bertha and Lulu. 



748 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

March 18, 1(SS4, Mrs. Fisher passed away from this life in full comnniniou 
with the Methodist Ejiiscopal Church, and is laid to rest iu Maple Grove 
Cemetery. Mr. Fisher died October 5, 1885, aged sixty-four years, two 
months, eight days. The family are all members of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, of which Mr. Fisher had been worthily connected for many 
years, and officially, in Findlay, for over twenty years. He was a member 
of the I. O. O. F. He always held aloof from public office, but served his 
adopted city with good repute in her councils. He was a worthy citizen, a 
genial gentleman and a public -spirited progressive business man, and his 
loss was deeply felt. In politics he was a Republican. 

JOHN B. FOLTZ, recorder of Hancock County, Findlay, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, July 22, 1844, son of Philip and Sarah (Hiestand) 
Foltz, natives of Virginia. Philip Foltz's father, Balthes Foltz, served in 
the war of 1812. They trace their ancestry in Virginia to 1796, the year 
of the advent of the first of the name from Germany in that State. Sarah 
Foltz was a daughter of the Rt. Rev. Samuel Hiestand, one of the first 
three bishops of the United Brethren Church in Virginia. The Hiestands 
belong to worthy German pioneers in that State. In 1828 Philip and Sarah 
Foltz settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, from Trumbull County, Va. (the 
home of many of the Foltzes and Hiestands), and in 1845 they removed to 
Van Buren Township, this county. They had ten children, of whom six 
sons and two daughters survive; the eldest son, a clever attorney, died at 
Ottawa, Ohio; a daughter is also deceased (neither of these two left issue). 
The family are all of good attainments, and occupy respectable positions in 
the social and industrial life of their respective localities. John B. Foltz 
spent his early life on the farm, and has been prominently identified with 
agriculture in Madison Township, this county, where he has held impor- 
tant official positions. He married, March 1, 1860, Elizabeth, daughter of 
Abram and Margaret Radabaugh, pioneers of Madison Township. Mr. 
and Mrs. Foltz have two sons and five daughters: Emma M., Abram J., 
Hattie A., Mollie M., Isabelle, Henry H. and Menda M. Our subject and 
family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has 
served as trustee and in other official capacities. Mr. Foltz has always been 
a public-spirited and enterprising farmer, of which industry he has always 
taken an active part in advancing here. In October, 1884, his constituents 
acknowledged his abilities by electing him, with a nice majority, to the re- 
cordership of Hancock County. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JACOB FOSTER, farmer, Findlay, settled in Findlay Township, this 
county, December 24, 1828, and cleared the farm on Section 6. He has 
lived in town twenty years. He was united in marriage with Adeline De 
Witt, and they have eight childi-en now living: Sarah, wife of Sylvester 
Geyer; Ellen, wife of Walter Watson; Mary, wife of Samuel Fisher; John; 
Edson; Hester, wife of John Lynes; Charlie, and Luia, wife of William 
Sultner. Mr. and Mrs. Foster attend the services of the Church of God. 
In politics he is a red hot Republican. 

SAMUEL DUNBAR FREY, retired druggist, Findlay, was born in 
Somerset Count, Penn., July 18, 1826, and comes of worthy German an- 
cestry (on his father's side) in Maryland. His grandfather, Frey, settled 
in Baltimore, Md. (from Germany) where he was prominently connected 
with his profession of civil engineering and surveying, and did some im- 
portant contracting and building, among which might be mentioned the Na- 



FINDLAV TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 749 

tional Koad from Baltimore to Wasliiugton, D. C He left a large family. 
Dr. William Frey, father of our subject, left a good practice in Pennsyl- 
vania and retui'ued to Maryland, where he represented Alleghany County 
on different occasions in the Legislature of that State. He died in 1865, 
aged sixty- live years, leaving a family of seven sons and one daughter. 
Three of the sons have worthily represented the father's profession. Our 
subject completed a good education at Uniontown Academy, graduating in 
a classical and scientific course of study, and read medicine for a few 
years. He, however, disliked the practice of medicine, and turned his at- 
tention to other pursuits. In 1851 he came West, and was connected with 
railway building for some time with headquarters at Bellefontaine, Ohio. 
In 1857 he came to Findlay, and subsequently embarked in the drug busi- 
ness. He was married, in Somerset County, Penn. , in 1851, to Priscilla 
B., daughter of John Slicer, and by her he has one son, William, who car- 
ries on the di-ug business. Mr. Frey has always been a liberal supporter 
of measures tending to the growth of his adopted city. He is a worthy 
Mason of over twenty-three years' standing, a liberal supporter of the 
Methodist Chm-ch, and socially is an excellent gentleman. 

JACOB ^^^. CtASSMAN, clerk, Findlay, was born in Eppingen, Baden, 
March 1, 1845, son of William and Catherine Haasinger Gassman, who 
came to this country in 1848, the former of whom, a baker by trade, left 
his native country in consequence of the Revolution there, that he might 
enjoy his liberty in free America. AVilliam Gassman removed from Seneca 
County, Ohio, to Findlay, where he at present resides. Of his three sons 
and two daughters, Elizabeth is the wife of M. B. Weaver, of Valley Falls, 
Kas. ; Emanuel and Daniel (twins) are invalids, and only Jacob W., who is 
the eldest, and Lena, the youngest, are now living at home. Upon the 
breaking out of the war of the Rebellion Jacob W. Gassman enlisted in 
Company A, Sixty-fifth Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry, and did 
active and honorable service for over three years. He was wounded at the 
battle near Petersburg, Va. , and after receiving an honorable dischai-ge re- 
turned home and enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Ninety-eighth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving two months. Mr. Gassman is a worthy 
citizen and an exemplary son, and since his father's health failed has taken 
entire charge of the family's support, and has attended to the necessities 
of his invalid brothers. He is a member of Stoner Post, G. A. R. 

LEWIS GLESSNER (deceased) was born in Somerset County, Penn. , 
September 1 , 1811, and when six years of age removed to Columbiana County, 
Ohio, with his parents, who settled in the woods, where he remained at 
fai-m work (meantime learning a trade at New Lisbon) until 1883, when he 
located at Delaware, Ohio. In 1861 he came to Findlay, Ohio, and pur 
chased the Hancock Courier, which, in company with his son, W. L. Gless- 
ner. he published till 1865. He then began publishing the Newark, Ohio, 
Advocate, which was continued by him for a year and a half, after which he 
returned to Findlay and again assumed control of the Hancock Courier, to 
which, from that time, he devoted his undivided energies. Thus for nearly 
eighteen years he was identified with the business interests of this section, 
as well as being the molder and expounder of the principles of the political 
party of his convictions and choice. He did not make the Hancock Courier 
"a stepping stone to something else." He never sought nor claimed any 
other reward for his labor in behalf of his party, or in advocating the gen- 

40 



750 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

eral good, than the approval of his own couscience aud the knowledge that 
his efforts were appreciated. While at any time the people would gladly have 
called him to the councils of the State and Nation, they knew his ambi- 
tion was to serve in the sphere he had chosen. Rarely do we find such sin- 
o-leness of purpose as displayed by him. Acting fi'om the highest motives 
the editor of the Hancock Courier was thus able to take a fearless, inde- 
pendent position, that gave his utterances weight in the councils of his 
party, and won for him the respect of those whose principles he opposed. 
Not a great while before his death, which occurred March 13, 1879, he con- 
structed a handsome brick building, the ' ' Courier Block, ' ' and at the ded- 
ication of the building a large gathering of friends of the paper and personal 
friends of Mr. Glessner took place, and congratulatory addresses were 
made, which gave evidence of the high esteem in which the publisher was 
held. In Mr. Glessner' s reply to these addresses, he said, among other 
things: "In purchasing the Courier and locating here, I did so with the 
purpose of V)ecoming identified with the interests, improvements, growth 
and prosperity of Findlay and Hancock County, and if the course pursued 
by the Courier has been such as to foster and encourage a spirit of substan- 
tial public improvement of streets, sewerage, public and private buildings, 
or otherwise improving and beautifying our thriving town, to the greater 
health and comfort of its people; if, by precept or example it has induced 
the planting of one more shade tree, or ornamental shrub, or bed of flowers, 
to cheer some weary mortal on life's journey, than would otherwise have 
been planted, its aim, as a local paper, has been partially accomplished and 
the labors of its editors have not been altogether in vain. ' ' Lewis Gless- 
ner was married, April 8, 1838, in Delaware, Ohio, to Georgiana Cowles, 
by whom he was blessed with a large family. A writer says, relative to Mr. 
Glessner' s death, ' ' he was well thought of and respected abroad, as well as in 
Hancock County, where he had hosts of friends. A life of integrity and i^ur- 
ity, such as he lived, is an unspeakable blessing. It is something to live 
such a life, it is much for a community to lose it." Mr. Glessner was a 
kind husband, and was blessed in having a wife ready to sympathize with 
him in all his trials, and rejoice with him in all his successes. 

F. H. GLESSNER, editor of the Hancock Courier, Findlay, was born in 
Delaware, Ohio; son of Lewis and Georgiana (Cowles) Glessner, natives of 
Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. In 18(31 Lewis Glessner came to Findlay 
with his family from Delaware County and purchased the Hancock Courier, 
which he ably carried on till his death in 1879. He had learned the chair- 
making business, and later engaged in farming and stock raising in Del- 
aware County, which he carried on till coming to Findlay. He reared a 
family of five sons and four daughters, of whom William L. is publisher 
of the Recorder at Americus, Ga. ; Leonard C. is publisher of The Earth at 
Sedalia, Mo. ; Douglas is iDublisher of the News at Grifiin, Ga. ; Fred H. is 
editor and publisher of the Hancock Courier. Edward, the second son, a 
member of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infanty, died of wounds 
received at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. The mother is living with her 
daughters and is proprietor of the Hancock Courier; she is a worthy woman 
and mother, and an ardent worker for the Ladies' Benevolent Society in 
Findlay. Fred H.. our subject, was reared to the profession of journalism, 
and after his father's death took charge of the paper, which he has ably con- 
ducted since. He has always been a public spirited and progressive citizen, 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 751 

and has contributed in no small degree to the advancement of the social and 
industrial life of his locality. He assisted in the organization of the Fiudlay 
Natural Gas Company, and served as its secretary, and upon the second year 
of its existence as its president. Mr. Glessner is an active member and 
secretary of the Findlay Improvement Company. He was united in mar- 
riage at Findlay, in 1872, with Ara A. , daughter of Henry Isham, Esq. , of 
Findlay. 

CAPT. JOSEPH F. GUTZWILLER, United States Messenger, House 
of Congress, Washington, D. C, Findlay, was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., 
April 30, 184:'2, son of Victor and Catharine (Monk) Gutzwiller, natives of 
Switzerland and Alsace, France (now Germany), respectively. Victor Gutz- 
willer who was born in Basel, in the Canton of Basel, Switzerland, came 
to this country when a lad, and learned harness-making in Pittsburgh, where 
he married. In 1857 he removed to Mansfield, Ohio, where he now resides. 
He reared eight children — five sons and three daughters — of whom the fol- 
lowing survive: Joseph F., Victor (an attorney at law in Cleveland, Ohio), 
Henry (in railroad business in Mansfield, Ohio), Mary (wife of Frank Jonas, 
cigar manufacturer in Upper Sandusky, Ohio), Lizzie (wife of William Epke, 
also a cigar manufacturer in Upper Sandusky) and Rosa P. (wife of Edward 
Christian, of Lima). The subject of this sketch, after receiving a good 
rudimentary education at the Roman Catholic Schools of Pittsburgh, com- 
pleted it at Mansfield. In 1801 he entered the military service in Company H, 
Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, upon the first call doing honorable duty 
for the term of service. He then re-enlisted in Company F, Eighty-second 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was wounded at the battle of Bull Run, and was 
promoted for gallant service to the second lieutenancy of Company F. He 
soon after received promotion to first lieutenancy; at Chancellorsville he 
was taken prisoner in May, 1803; Avas exchanged just before the battle of 
Gettysburg, and received promotion to the captaincy of Company D, at 
Gettysburg, in which rank he served till the close of the war. After that 
he returned to Mansfield, Ohio, and in 1805 came to Findlay, this county, 
where he has been favoral)ly known since. For three years he served as 
assistant sergeant-at-arms of the Ohio Legislature, and for two years as 
such of the Constitutional Convention. In 1877 he was elected recorder of 
Hancock County, which incumbency he honorably filled for six consecutive 
years. December 11, 1883, Captain Gutzwiller was ajipointed messenger 
in the House of Representatives at W^ashington, which position he ably 
holds. He married, in Findlay, May 7, 1807, Delia S. , daughter of Jacob 
and Delia (Grate) Rosenberg, pioneers of this county, the former having 
held several important official positions in the early history of the county, 
being sheriff for several years. Mr. and Mrs. Gutzwiller have one son and 
one daughter: Francis Joseph and Lula M. The family are regular com- 
municants of the Roman Catholic Church. Our subject is a member of St. 
Michael's Benevolent Society and of Stoker Post, G. A. R. 

JOSEPH HAGERMAN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in New Jersey, in 1815, son of Joseph and Susan Hagerman, who re- 
moved to Northampton County. Penn. , where Joseph, Jr. , was reared. In 
1803 our subject came West, and after spending a few years in Wood County, 
Ohio, settled in Findlay Township, this county, in 1807. He married in 
Pennsylvania, Miss Catherine Zlisloft, and they have four sons and three 
daughters: Corson, a farmer, in Portage Township,- this county; Susan, 



752 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

wife of Noah Spitler, in Portage Township, this county; Addison, in Find- 
lay, Ohio; Mary, wife of Lewis Chamberlain; Sarah, wife of William Stew- 
art, of Seneca County, Ohio; Sandford and Daniel. Mr. and Mrs. Hager- 
man attended the services of the English Lutheran Church. He has accumu- 
lated a nice property, the result of his own unaided labor, and has reared 
his family well. 

W. S. HAMMAKER, present postmaster of Findlay, was born at Tif- 
fin, Ohio, December 28, 1851, and was left an orphan at the age of three 
years by the death of his father. He received his schooling at a country 
school near Tiffin, and at the age of fifteen entered the office of the Seneca 
Advertiser, the Democratic organ of Seneca County. Remaining here two 
years he went to New York to join the sympathizers with Cuba (in her 
struggle for freedom from the parent country, Spain), who were prevented 
from sailing by the United States authorities. He then proceeded to New 
Bedford Mass., where he joined a whaling expedition to the Indian Ocean, 
and spent four years off the coast of Australia and among the East India 
Islands, serving on board the bark "Mermaid." In 1874 he returned to Tiffin 
and entered the Tiffin Star office as foreman, but was soon after promoted 
to city editor, which position he relinquished several months later for a sim- 
ilar place on the Wyandot Union, a paper published at Upper Sandusky, 
Ohio. Here he remained nearly two years, when he again accepted the city 
editorship of the Tiffin Daily and Weekly Star; but in a few months, the 
proprietors having made an assignment, Mr. Hammaker went back to the 
Wyandot Union and continued in service there until early in 1877, when he 
purchased the Bloom ville Banner, running it abou.t a year, but becoming 
dissatisfied with the narrow field, closed the office and returned to Tiffin, 
where he assisted in founding the Gazette, the best j)aper that city ever had, 
acting as its local editor, solicitor and collector. In January, 1879, Mr. 
Hammaker came to Findlay, having accepted the position of local editor of 
the Jeffersonian, which place he continued to hold about five years, and as- 
sisted in establishing the Daily Jeffersonian, a paper that has been on a pay- 
ing basis from the start. He worked for the Jeffersonian at different periods, 
left that paper in 1882 and started the Daily Star, continuing its publi- 
cation twenty-one months, doing very well, from a financial standpoint, but 
finally sold the office, together with the good-will of the paper, to the 
proprietor of the Jeffersonian, and returned to his old position on that joiir- 
nal, where he remained until appointed postmaster by President Cleveland, 
in November, 1885. The subject of this sketch has always been an unswerv- 
ing Democrat, but never sought any office except the one he now occupies, 
to which he was twice elected by its Democratic patrons. He was married 
in 1874 to Miss Emma Six, of Tiffin, the ceremony taking place at Put-in- 
Bay. The union has been blessed with six children — three sons and three 
daughters — all of whom are living. 

JOHN F. HASTINGS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Richland County, Ohio, September 14, 1850, son of Joseph and Mary 
(Alexander) Hastings, the former of Merrimack County, N. H., the latter of 
Richland County, Ohio, and the daughter of Peter Alexander, Esq., of 
Maryland stock. In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hastings, with their family 
of one son and two daughters, removed to this county, where Joseph 
Hastings now owns 420 acres of land, and in February, 1876, he bui'ied his 
wife; his family are John F., the subject of this sketch; Elizabeth Jane, 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 753 

and Mary Isadore, wife of Philip J. Reimnnd, of Liberty Township, this 
county. Joseph Hastinf^s died February 12, 1886, deeply regretted by a 
large number of relatives and fi-iends. While in Richland County, Ohio, 
he served with credit in many public offices, but after coming to this county 
he has held aloof from public office and has given his attention to his farm- 
ing interests. As a worthy citizen ho was highly respected everywhere. 
John F. Hastings married, in Richland County, Ohio, Miss Nancy Jane, 
daughter of Melzar and Abigail (Crawford) Coulter, and by her he has three 
sons and two daughters: Alpheus Melvin, Mary Abigail, Jane Lyadell, 
John Laverne and Charles. 

W. H. HAVEN, druggist, Findlay. was born in Colnmbiana County 
Ohio, November 32, 1841; son of Dr. P. L. and Maria (Swindler) Haven, 
the former descended from worthy pioneers of Massachusetts; the latter of 
Pennsylvania pioneers. Dr. P. L. Haven located at New Lisbon, Ohio, fi'om 
Pittsburgh, Penn., about 1839, -and died at Mansfield, Ohio, in 1849, leav- 
ing three sons and two daughters (of whom two sons and a daughter survive) : 
John P., clerking for W. H. ; Amelia H., widow of the4ate C. N. Locke, of 
the Tiffin Tribune, a resident of Findlay; James L., who died in the United 
States Military Service, in the Big Sandy Campaign, in 1862, in Kentucky; 
Mary E. (deceased wife of E. S. Kimber, of Kansas City, Mo.) and W. H. 
In 1850 our subject became apprenticed to merchandising here in the store 
of Hugh Newell. He afterward took up the di'ug trade, and in 1859 em- 
barked in it on his own account at Ottawa, Ohio. In 1861 he sold his inter- 
est there, enlisting his services in the army, and was with the Ninety-ninth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the commissary department, till 1864, when he 
joined the Mississippi and West Gulf Squadron, with which he remained till 
the close of the war, retiring at that time from the charge of the United 
States steamer "Peri." After the war he traveled in the interest of the 
drug trade and read medicine. He subsequently practiced his profession, 
but, in 1868, engaged in manufacturing, which he followed for several years. 
In 1876 he purchased his present business which he has raised to a leading 
prominence here. He was married, in Michigan, to Nancy J. Rawson, niece 
of Dr. Bass Rawson. To this union were born five children: Clarence, Ruth 
(deceased), Emma, Mary and Elsie. Mrs. Haven is a member of the Pres- 
byterian Church, to which her husband is a liberal contributor. Mr. Haven is 
a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council, Findlay, and Shawnee 
Commandery, F. & A. M. at Lima. He is also a member of K. of P. , Royal 
Arcanum, and Stoker Post, G. A. R. He is a member of the Ohio State 
Pharmaceutical Association, and was one of the original committee who 
drafted the bill for the new pharmaceutical law of Ohio. He is also a 
member of the Traders' and Travelers' Association of New York City. He 
has worked his way up in business, and, through his own indefatigable exer- 
tions has accumulated a nice competency. 

EDWIN R. HAY, farmer and stock raiser, P. 0. Findlay, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, March 15, 1830, son of Peter and Christiana (Plat- 
ter) Hay, both of whom are of direct descent from German people. Our 
subject was reared to farming, with which he was successfully connected in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, until 1870, when he came to this county and subse- 
quently took up his present property in Findlay Township, which he has 
very handsomely improved. Mr. Hay married, in this county, Angelicia, 
second daughter of Amos and Abigail (Bigelow) Frisbie, who settled in this 



754 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

coiiaty in 1805. Mrs. Hay departed this life iu 187U, leaving two children: 
Abigail and Charles. Of the remaining family of Mr. Frisbie only one 
daiio^hter survives — Celestia — who has never married; she assists her broth- 
er in-law, onr subject, in the charge of her sister's family. Edwin K. Hay 
. is a public-spirited citizen and a clever business man. He has always held 
aloof from public office, but has done his share for the public good when 
called upon. At the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he enlisted 
in Company A, Sixty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he 
held a lieutenancy during his term of service. Mr. Hay is a liberal con- 
tributor to measures advancing the public welfare. He is a kind and indul- 
gent father, and a worthy gentleman. In politics he is a Democrat. 

PRESLEY E. HAY, clerk of the court of common pleas, and county 
clerk of Hancock County, Findlay, was born in Oirard Township, Erie 
Co., Penn. , December 16, 1844; son of John and Nancy (Laughlin) Hay, 
pioneers there. He was reared to farming, which he followed, together 
with lumber milling. In 1880 he came to this county, and engaged in lum- 
ber milling here, with which industry he has been actively connected since. 
He had meanwhile become favorably known to the people of this county, 
and in October, 1884, they acknowledged their appreciation of him by 
electing him as their clerk, a deserving compliment to him as a Republican, 
in a Democratic county. He married in his native townshij) Martha, daugh- 
ter of Giles B. Cole, and by her he has one son and two daughters: Will 
iam Clinton, Carrie and Lottie. Mr. Hay is a member of the A. O. U. W., 
K. of P. and I. O. O. F. societies. He is an active, energetic business 
man, and a worthy official, and has by his upright conduct drawn around 
him warm fi'iends from all political circles. 

JOHN HECK, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born in 
York County, Penn., October 11, 1836, son of George and Martha (Maish) 
Heck, who settled in this coimty in 1844. Our subject spent his early life 
in farming, and, with the exception of a few intermissions, has been actively 
connected with that industry since. He married, December 18, 1856, Miss 
Lydia, daughter of Peter Sherick, Esq., of Wayne County, Ohio, and by 
her he has two sons and a daughter: Barbara Etta, wife of Saxon C. 
Shoupe, of Wyandot County, Ohio; David and W^illiam, worthy young 
farmers of Findlay Township, this county. Mr. Heck has always been 
active and energetic, and has accumulated a handsome fortune, the reward 
of his industry, owning now 280 acres of valuable land and some valuable 
town property in Findlay, Ohio. He is public-spirited, and contributes 
freely to worthy measures. He is an active member of the Church of God, 
and an honored official in that body. Upon the building of the beautiful 
college in Findlay, this county, Mr. Heck donated $500 in cash, and 
assisted in many other ways tbward the completion of that noble edifice. In 
politics he is a Republican. 

ANDERSON C. HECK, dealer in lumber, lath, shingles and all kinds 
of building material, Findlay, was born in Findlay, Ohio, October 11, 1854, 
son of George and Martha (Maish) Heck, natives of Cuml^erland County, 
Penn., of German pioneer ancestry, and who settled in Findlay in 1844; both 
are still in active life; their family consists of the following named children: 
Catherine, wife of David Sherk; John; Sarah, wife of Joseph Lytle; Will- 
iam; Mary, wife of Frank Gardner; George; Anderson C. , Joseph and 
Bird, widow of W illis Kimmel. Of these George and Mary reside in Alle- 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 755 

gan County, Mich., all the others being residents of this county. The de- 
ceased are Susan, wife of William Watson; Harry, Jacob and an infant. 
Anderson C. Heck spent his early life in mercantile pm-suits, and was con- 
nected with the hardware trade in Findlay, Ohio, for ten years, but retired 
from same recently to engage in his present business. He married, in 
1879, Miss Jennie E. Livingston, and to them have been born two children: 
Birdie Marie and Clare Gerald (the latter deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Heck 
attend the services of the Presbyterian Church, of which she is a worthy 
member, and to which he is a liberal contributor. Upon the organization 
of the board appointed to conduct the building of Findlay College, Mr. 
Heck became an active member, and served with credit until the completion 
of that work. Our subject is vice-president of the Findlay Natural Gas 
Company, and was lessee and manager of the Opera House in Findlay, Ohio, 
for two years. He is at present building a large sash and blind factory in 
Findlay. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. 

MAETIN HIRSHER, proprietor of pottery works and stone quarry, Find- 
lay, was born in Thengen, in Baden, August 17,1 829, son of John George and 
Mary (Marter) Hirsher, the former a maker of brick. He came to America 
in 1852, and remained in Dayton, Ohio, until 1854, in which year he moved 
to Xenia, Ohio, where he resided until 1857. He then spent two years 
in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and came to this county in 1859. Mr. Hirsher was 
united in marriage, at Xenia, Ohio, with Elizabeth Enz, a native of Gim- 
ildingen, Bavaria, who bore him ten children: Louisa, Charlie, George, 
John, Henry, Benjamin, Willie, Fred, Nellie and Flora. Our subject 
learned pottery-making in his native country. He has been successful in 
his several enterprises, and has accumulated a nice competency. His os- 
tensible business is pottery-making, but he also carries on an extensive 
stone quarry. He is an energetic business man and an esteemed citizen; 
is public spirited, and contributes his share to all worthy public enterprises. 
The family attend the German Reformed Church. Mr. Hirsher is a worthy 
member of the I. O. O. F. 

PETER HOSLER, president of the Farmers' Bank of Findlay, was 
born in York County, Penn., May 14, 1821, son of Christian and Mary 
(Gansler) Hosier, natives of that county, and of Swiss pioneer descent. His 
parents moved to Stark County, Ohio, in 1823, with a family of five sons 
and two daughters, five sons and three daughters being born to them after 
their arrival in the State. Christian Hosier was a cooper by trade, and was 
connected with it and farming in different parts of Ohio, moving fi-om Stark 
to Wayne, and from Wayne to Seneca Counties. He died in Bloom Town- 
ship, latter county, in 1865, where his wife had also departed this life, in 
1862. Our subject completed learning the carpenter's trade in Stark and 
W^ayne Counties, and at the age of twenty-two years came to Hancock 
County, where he was prominently identified with the building industry for 
several years. In 1850 he engaged in farming and stock raising, and has 
been one of the most successful men in that connection in this portion of 
the State. He has ever been a leader in the development of social and in- 
dustrial matters in this locality, and has served his (^^'ashington) township 
as treasurer and in other official positions. In 1874 he was elected treas- 
urer of Hancock County, which position he creditably filled until 1880, 
when, upon retiring, he established the present bank, which he has since 
ably presided over. He had, however, been a stockholder and supporter in 



756 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

banking and railroad iiiterests here for several years. Mr. Hosier was mar- 
ried, in Stark CoTintv, in 1842, to Sitsan, daughter of Conrad Sherman, 
and a native of Maryland, and estimable lady and worthy help-mate to 
him, who has blessed him with a large family- -eight sons and four daugh- 
ters: Jeremiah, Thomas Benton, Morrison and David are all able farmers 
in Washington Township, this county ; Sarah Ellen is the wife of Frederick 
Manicke, of Fostoria, Ohio; William F. (youngest son) is assistant cashier 
in the Farmers' Bank at Findlay. The deceased are Mary Catharine. 
Frances Adelia, Cora Bell, George Henry, Marcus Peter and Huston (the 
latter died in Washington Township, leaving a widow and two sons: 
Charles, with the mother on the farm, and Peter, a bright young lad, with 
his grandparents here). Mr. and Mrs. Hosier have l)een worthy members 
of the Lutheran Church for many years. They are highly esteemed citizens 
of Findlay and Hancock County, and have the pleasure of seeing their chil 
dren taking an important part in the interests of this county. Mr. Hosier 
is a man of strong constitution and vigorous disposition (he stands about 
six feet, and is compactly built), and bids fair to "serve his time and place" 
in the rank of Hancock County's leading pioneers. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 

SAMUEL D. HOUPT, dealer in dry goods, clothing, etc. , Findlay, was 
born in Melmore, Seneca Co., Ohio, May 12, 1841, son of Henry and Julia 
Ann (Gehringer) Houpt, natives of Pennsylvania, and of pioneer people in 
that State. Henry Houpt located in Seneca County in 1 836. He was a 
carriage builder by profession, and carried on his business at Melmore and 
at McCutchenville. At the latter place he completed the contract for build- 
ing the National Coach Line (a large contract in those days), and stood con- 
temporaneous in his business with the late Peter Van Nest, of Tiffin, Ohio. 
He died at McCutchenville in 1880, leaving two sons and one daughter: 
Samuel D., Thomas and Mary, now the wife of M. V. Gibson, of Upper 
Sandusky, Ohio. The subject of this sketch, at the age of fourteen, was 
apprenticed in the store of M. Brockley, merchant, of McCutchenville. In 
1860 he came to Findlay, and after selling goods for two years went as sut- 
ler in the Second Missouri Regiment. After the war of the Rebellion he 
sold goods for a few years, and in 1866 embarked in the business of mer- 
chant tailoring on his own account, being joined the following year by 
Henry Byal, his father-in-law. in general merchandise. After about two 
years Mr. Byal retired from the business, since which time Mr. Houpt has 
carried it on alone. He was married, in 1864, to Mary Elizabeth, daughter 
of Henry Byal, Esq. They have no children. Our subject has ever been 
a liberal contributor to the social and industrial interests of his city and 
county, and, although adverse to holding office, he has served for six years 
with credit in the councils of the city ; as a member of the board of trustees 
of the Ohio Institute for the Blind, and for two years on the board of trus- 
tees for the Ohio Industrial School at Lancaster. In 1884 he was elected 
delegate from this district to the Democratic National Convention, and aided 
materially in the nomination of Grover Cleveland. Latterly he has paid 
some considerable attention to experimental inventions, and has in his 
"Carbon Transmitter, or Microphone." one of the most important advan- 
tages in telephoning. He has added very materially to the use of natural 
gas by his " Natural Gas Burner, " an invention deserving of important no- 
tice in the consumption of that production here. He has always been a 
progressive lousiness man and has accumulated a handsome competency. 



FINDLAY TOWNfiHIP AND VILLArxE. 757 

Upon the organization of the Findlay Natural Gas Company he took an 
active part, and has since served as one of the board of directors. He and 
wife attend services at the Presbyterian Church. 

CAPT. SAMUEL HOWARD, ex treasurer of Hancock County, Find- 
lay, was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., December 7, 1814, son of 
John and Abigail (Simpson) Howard, natives of that county. The grand- 
father of John Howard, a native of Ireland, settled in Maryland. The 
grandfather of Abigail (Simpson) Howard, a Welshman, was a pioneer set- 
tler in Maryland. In 1815 John Howard removed to Richland County, 
Ohio, where he had previously been, having served under Gen. Harmon in 
the war of 1812-14, and assisted in building Fort Meigs. In 1888 he came 
here and entered land in Portage Township, and died in 1875 or 1876. Our 
subject, when a lad, assisted his father in clearing land here, and eventually be- 
came interested in farming and stock raising, in which he has been uniformly 
successful. He was married in Wood County, Ohio, in 1837, to Elizabeth, 
daughter of George and Amy Carrel, Pennsylvania pioneers, and also of Wood 
County, Ohio. Capt. and Mrs. Howard have had eleven children, six of 
whom are living — two sons and four daughters: Nancy (wife of William 
Adrain, merchant, of Mansfield, Ohio), Mary (wife of J. R. McLeod, phy- 
sician, of Benton, Ohio), Dallas (farming in this county), Margaret (wife of 
Joseph Goodwin, of Findlay), Isabel (wife of Thomas Clifford, of Findlay) 
and John L. (a farmer). Capt. Howard raised Company G of the One Hun 
di-ed and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in 1862, and did active and 
honorable service for two years, when, upon breaking his leg, he was com- 
pelled to resign his commission. He served for four terms altogether as 
treasurer of this county, and has filled other important public official posi- 
tions. He is a worthy Mason and Odd Fellow; is prominent among the 
leading public-spirited men of Hancock County, and is a liberal supporter 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Democrat. 

BENJAMIN HUBER (deceased) was born in Lancaster County, Penn., 
in February, 1807, and removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, with his father's 
family, in 1819, where he, in 1829, was married to Mary Macklin, who bore him 
five children: E. A. (deceased), J. M., Samuel, Mrs. Phcebe Burns and Mrs. Ly- 
dia Shipman. Mrs. Huber died in 1889, and our subject subsequently mar- 
ried Margaret A. Paden, of Fairfield County, Ohio, who bore him three chil- 
dren: J. P. (deceased), Mrs.D. D. Snyder and Mrs. David Callahan. Benjamin 
Huber came to Findlay, Ohio, in 1845, and engaged in flour-milling busi- 
ness, buying the Eagle Mills of his brother, Martin Huber, who had pur- 
chased the mills and operated them for a few years prior. This was one of 
the few mills of any importance in the county at that time, and consequent- 
ly was largely patronized by the settlers many miles around it. In 1865 he 
withdrew from this business, and took an interest in the di'ug store with his 
sons, J. M. and Samuel, remaining connected therewith until 1873, when 
he withdrew from it. Benjamin Huber' s dealings with the public during 
his early residence in Findlay, a's well as each succeeding year up to the 
time of his demise, September 1 0, 1884, were such as to make plain his honesty, 
ability and integrity, and he was put forward as a candidate for treasurer of 
this county by the Know-nothing party, in 1854, and, although the Democracy 
was largely in the ascendancy of all the combined organizations of the 
county, yet he was elected over the worthy Joel Pendleton, and two years 
later defeated Robert S. Mungen by a majority of three votes for the same 



758 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

office, and, in IS^'i was again elected. In 1870 he defeated Henry Bowers, 
and in 1872, after the great Wall defalcation, he was elected over 
Samuel Howard by a majority of thirty- four votes, and at the end of this 
last term he retired, having faithfully and honestly served his county as 
treasurer for four terms. Benjamin Huber's death cast a gloom over the 
community, and this county will look long for a miller, a neighbor, an officer 
or a man who can fill the place of " honest" Benjamin Huber, whose por- 
trait will be found elsewhere in this volume. 

JACOB MACKLIN HUBER, di-uggist, Findlay, was born in Fairfield 
(younty, Ohio, December 14, 1835, son of Benjamin and Mary (Macklin) 
Huber. Upon attaining his majority our subject embarked in the drug 
business here, which he has carried on uninterruptedly since. He was mar- 
ried, in Fremont, Ohio, in 1862, to Julia, daughter of Martin Royce, of 
that city, and by her has two daughters: Fannie E. and Hattie, young 
ladies of fine attainments. Mrs. Huber and daughters are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, to which Mr. Huber is a liberal contributor. 
He is a worthy Mason of several years standing, and a Knight of Shawnee 
Commandery, Lima, Ohio. He is also a member of the Legion of Honor 
and of Stoker Post, No. 54, G. A. R. Mr. Huber served with credit in 
Company F, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the late civil war. 
In politics he is a Repiablican. 

SAMUEL HUBER, di-uggist, Findlay, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, October 13, 1837, son of Benjamin and Mary (Macklin) Huber, worthy 
pioneers here. Benjamin Huber was* a native of Pennsylvania and came 
from that State when a lad with his father, Jacob Huber, who settled in Fair- 
field County, Ohio, in 1819. He was twice married, and by his first wife had 
three sons and two daughters. He was married on second occasion to Mar- 
garet Ann Paden, who bore him one son and two daughters. Benjamin 
Huber, who was among the early flour-millers, owned the first Eagle Mills 
here. He di^d in Findlay in September, 1884, in his seventy -eighth year. 
He served his county as its treasurer for four terms and was a worthy pub- 
lic-spirited official in several other capacities. Samuel Huber, when a lad, 
became apprenticed to the drug trade. Upon the breaking out of the late 
civil war he enlisted his services in defense of the Union and served as an 
officer of Company Gr, Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After the 
war he returned to the drug business and has been actively identified with 
that industry here since. He was married here to Amanda C. , daughter of 
Eli S. Reed. They have one child: Emma, now the wife of Mr. Markle, 
Mr. Huber's partner in the drug business. Col. Huber has been a worthy 
Mason for many years, is also a member of the K. of P. He has always been 
public-spirited and liberal in the support of measures contributing to the 
growth and development of this locality. In politics he is a Republican. 

JASPER G. HULL, cashier of the Farmers' Bank, and president of the 
Findlay Gas-Light Company, Findlay, was born in Delaware County, Ohio, 
November 20, 1846, son of George W. , and Artamesia (Scribner) Hull, of 
New Jersey and Connecticut ancestry, respectively. Benjamin Hull, black- 
smith, father of George W. , located in Crawfoi'd County, Ohio, at an early 
period of its history, and reared ten children (three sons and seven daugh- 
ters) in that and Delaware Counties. In 1856 George W. Hull removed to 
Morrow Coiinty, Ohio, where the subject of our sketch received a good lit- 
erary education and embarked in farming; being possessed of financial abil- 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 759 

ities, he succeeded well. In the fall of 1879 he sold his interest there and 
came to Findlay. January 1, 1(880, Mr. Hull united with Mr. Peter Hos- 
ier, the present president, in the Farmer's Bank, of Findlay. In 1882 he 
purchased a half interest in the Findlay Gas-Light Company, completing 
the entire purchase the following year. In 1884 he "put down" a "gas 
well," and the enterprise being successful, he has enlarged upon it, and 
now has ten wells in active operation. Mr. Hull is an energetic, clever bus- 
iness man, and has been an important acquisition to the business interests 
of Findlay. He is a lilieral contributor to measures tending to the devel 
opment ol his locality, and gives with a willing hand to charitable institu- 
tions. Mr. Hull was married in Morrow County, Ohio, in 1867, to Mary 
J. , daughter of Abraham and Catharine (Brougher j Monnett. They have 
five daughters: AttieC, Amina May, Imogene, Leona Blanche, and Bessie 
Leonore. He and his wife are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Mr. Hull is an active worker in the temperance caiise. In politics 
he is a Prohibitionist. 

ANSON HURD, M. D. , Findlay, comes of a worthy line of Connecti- 
cut pioneers in Ohio. He was born in Twinsburg, Summit Co. , Ohio, De- 
cember 27, 1824, son of Eobert and Mary (Brainerd) Hiu-d, whose ancestry 
in Connecticut dates back to the first settlements in that State as a colony, 
and numbers many of the important provincial families, as the Brookses, of 
Sayl^rook, the Hxi'rds and Brainerds. In 1820 Dr. Hurd's father removed 
from Connecticut with his family, and settled in Twinsburg, Ohio, as agent 
of the twin brothers, Moses and Aaron Wilcox (after whom the township 
was named), whose extensive land interests he managed there for many 
years, and served as an active official (viz. : justice of the peace) for eight- 
een years in the early times. In 1839 he removed here, and was promi- 
nent before the people many years as a leader in the development of Han- 
cock County' s interests, among which may be mentioned the laying out and 
platting of the village of Arlington, in 1844. He died in 1800, at the age 
of seventy-six, leaving a large family (who had become scattered consider- 
ably through the West), viz. : William Brainerd, Lorenzo Wellington, Brooks, 
Jared, Anson, Evaline, Mary Ann, Betsy, Huldah and Cordelia. He had 
buried three sons: Harlow, Phineas and Edwin. Our subject was reared in 
Twinsburg, Ohio, and in 1839, with his brother, Jared, came to this county, 
and at Arlington cleared the land and built the cabin occupied by their 
father on his arrival. Upon attaining his twentieth year, Anson, being 
anxious to obtain means for his education, etc, , presented his father with 
$50 for his time, and returned to Twinsburg, where he remained for three 
years under the instruction of the Rev. Samuel Bissell, D.D., president of 
Twinsburg Institute. He then taught school in Pike County, where, be- 
coming acquainted with the Hon. J. I. Van Meter, of that county, he ob- 
tained a scholarship in Delaware College. After spending three years in 
that institution he engaged in the study of medicine with Dr. William Black- 
stone, of Athens, and after a year repaired to Columbus and read in the office 
of Prof. Samuel M. Smith, graduating from Starling Medical College in 
March, 1852. He then located in Oxford, Ind., where he remained in pop- 
ular professional connection for many years. In 1801 he represented the 
counties of White and Benton in the Legislature of Indiana, in both the 
regular and extra sessions, and the same year (after the firing upon 
Fort Sumter) he was invited by Gov. Morton, of Indiana, to accept the post 



760 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

of assistant surgeon of the Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which he 
accepted, serving through the first campaign to Hatteras. Returning to 
Fortress Monroe he resigned his commission in the Twentieth, and accepted 
that of surgeon of the Fourteenth Indiana Vohinteer Infantry, and served 
in all the battles of the campaign of 1862. In January, 1863, he resigned 
his commission, and in April moved to Findlay, where he has since been 
engaged in the practice of his profession. He is a member of the American 
Medical Association, the State Medical Society and the Northwestern Ohio 
Medical Society, of which he has been President and a prominent and 
active member. In 1876 he served as delegate from the Tenth Congres- 
sional District to the International Medical Congress, held at Philadelphia, 
Penn. He is a professional scientist of no mean note, and has for many 
years contributed to the pages of many leading medical journals of this 
country, among which may be mentioned the Medical and Surgical Re- 
porter, of Philadelphia; The Clinic (late the Lancet and Clinic), of Cincin- 
nati; Medical Record, of New York; the Detroit Lancet, Columbus Medical 
Journal, Toledo Medical Journal; Therapeutical Gazette of Detroit, and 
medical works of Philadelphia, and hab frequently read papers on scientific 
work before medical meetings throughout the State. Dr. Hurd was mar- 
ried, in 1853, in Oxford, Ind. , to Amanda V. Cell (originally Zell), of pio- 
neer German ancestry in Pennsylvania. She is a daughter of the Rev. 
David Cell, a worthy deceased minister of the Baptist Church. They have a 
daughter, Huldah,wifeof N. F. Hardman, of Findlay. Mrs. Hurdand daugh- 
ter are worthy members of the Presbyterian Church, to which the Doctor 
is a liberal contributor. He is also an Odd Fellow. Dr. Hurd has al- 
ways been a liberal supporter of measures tending to the growth of the 
social and industrial life of his community, and has taken a leading position 
with many. He is at present president of the Findlay Improvement Asso- 
ciation. The Doctor is of fine physique, vigorous nature, and bids fair to 
hold his place in the front rank of active professional work for many years 
to come. In politics he is a Republican, and takes a deep interest in the 
success of that party. 

BENJAMIN F. HYATT, post-trader at Ft. Defiance, Arizona Territory, 
P. O., Findlay, Ohio, was born in Findlay, this county, March 18, 1840, 
son of A. H. and Eleanor (Baldwin) Hyatt, pioneers of this county. The 
former descended fi'om early Pennsylvania stock, came to this county and 
was among the early settlers of Findlay; he engaged in merchandising, at 
which he was very successful, and by his upright dealings won the confi- 
dence of a very large circle of patrons; he died in 1859, leaving his busi- 
ness to his son, Benjamin F. , who has placed his father's portrait in this 
history. He had four children — two boys and two girls — our subject being 
the only one living. Benjamin F. Hyatt spent his early life in his father's 
store, and upon the latter' s death conducted the business till 1860. He, 
however, was actively connected with merchandising in Findlay till November, 
1879. June 3, 1881, he received the appointment to his present position, 
which he has held continuously since. He was for some time connected 
with banking at Carey; afterward spent some time traveling in commercial 
trade of Eastern houses, and retiring from this, returned to Findlay intend- 
ing to locate in the insurance business. His interests have always been 
prominent here and he has been one of the liberal contribiitors to leading 
projects for the development of the social and industrijal life of the city. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 761 

He is a prominent Mason and Knight of the Shawnee Commandery at Lima. 
He served in Company G, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
for six months. Mr. Hyatt married, December 18, 18G1, Mary Keeler, 
a native of Vermont. He and his worthy wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

ELIJAH P. JONES, l^anker, Findlay. was born March 6, 1820, at 
Rochester, N. Y. The family came originally from England. His grand- 
father on the paternal side conducted a very large business in the tanning 
and manufacturing of leather in Connecticut. His father, Elijah Jones, 
was born in New Milford, Conn. , but immigrated to central Pennsylvania, 
where he engaged in shipping lumber to Baltimore and other points; thence 
he went to Rochester, N. Y. , where he engaged in general merchandising 
and in the manufacture of pearl ash for foreign shipment. Hannah (Pel- 
ton) Jones, subject's mother, though of Scotch ancestry, was a native of 
Connecticut. Three Pelton brothers immigrated to America — one settled in 
Boston, one in Connecticut and one in Long Island, N. Y. From the Con- 
necticut branch the mother of Mr. Jones sprang. The Peltons were a fam- 
ily of considerable distinction in Connecticut. Ebenezer Pelton served in 
the commissary department of the Revolutionary Army. In 1826 the fam- 
ily of the subject of our sketch came to Ohio and settled in Willoughby, 
seventeen miles east of Cleveland, at which place Elijah P., Jr., remained 
until the age of fourteen years, when he spent four years on a farm. In 
the meantime he improved his mind by private study, and in the winter en- 
gaged in teaching. When eighteen he secured a situation in the Cleveland 
postoffice as clerk, and remained there three years. He afterward at- 
tended the academy at Norwalk, under the tuition of Dr. Thompson (who 
eventually became bishop). He spent one summer as general agent for the 
Sandusky & Mansfield (now Baltimore & Ohio Railroad). When twenty- 
three years old he went to Sandusky City and entered the service 
as general agent for the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad (afterward the 
Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland). In the fall of 1849, the branch 
fi-om Carey to Findlay having been completed, Mr. Jones leased it 
for two and a half years, the company furnishing the motive power 
and cars. When this contract expired he renewed the lease for five years. 
In 1852 he formed a copartnership with E. N. Cook and George H. 
Jones, of Salem, Oreg,, to carry on a general merchandise and trading 
business. This partnership continued five years, and was then dissolved, 
after which Mr. Jones spent five years in New York engaged in the money 
brokerage business between New York and the Pacific Coast. In the spring 
of 1863, upon the passage of the National Bank act, Mr. Jones applied in 
person for a national bank charter, the bank to be established at Findlay, 
Ohio; but he was informed by Secretary Chase that his was the first appli- 
cation, and that the Treasury Department was not prepared to receive and 
receipt for the bonds as the Bank Department of the Treasury was not 
fully organized. Thereupon, depositing his bonds in the Park Bank, New 
York, he proceeded to Findlay, and on his return to Washington, subse- 
quently, he found a number of banks chartered before him and he had to 
take a lower number. The bank was immediately organized at Findlay and 
he became its president and principal stockholder. He still acts as presi- 
dent and is owner of more than two-thirds of its capital stock. He is con- 
servative in his ideas of banking, as he believes the banker should hold 



762 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

himself aloof from speculation. Mr. Jones owns considerable real (estate both 
in Findlay and vicinity. He has always been a prominent citizen ; is public 
spirited and has ever been in advance in forwarding measures that would 
benefit the town. Careful in his business afPairs he does not lack that 
boldness which frequently insures success. He married, January 9, 1862, 
Miss Mellie E. Johnston, of Piqua, Ohio, a graduate of the Ohio Wesley an 
Female College, and they have three childi'en: Cornelia Frances, Mary 
Gertrude and George Pelton, and the daughters are graduates of Vassar 
College. In politics Mr. Jones is a Republican. 

CHARLES ECKELS JORDAN, retired farmer, Findlay, a leading 
pioneer of Hancock County, was born on Indian Run, upon the present site 
of Bellaire, Ohio, May 23, 1800, son of Charles and Jane (Eckels) Jordan, 
natives of Pennsylvania, who settled in what is now Richland Township, 
Belmont Co., Ohio, in 1793. Our subject, at the ago of fifteen, learned 
the trade of boot and shoe-making, which he followed for a few years, re- 
tiring from it at Wheeling, Va. , in 1822, and then retiirning to his native 
State, where he carried on farming. After securing a little money he 
pushed westward, and in November, 1830, came to what is now Arcadia, 
and entered land. October 2, 1833, he removed there with his family, 
where he engaged successfully in farming and stock rearing till September, 
1875, when he retired from it and came to Findlay. He was marrierl in 
Alexandria, Penn. , in 1827, to Margaret Moore, who died in 1871 and is 
buried in Arcadia. Their family consisted of six sons and three daughters, 
viz.: Daniel S. , farming in Missouri; Martha, widow of David Miller, re 
siding in Findlay; William, farming in this county; John, who died of 
wounds received in the late war (leaving five orj^han children of whom Mr. 
Jordan is guardian); James B., killed in action at the battle of Dallas, a 
member of the Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Charles Wesley (de- 
ceased) ; Nancy Jane, wife of Steele Smith (on the old homestead) ; Mary 
(deceased), and Robert D., farming in Jewell County, Kas. Mr. Jordan 
married, on second occasion, Mrs. Elizabeth Winders, whom he survives. 
He always took an active interest in public affairs and served Washington 
Township as an official for many years. He attended the first election held 
therein when the enrolment showed but fourteen votes. Although not hav- 
ing attended pviblic school more than two months his keen natural abilities 
placed him as a leader and besides serving as justice of the peace for several 
years he was among the first to organize the schools and other social inter- 
ests of that township. He assisted in organizing the first Lutheran society 
in Washington Township and has remained a worthy member of that church 
for over fifty years. Upon the breaking out of the late civil war he united 
his interests with the war party of the Democracy, and although too old to 
serve in the ranks he did good service in other ways. Five of his sons en- 
tered the army and did honorable and creditable service (two of them sacri- 
ficing their lives). Duiing this time Mr. Jordan made several trips to the 
headquarters of Sherman's army and gave encouragement by act and deed 
as best he could for the sustenance of the Union. He has been a voter for 
over three score years; upon National matters has always given his pro- 
nounced support to the Democratic party. He is still active and vigorous, 
and enjoys the happy retrospect of a life well and honorably spent, esteemed 
by all who know him. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 763 

DAVID JOY, of tlie ' 'Joy House, ' ' Findlay, comes of a long and wor- 
thy line of ancestors in this country. His paternal ancestor, Thomas Joy, 
is supposed to have come to our shores in the fleet with Gov. Winthrop of 
Massachusetts, in 1630. He was a member of the "Ancient and Honorable 
Artillery Company' ' of Boston, and owned two acres of land in the center of 
that city, and land adjoining, as his allotment from the Governor, received 
in 1634. He married Joan Gallop and reared five sons and three daugh- 
ters and died at Hingham, Mass. , in 1678. Of his children Joseph (Sr. ) 
reared a large family of whom Joseph (Jr. ) had also a large family. Of his 
sons David, in turn, had a son David, who begat Abiather, who removed 
with his father fi'om Rehoboth, Mass., to Guilford, Vt., and who, later, set- 
tled in Herkimer County, N. Y. Abiather reared his family in Herkimer 
County, and, of his sons, David married Ann Hubbard, and they became the 
parents of our subject. David Joy was born in Herkimer Co\inty, N. Y. , 
October 1 0, 1834, and learned the business of his father (harness-making). 
He afterward engaged in hotel business there. Upon the breaking out of 
the late civil war he enlisted in Company I, Thirty-fifth New York Volun- 
teers, and was assigned as musician, in which capacity he served till mus- 
tered out in 186'2 by special act of Congress. After peace had been pro- 
claimed he joined his brother Abiather and engaged in the hotel business at 
Carey, Ohio, in 18(56, which they retired from in 1873 to give their entire 
attention to the present house, which thej had purchased in 1870. Mr. Joy 
has always taken an active part in the development of the public, social and 
industrial life of his locality and has contributed in no small degree to its 
advancement. He has been an able advocate of his party's interests, in 
recognition of which they have placed him before the people on different oc- 
casions to represent their interests in State and National affairs. In 1875 
he was defeated in the convention for a seat in the Ohio House of Represen- 
tatives. In 1876 he received the nomination and was elected, with Gen. 
J. B. Steadman, to represent the Thirty-third Senatorial District for 1878- 
80. In 1882 Mr. Joy was the choice of the Hancock County Democracy to 
represent the Seventh Congressional District, but Hon. George E. Seney was 
the choice of the convention. Upon the organization of the Findlay Im- 
provement Association he took a leading part and has since continued one of 
its board of directors and has given important aid to many other worthy local 
enterprises. He was married in his native State to Miss Hannah Knicker- 
bocker, of worthy New York pioneer stock, and of a family of nine childi-en 
by this union, three daughters and two sons sm-vive: Julia, wife of Henry 
C. Stearns, a druggist, of Janesville, Wis. ; Alice A. , wife of E. B. Davis, 
of Marion Township, this county; Martha M., Frank K. and Orville are at 
home. Mr. Joy has been a worthy Odd Fellow for many years and has 
passed all the chairs in that society. He is of medium build, strong phi- 
sique, has indomitable will-power and carries his force of character into all 
his business connections. He is, however, of a genial nature and forms 
strong fi-iendships. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JOSEPH R. KAGY, lawyer and farmer, ex auditor of Hancock County, 
Findlay, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, December 21, 1842, son of 
Samuel and Hannah (Baker) Kagy, natives of that county, the former 
of whom, a son of Christian Kagy, who located in that county in 1800. fi'om 
Shenandoah County, Va., comes of pioneer stock in Virginia and Pennsyl- 
vania. Hannah (Baker) Kagy was a daughter of Charles Baker, also a 



764 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

pioneer of Fairfield County. In 1847 Samuel Kagy settled in Allen Town- 
ship, this county, where he cleared and improved land, and was a worthy 
citizen. He reared and educated his family well, and was altogether an 
active and energetic business man; he died May 7, 1884, in full communion 
with the Baptist Church, of which he had ever been a liberal supporter. 
Of his twelve children, four sons and four daughters survive: Joseph R. , 
Solomon D., a farmer in Waverly, Neb. ; Barbara E., wife of Samuel Swab, 
a farmer in this county; David B., a farmer and teacher; Samuel A., attor- 
ney at law, Findlay; Clara R. , a teacher; Alice C, wife of L. A. Heminger, 
a farmer and teacher in this county; and Frances E. Joseph R. , the eldest, 
obtained a good education and taught school for many years here. During 
this time he accumulated a nice competency and carried on farming, with 
which he is still identified. He has always taken an active part in public 
affairs, and has held many of the offices of the township. In 1871 he be- 
came a member of the board of school examiners for the county, and 
served in that incumbency for six years; in 1877 he was elected auditor of 
Hancock County, which position he creditably filled till November, 1888, 
when he retired fi'om public affairs, and is now pursuing the study of law 
in order to adopt it as a profession. He married in Van Buren, Ohio, Jan- 
uary 21, 1804, Catharine M. , daughter of John and Mary (Bookman) Zar- 
baugh, pioneers of this county, fi-om Pennsylvania. They have a family of 
three sons and two daughters : Nora B. and Edith, the eldest two, are ladies 
of literary attainments aud teachers of excellent reputation; Earl C, David 
Dudley and J. Rodney are young lads yet attending school. Mrs. Kagy is 
a member of the Christian Church, to which Mr. Kagy is a liberal contributor. 
He is a worthy Odd Fellow and meinber of the Encampment. Since locating 
in Findlay Mr. Kagy has taken an active interest in the development of the 
social and industrial life of Findlay, and has always been a liberal contrib- 
utor to measures tending to its welfare. He is of good p/i?/s/(/u6, strong 
constitution and vigorous nature, and bids fair to take rank in the line of 
long-lived citizens of this section of the county. In politics he is a Dem- 
ocrat. 

KARL AUGUST EMANUEL KARG (formerly Karch), meat market, 
Findlay, was born at Boennigheim, in the Kingdom of Wurtembiu-g, Ger- 
many, March 8, 1829; son of Jacob Friederich and Regina (Zimmerman) 
Karch, whose family of three sons and one daughter came to America, viz. : 
Wilhelmina, wife of Edward Dietsch, a furnitu.re manufacturer; Lewis, a 
butcher and farmer; Frederick, who died in Findlay in the spring of 1885, 
leaving a family, and K. A. E. Karg. In 1850 our subject came to Amer- 
ica and spent two years in New York City, coming to Findlay in 1852. 
While in New York he married Margaret Young, who was born in Auerbach, 
Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, January 4, 1827, and came to America (to New 
York City) in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Karg have a bright, intelligent family 
of five sons and two daughters: Eliza, wife of John Klentchy, residing in 
Findlay; Jacob Frederick, in meat market business ; August, in meat market 
business; Charles, in meat market business; Minnie, wife of William M. 
Hull, a harness maker in Silver City, N. Mex. ; Albert, in meat market 
business, and William, too young as yet for business. Mr. Karg learned his 
father's trade (meat business) in his native land, has taken an important 
rank in that industry here, and has accumulated a handsome competency. 
He is also a taxidermist of considerable skill, to which, in his later years, he 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 765 

has paid considerable attention. He is a worthy gentlemen, an excellent 
citizen and a thorough-going business man. He has served in the councils 
of his adopted city. Mr. and Mrs. Karg and family attend the services of 
the Lutheran Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

FRANK KARST, grocer, Findlay, was born at Bingen-on-the-Rhine, in 
Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, March 29, 1.S27; son of Martin and Eliza- 
beth (Bertram) Karst, who came to America in 1841), and settled in Findlay, 
Ohio, where Martin Karst died in 1880, at the age of ninety -three years and 
five months. His family consisted of Peter and John (twins); Susanna, 
now Mrs. Jacob Lau; Barbara, now Mrs. Joseph Fleck; Jacob, in Defiance, 
Ohio; Frank; Lizzie (deceased wife of Josiah Zoll). Our subject learned 
merchandising in his native land, and after coming to Findlay in 1849, em- 
barked in same, which he has carried on successfully since. He was mar- 
ried, in 1852, to Anna Snyder, a native of Austria, who bore him five sons 
and three daughters (of whom but one son and two daughters survive) : Frank 
L. , Joseph P. , Kate, Adelina, Augustus, Amelia,' Juliiis and Martin. Of 
this family the mother, Joseph P. and Frank L. (he left three children, of 
whom two survive) died in 1881, and Julius and Martin died young. The 
family are communicants of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, to 
which Mr. Karst has always been a liberal contributor, and in which he has 
served as an active official. He is a worthy member of the Catholic Benev- 
olent Society. Mr. Karst has always taken an active part in the develop- 
ment of Findlay' s social and industrial life, and has served in its councils 
for several years. In politics he is a Democrat. 

FRANK J. KARST, proprietor of saloon and i-estaurant, Findlay, 
was born at Bingen-on the-Rhine, Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, February 
28, 1845; son of John and Barbara (Roskopf) Karst, who came to America 
in 1852 and settled in Findlay, Ohio. They had two sons and three daughters : 
Frank J. ; Kate (deceased wife of Jacob Fleck); John, in the express business; 
Isabel, all residing in Findlay; and Mary, wife of Martin Kunemire, a 
blacksmith in Defiance, Ohio. Our subject spent several years at the car- 
pentering in Findlay and in 1873 embarked in his present business. He 
was married, in 1869, by the Rev. Father Watman, of St. Michael's Church, 
to Lucy, daughter of John G. Kissberth, Esq., of Gilboa, Ohio. They 
have two sons and one daughter; Charles, William and Lulu. Mr. Karst 
is a regular communicant of St. Michael's Church, and a member of St. 
Michael's Benevolent Society. He has rather held aloof fi-om public office, 
but has served his county as coroner and deputy sheriff. He is a thorough- 
going, public-spirited business man and citizen, and has accumulated a 
very respectable competency. 

J. A. KIMMEL, physician, Findlay, was born in CaiToll Co., Ohio, Sep- 
tember 17, 1844, son of David and Christiana (Oakes) Kimmel, the former of 
York County, the latter of Bedford County, Penn. ,and of Holland and English 
pioneer ancestry in Pennsylvania. In 1851 David Kimmel settled in Mar- 
ion Township, this county, where four sons apd three daughters grew up, viz. : 
George W. ; Ellen, died at five years of age; Kate; Samuel B. ; David J. ; 
Margaret J. ; Jacob A. and Tabitha E. ; and three daughters are buried: 
Ellen, who died at the age of five years; Henrietta and Samantha Ann. 
Our subject received a good common school education and attended Find- 
lay High School. In February, 1803, he enlisted in defense of the Union, 
in Company A, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and did active 



760 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and honorable service till the end of the war, when he received his 
discharge. After the close of the struggle he read medicine in the 
office of Drs. Entrikin & Ballard, here, and graduated from Cleve- 
land Medical College in 1867. He then located in Cannonsburg, where 
he carried on an active practice till 1872, when he came to Find- 
lay. In 1875 he took a postgraduate course at Bellevue Hospital 
Medical College of New York City, from which he received a creditable 
diploma. He married here, in 1869, Eliza Ellen, daughter of the late 
Hobert Bonham. She passed away this life May 28, 1873, in full com- 
munion with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is laid to rest in Maple 
Grove Cemetery. Dr. Kimmel was again married; this time in 1875, to Rosa E. , 
daughter of Ambrose Graber, Esq. , and by her has one son, Alfred Graber. 
Dr. Kimmel is a worthy F. &. A. M. and a member of the G. A. R. He 
is a clever professional man and a public-spirited, energetic citizen, con- 
tributing liberally to all measures conducive to the public weal. In pol- 
itics he is a Republican.- 

DAVID KIRK, proprietor of the Eagle Flouring-Mills, Findlay, was 
born in Dumfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland, May 5, 1849, son of James and 
Margaret (Swan) Kirk, of that country, who reared three sons and three 
daughters, of whom the sons came to this country. James is a miller at 
Aki'on, Ohio; David and John are! in this county. Our subject was reared 
to milling in his native land. In 1869 he came to America and followed 
his trade at Akron, Ohio, for ten years. In 1879 he came to Findlay, this 
county, and united with W. W. McConnel (now of Toledo) in the present 
mill, and in January, 1885, he purchased Mr. McConnel' s interest. Mr. 
Kirk was married, February '28, 1872, in Akron, Ohio, to Margaret White, 
of Loch Galey, Fifeshire, Scotland, daughter of Robert and Mary (Wat- 
son) White. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirk were born three sons and three daugh- 
ters: James, Robert, Mary, Margaret, David and Bessie B. (latter de- 
ceased). Mrs. Margaret Kirk died August 12, 1884. Mr. Kirk is a hard- 
working, painstaking and industrious business man, and has, by his own 
exertions, btiilt up his present extensive biisiness and his large trade is the 
result of first-class work. On December 3, 1885, a gas well was drilled 
on the mill property, by D. Kirk, to the depth of 1,171 feet, and a large 
and inexhaustible vein of natural gas was found and same was immediately 
applied to his mill for manufacturing flour and also domestic uses. 

ELMER L. KRIDLER, carriage manufacturer, Findlay, comes of 
worthy pioneer families of Seneca County, Ohio, son of Frederick and Ele- 
nora (Creeger) Kridler, latter of whom died when our subject was but 
four years old, and some years after Frederick Kridler married Miss 
Mary Leper, of Kenton, Hardin Co., Ohio, and they now live in 
Wood County, Ohio. Elmer L. Kridler was born in Tiffin, Ohio, 
October 20, 1847, and in early life became apprenticed to carriage painting 
in the shop of Peter Van Nest, in his native town. After completing his 
trade he came to Findlay, this county (in 1870), and here worked at same 
till 1879 when he embarked in business on his own account, and has been 
promptly identified with the carriage manufacturing interests of this city 
since. He was married here, in 1876, to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter 
Kuntz, and by her he has one daughter and one son: Leora Louise and 
Earl. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
During the late war of the Rebellion Mr. Kridler did service in Company C, 



PINDLAV TOWNSHIP AND VfLLAGE. 707 

One Himdred and Sixty-ninth Ohio Vokmteer Infantry. He is a member of 
Stoker Post, G. A. R, Royal Arcannm and American National Union Societies. 
Mr. Kridler is a cax'eful and painstaking workman, a clever business man 
and a genial gentleman, characteristics which have added materially to the 
building up of the large trade that he now enjoys in his line of manufacture. 
In politics he is a Republican. 

PETER KUNZ, hardware, stove and tinware dealer, Findlay, was 
born in Baumholder, Kingdom of Prussia, December 2, 1881 ; son of Fred- 
erick and Elizabeth (Maurer) Kunz. In 1849 our subject came to America, 
and settled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where he was connected with mer- 
chandising in groceries and provisions at Ragersville. He served Tuscara- 
was County as its clerk from 1864 till 1807, when, upon retiring from office, 
he came to Findlay and engaged in the grocery business with M. Henry 
Schwartz for five years, and three years on his own account; then embarked 
in the hardware, stove and tin business. He was married in Ragersville, 
in 1852, to Rosetta, daughter of Henry and Elizal^eth Gribble, natives of 
Bavaria, who came to this country in 1883 and settled in Tuscarawas 
County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Kunz have one son and five daughters: 
Elizabeth, wife of E. L. Kridler, carriage manufacturer, of Findlay; 
Louisa, wife of C. O. Parker, proprietor of restaurant here; Charles A., 
associated with his father in business, forming the firm of Peter Kunz & 
Son; Clara, Callie and Rosa, at home. The family attend service at St. 
John's Lvitheran Church, of which Mr. Kunz has geen a worthy official for 
several years. He is a member of the Masonic order and of the K. of P. ; 
has served the city as a member of its council. Upon the organ- 
ization of the Findlay Natural Gas Company he became one of its stock- 
holders, and is an active supporter of other interests of Findlay. In politics 
he is a Republican. 

WILLIAM M. LOWTHER, deputy clerk of the court of common 
pleas, Findlay, was born in Washington County, Penn. . July 19, 1880, son 
of William and Eleanor (Farrar) Lowther, natives of that county, who 
settled in Holmes County, Ohio, in 1884, and who reared a family of five 
sons and four daughters, of whom three sons and one daughter survive. 
The Lowthers and Farrars were of old Irish pioneers in Maryland and 
Pennsylvania; of the former belongs Sir James Lowther, of the Irish 
peerage. Our subject is the grandson of Adam Lowther, one of three 
brothers of an old Irish family, two of whom, Adam (just mentioned) and 
William, came to this country, landing at Baltimore, Md. The sul^ject of 
this sketch married in Holmes County, Ohio, Delilah, daughter of George 
Uhl, a pioneer of Holmes County, fi'om Maryland, and sister to the Hon. 
D. S. Uhl, an attorney, of Holmes County. Mr. and Mrs. Lowther have 
one child, Mollie Cameron. Mrs. Lowther is a worthy member of the 
Lutheran Church. Our subject is a Royal Arch Mason. He is also Worthy 
Past Grand in the I. O. O. F. Since coming here, in 1871, he has been 
almost continuously in covmty work as deputy auditor, clerk, etc. In poli- 
tics he is a Democrat. 

LEMUEL McMANNESS, sherifP of Hancock County. Findlay, was born 
in Cumberland County, Penn. , October 1, 1846, son of John and Jane (Stubbs) 
McManness, natives of that county. In 1856 they moved to Findlay, Ohio, 
where John McManness died in 1866, preceded liy his wife a few days. 
They left one son, Lemuel, and two daughters: Anna C, wife of J. H. Deck- 



708 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

er and Mary (now deceased). The sul)ject of this sketcli, when a lad of 
eleven years, apprenticed himself to the grocery business here, in the store 
of Isaac Davis, and was prominently identified with that industry here, em- 
barking in it in 1870 and retiring in 1888. In 1882 he had purchased an 
interest in the Findlay Linseed Oil Mills and latterly in the Eake Factory 
with both of which he is still connected. He has always been a hard-work- 
ing, painstaking, business man and citizen, and has accumulated a handsome 
competence in his business. He is of fine physique, vigorous disposition 
and versatile nature, and this, coupled with his long experience of upright 
dealing with the people of Hancock County, have made him one of their 
most poj)ular men. Although often requested to accept offices in their gift, 
Mr. Mc Manness declined till, in 1884, he accepted the nomination to sher- 
iff, as a Rei^ublican, and carried the ticket largely in a Democratic County. 
He had previously held the clerkship of the city. During the war of the 
Rebellion he offered his services in the ranks, but was too young; he how- 
ever served fi'om 1802 till the end of the war in the medical department and 
the sutlers' corps in connection with the quartermaster's department of the 
Army of the Tennessee. Mr.McManness was married in Findlay, in 1875, to 
Amanda E., daughter of Jacob Kimmons. this union being blessed with 
one girl, Katie. Mrs. McManness is a worthy member of the Lutheran 
Church, to which her husband is a liberal contributor. He is a F. & A. M. 
and a member of the K. of P. Sheriff McManness has always been a lib- 
eral supporter of the social and industrial develoi)ment of Findlay and 
Hancock County, and is esteemed by all parties in this locality. 

J. J. MILLER, manufacturer, superintendent of the Findlay stave and 
handle factory, Findlay, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, Feburary 1, 
1853, son of the Rev. John Wesley Miller, who served for many years in 
eastern Ohio in connection with Baptist Church work. He died in 1855, 
leaving his widow, Ellen (Ellison) Miller, and a son and three daughters. 
The subject of this sketch was early educated to wood- working and manu- 
facturing business in Findlay (coming here in 1802) and has been creditably 
connected with that industry here since. He was united in marriage in Find- 
lay, in 1872, with Barbara, daughter of Theodore and Catharine Seibel, 
natives of Germany. They have two sons and two daughters : Albert, Maggie, 
Estella and John. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Church of God. 

S. C. MOORE, lumber dealer and manufacturer of lumber, Findlay, 
was born in Jackson Township, this county, September 18, 1839, son of 
James B. and Hannah Moore, pioneers of Jackson Township. The 
Moores came of Irish stock in Virginia. The children of James B. Moore 
(by two maiTiages) were John, Armenia Euretta, and Rachel, Jackson 
(deceased), S. C, Adam, William, George and Mary E. The subject of 
our sketch was reared to mechanical work which he followed till the break- 
ing out of the war of the Rebellion. He enlisted in 1802, in the Seventh In- 
dependent Ohio Volunteers Sharp Shooters and served in Sherman's body 
guard until the end of the struggle. A few years after the war he went to Mis- 
souri where he spent some four years and then returned to Findlay, this coun- 
ty, where he has since been prominently connected with manufacturing in- 
terests. Mr. Moore was married in this city to Sidney A. Winders, who died in 
1873. He was married on second occasion to Sarah J. , daughter of John Poven- 
mire, a pioneer of this county. He has afamily of five children: Elizabeth, by 
first wife, and Myrta N. , Addie M. , Alice and an infant by his second marriage. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 769 

The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church. IVIr. 
Moore is a member of Stoker Post, G. A. R.and of the I.O.O.F. He is one of 
Findlay's public -spirited citizens, and has contributed in no small degree to its 
material advancement, not only in manufacturing but in the development of 
the social and public life. 

SOLOMON MORE, of the firm of S. & I. S. More, proprietors of lumber 
mills, Findlay, was born in Carroll County, Ohio, October 25, 1827, son of 
John and Elizabeth (Kleckner) More, the former a son of Andrew Mote, a na- 
tive of Germany; the latter a daiighter of Frederick Kleckner, also a native 
of Germany. The families of More and Kleckner came from Washington 
County, Penn. , to Carroll Coianty, Ohio. John More settled in Big Lick Town- 
ship, this county, in 1834-, where eleven sons and three daughters were 
reared. Solomon More, our subject, took up milling some twenty -eight years 
ago and has since been successfully connected with it. He married, December 
14, 1854, Margaret, daughter of Jonathan Fenstenmaker, who settled in 
Amanda Township, this county, in 1838. They have one son, Isaac Stofer, 
who married Lida, daughter of William Casteel, of Marion Township, this 
county, and by this union has one son and one daughter: Otto Harry and 
Eva Blanche. The family attend the services of the United Brethren Church. 
Solomon More is a strong temperance man, and has always advocated Prohibi- 
tion principles in good strong terms. He and his son are enterprising busi- 
ness men and do a nice trade in lumber milling here. 

GEORGE W. MYERS, judge of probate court, Findlay, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, March 14, 1838. son of Matthew and Barbara (Beck ) 
Myers, the former of whom, a native of Baden, came to America in 182 3 
when a lad and settled in Fairfield County; the latter, a native of Wurtem- 
berg, came to this county with her parents, who settled in Fairfield County 
in 1819. They reared one son and one daughter: George W. and 
Eliza, wife of Henry C. GraflPe, jeweler in Ft. W' ayne, Ind. The family re- 
moved here in 1848, when Mr. Myers carried on merchandising. The sub- 
ject of this sketch received a good education, and at sixteen joined a 
party who made an overland trip to California, and, after an interesting 
journey of sixteen months, arrived at Weaverville, September 1, 1849. Af- 
ter spending a few years in the Golden State, Mr. Myers retui-ned, in 1852, 
and embarked in the jewelry business at Goshen, Ind. , which he retired 
from to accept a position in the postal department on the Lake Shore Rail- 
way. Retiring in 1859 he came here and bitilt the Lake Erie & Western 
Elevator and has been very prominently engaged in the grain trade here 
since, meanwhile serving as agent for that corporation here till 1881. 
Mr. Myers was married in Findlay, in 1855, to Sally W. C, daughter of 
Squire Carlin. They have two sons: Clark, in the grain business in Find- 
lay, and Carlin, a farmer and stock raiser in Kosciusko, Ind. Judge Myers 
has always been an active business man and citizen, and has contributed in 
no small degree to the development of many of Findlay's important indus- 
tries; he has been a worthy ofiicial in local matters and, in 1884, the peo- 
ple of this county testified their appreciation of him by electing him to his 
present incumbency. 

A. H.NICHOLS, photographer, Findlay, was born in Eaton County, Mich. 
January 24, 1849, son of Hiram B. and Lemira L. (Cheney) Nichols, natives 
of New York State. After receiving a good education, our subject went into 
the studio of his uncle, A. M. Cheney, of Charlotte, Mich, with whom he 



770 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

completed his studies in photograph}' and afterward remained as a partner in 
the business for over throe years. In 187r3 Mr. Nichols established himself 
in his prof ession, in Findiay, where he has since been favorably known. He 
married in Findiay Clara C. Sheffield, and they have one son, Lynn Shef- 
field. Our sul)ject and wife attend the services of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. He has always given a cordial support to measures tending 
the city's development, and, although averse to holding public office, han 
served th'e city with credit in her councils. In politics he is a Democrat. 

CHARLES OESTERLEN, physician, Findiay, was born in Weinsberg. 
Kingdom of Wurtemborg, October, 5, 1807, son of Rev. Frederick 
Oesterlen (a worthy minister of the Lutheran Church), and Louisa (Knab) 
Oesterlen. Our subject, when a lad, attended school at Lauf en on the Neck- 
er. At fourteen he entered the gymnasium at Stuttgart, from which he grad- 
uated at the ag(^ of eighteen in a thorough literary, scientific and classical 
course. He then went to Dubingen where he engaged in medical studies 
under an able professor. In 1832 he came to America, and after spending 
some considerable time in traveling through the country, located in Ashland, 
Ohio, in 1831. September 30, 1836, he came to Findiay, where he has 
since been connected with the practice of medicine very successfully. In 
1846 he embarked in merchandising here, from which he retired in 1848; 
from 1848 to 1862 he served in the councils of the city; in 1871 he was 
elected (the first representative of the Republican party from Hancock 
County) to the Legislature of the State. In 1863 Mr. Oesterlen visited his 
native land, and again in 1876, when he was recalled by the loss of several 
thousands of dollars through the breaking of the Findiay Savings Bank 
Company. In June, 1885, along with his estimable wife, who has always 
accompanied him, he again started for his old home in the Fatherland, but 
got sick in New York and did not cross the ocean, Ijut came home. He was 
married in Findiay, in 1838, to Amelia, daughter of Leonard Tritch. They 
have no children of their own, but have reared a brother and sister of Mrs. 
Oesterlen, viz. : Harriet (deceased wife of Dr. Detwiler), and Parley C. Tritch, 
ex- sheriff of Hancock County. Dr. Oesterlen has ever been an ardent sup- 
porter of all measures tending to advance public interest. He was one of 
the first to advocate boring for natural gas here, and is one of the important 
stockholders of the Findiay Natural Gas Company. In politics he is a Re- 
pul^lican. 

CHARLES W. O' NEAL, deceased, was born in Middletown, Frederick Co. , 
Md. , January 19, 1811. His father, Horatio G. O'Neal, was for many years 
employed in the auditor' s office at Washington, D. C. , and was distinguished 
as an efficient clerk, as well as one of the finest penmen ever employed as a 
government official. In 1833 Charles W. O'Neal came to Zanesville, Ohio, 
where, in 1834, he was married to Miss Amy J. Baldwin. In 1835 he came 
to Findiay, Ohio, studied law with Edson Goit and A. F. Merriam, and was 
admitted to the bar in August, 1838. When he came West he seemed pre- 
disposed to consumption, but, being a practical surveyor, his services were 
often called into requisition in surveying and locating roads, the principal 
one being the State road from Findiay, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, and this open 
air work contributed greatly to the restoration of his health. He also taught 
a number of terms in the Findiay school, and many of the business men, now 
in middle life, wore formerly his pupils. He hekl the office of county aud- 
itor one term, and, in 1844, was elected to and served one term in the State 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 771 

Senate. He was prudent, diligent, methodical to a remarkable degree in 
all his pursuits, and some time prior to his death, December 20, 1879, he 
partially retired from business life and spent a part of his time in Kendal- 
yille and Elkhart, Ind. , but when disease warned him of his approaching 
death he came back to die among his fiiends. He was converted at the 
age of sixteen years, and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, to 
which his attachment was strong and his interests great during his whole 
life. Filled as it was with duties and responsibilities of his various occupa- 
tions, he never forgot his fealty to God; and the religion of Christ, which 
he embraced when a mere youth, cheered and sustained him when ' ' heart 
and flesh failed," and the kindly ministrations of loving hearts were pow- 
erless to comfort. His marriage gave him four children, of whom Josephine 
V. was married to James Harsh, of Massillon, Ohio, who practiced law some 
ten years in Findlay. (He read law with O'Neal, Blackford & Whiteley, 
at Findlay. He enlisted in the Ninety- ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, and held a commission as lieutenant, but was discharged on account 
of ill health and died in 1870, leaving a daughter, Mary F., who married 
J. E. Peirce, of Dayton, Ohio.) Our subject's second child was Mary E. ; 
the third, Emma F., is married to Joseph O. Gregg, of Fargo, Dak.; Mr. 
O'Neal's fourth child was Charles S. Mrs. O'Neal died in 1880. In this 
volume will be found a portrait of the worthy Charles W. O'Neal, the subject 
of this sketch. 

JONATHAN PARKEE, deceased, was born in Loiidoiin County, Va., 
April 21, 1808. About the year 1813 his father crossed the moun- 
tains, on horseback, to Morgan County, Ohio, where he purchased land. 
He returned home, sold his property in Virginia and the following spring 
brought his family, consisting then of his wife and six children, and began 
anew the life of a pioneer in the green woods of Morgan County, Our sub- 
ject remained at home until he was fifteen years of age, when he began 
learning the carpenter' s trade, which he had mastered by the time he reached 
his majority. He then, with one suit of clothes and an extra shirt tied 
up in a cotton handkerchief, and 75 cents in money, started on a tramp in 
search of work. He received employment for two years in various places, 
from which he saved $200. In the summer of 1831 he became acquainted 
with Frederick Henderson, with whom he soon made arrangements to come 
to Findlay. On October 18, 1831, Frederick Henderson, wife and child, 
and Jonathan Parker, together with Henderson's brother, who was employed 
to move them, started for Blue Rock Township, Muskingum Co., Ohio, 
with four horses and an old wagon which broke down when they had jour- 
neyed some ten miles. This they replaced with another and came on to Up- 
per Sandusky. From there they found the road very bad, and when at a 
place between the present site of Carey and the old Judge Brown farm, the 
' ' bottom fell out of the road, ' ' and they were obliged to solicit aid. By 
securing ox teams from the neighbors they were hauled to Peter George' s, 
who lived at a place called ' ' Old Ashery, ' ' where they remained overnight, 
sleeping in Mr. George's cabin, 14x14 feet. The river was too high to cross 
with team the next morning, so they hired Mr. George and an assistant to 
bring them in a canoe to Findlay. As the little dug-out floated slowly down 
the river Mr. Parker meditated on the gloomy aspect of the surroundings, 
and occasionally gazed upon log cabins, located long distances apart, and 
interrogated Mr. George with such queries as whether a stranger was likely 



772 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

to get lost in the woods ? October 28, they landed above the old Brush 
Dam. The next morning they took pirogues and went back for their 
goods, and in the evening they moved into a log cabin located where the 
jail now stands. Mr. Parker's bedstead had but one post, the walls consti- 
tuting the others, and the cord was lin bark. During the winter of 1882 
Mr. Parker boarded with William Taylor at his inn, located near where Dr. 
Osterlen now lives. Jonathan Parker was married to Elizabeth Hamilton, 
resulting in one child, short-lived, and followed soon to its grave by the moth- 
er. Mr. Parker subsequently married Lucinda Workman, and was blessed 
with the following named childi'en: Joseph, deceased; Albert and John; Mrs. 
Parker died May 15, 1844, and Mr. Parker was again married; this time, 
February 18, 1846, with Nancy A. W^orkman, a sister to his second wife, who 
has borne him three children: W. F. , deceased; W. S. and C. O. For several 
years after coming to Findlay, Mr. Parker engaged at the carpenter's trade. 
He constructed the first steam-mill in the county and built and operated the 
saw-mill now owned by Mrs. Powell, and also erected a combined saw and 
grist mill — the Hancock Mills, now the property of his son John. Jonathan 
Parker was an active Whig and a stanch Republican; he united with the 
Methodist Church in 1842, and lived a devoted Christian life. He was very 
popular as president of the Hancock County Pioneer Association, and being 
one of the best known men in this county, he was one of the most respected. 
He died September -27, 1879. Elsewhere will be found a portrait of this 
worthy pioneer. 

W. S. PARKER, son of Jonathan Parker, was born February 14, 1849, 
and educated in Findlay schools and Cleveland Commercial College. He 
married, February 14. 1872, Clai'a C, daughter of Miles W. Vance, and to 
them were born Mabel C, Percy P., Vance J. and Dean W. Mr. Parker 
began business for himself, in 1871, with his brother, John P., operating 
the old Parker Mills, from which he withdrew in January, 1883, and en- 
gaged with Shull & Fisher in the manufacture of doors, sash and blinds, 
and dealing in hard and soft lumber. He is also interested with his brother, 
Albert, in a herd of Holstein cattle, in Colorado. Mr. Parker is a member 
of the Masonic fi-aternity and is secretary in the lodge; is also a member of 
the Royal Arcanum; he is a member of the Findlay School Board; in poli- 
tics an earnest Republican. He and his wife are active members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

C. O. PARKER, son of Jonathan Parker, was born February 19, 1858. 
in this county, and was educated in the Findlay schools. He taught school 
two terms, and worked two years in the Jeffersonian office. He clerked 
for seven years for Charles Hall, in the restaurant business, and in 1880 
opened his present excellent restaurant, where he is doing a fine business. 
He married, October 20, 1880, Louisa Kunz, and by her has one child. 
Myrtle R. Mr. Parker is a Republican in politics ; a member of the K. of 
P. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

JOHN PARKER, miller, proprietor of the Hancock Mills, Findlay, was 
born in Findlay, this county, January 31, 1842, son of Jonathan and Lucinda 
(Workman) Parker. Jonathan Parker was born near Martinsville, Va., 
and comes of pioneer stock in that State. When a lad he moved with his 
parents to Morgan County, Ohio, and from there to Findlay, this county, in 
1831. He was a carpenter by trade and took leading rank in that profession 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 773 

here, he with W. Taylor and A. Daughenbaugh building the first steam 
saw-mill in the county. The present Hancock Mills (originally a planina- 
mill) were erected by him. The subject of this sketch, who became appren- 
ticed to carriage-making here in early life, at the age of twenty-two went 
AVest, and spent two years profitably in Montana; returning here in 1805 he 
took up milling and has since been connected with that industry in Findlav. 
In 1884 he engaged with others in the importation direct of fine-bred draft 
horses (Norman and Percheron). He has l)een identified with the de- 
velopment of some important interests and industries here; has served 
with credit in the councils of Findlay. He is a worthy Mason, and has 
attained to the degree of Knight Templar, Shawnee Commandery, at Lima, 
Ohio. In politics he is a Republican. 

JOSEPH S. PATTERSON, merchant, dealer in dry goods, carpeting and 
house furnishing goods, Findlay, O. , was born in Bellefontaine, Logan Co. , O. , 
November 25, 1827; son of Robert and Eliza Patterson, the former of whom 
was l)orn in Bailee, County Down, Ireland, January 6. 1789; he spent the 
greater part of his life in merchandising— was one of the originators of the 
old Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad, now the Indiana, Bloomington & 
AVestern, and was for many years a director, and the secretary and treasur- 
er of that company; after a successful life in business and in his social 
relations he passed away in 1807, leaving four sons and four daughters. Our 
subject, Mr. J. S. Patterson, came to Findlay fi'om his native town, Belle- 
fontaine, in the spring of 1843, when still a boy. in the sixteenth year of 
his age, and for some years and until he entered into a home of his own, 
made his home with his brother- in-law. Rev. R. H. Hollyday. He had been 
connected in business with John Ewing, John S. Van Eman, Frederic 
Henderson and Milton Taylor, with the last two as a partner in' business. 
For many years Mr. Patterson has conducted a successful business, independ- 
ent of any partnership until recently; now his two sons, Charles and Frank, 
are associated with him. In 1866 Mr. Patterson erected the imposing busi- 
ness block on the northwest corner of Main and Sandusky Streets, which he 
continues to occupy with his growing business. He has taken a leading part 
in the mercantile interests of Findlay, and is to-day the oldest merchant in 
active business in the place, and traces back a record of over forty-three 
years of successful business relations. In 1853 IMi-. Patterson was united 
in maiTiage with Minerva, daughter of AVilliam Taylor, one of the earliest 
settlers in Findlay. a merchant, and a representative of Hancock County in 
the earlier period of its history in the State Legislatm-e. Mr. Patterson 
united with the Presbyterian Church in Findlay. in the spring of 1850, dur- 
ing a season of special religious interest; in 'l866 he was elected and or- 
dained a ruling elder in this church. He has served the church in this ca- 
pacity for twenty years, during which time he has been called to represent 
the church in meetings of the Presbytery, and has served as a com- 
missioner for the Presbytery in the General Assembly. He has been an 
active worker in the church, contributing liberally to Its support at home, 
as well as to all its benevolent enterprises at large, "and has given a liberal 
support to all measures tending to the development of the" industrial and 
social interests of the community in which he has so long resided. In pol- 
itics Mr. Patterson is a Republican. 

EMANUEL PHIFER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, March 14, 1808, son of Jacob and Mary 



774 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

(Ellinger) Phifer. who came to Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1806, from Penn- 
sylvania. Of tlieir family of five childi'en only two survive: Catherine, 
now Mrs. Guseman, residing in Lancaster, Ohio, and Emanuel, the subject 
of this sketch. The deceased are Maria Snyder, who died in Greene 
County, Ohio; John, who died in Lafayette, Ind. ; and Eliza, wife of John 
Laughlin, Esq., and who died in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Emanuel 
Phifer learned the tanning business of his father, in Fairfield County, Ohio, 
which he followed till 1834, when he came to this county and entered eighty 
acres of land and cut the first tree felled on his farm. By dint of steady, 
persistent industry, Mr. Phifer accumulated property and now owns 290 
acres of valuable land (no town property), besides having settled nice prop- 
erties on his children. Mr. Phifer married, in Fairfield County. Ohio, 
Emily Bowling, who departed this life in 1875, leaving three sons and three 
daughters, all highly respected members of society: John S., a farmer in 
Wood Coiinty, Ohio; George W., an active farmer and stock raiser, in Find- 
lay Township, this county; Edwin, residing in Findlay, Ohio; Sarah E. and 
Annie, the only surviving daughters, live at home and cheer our subject's 
fireside; A.gnes (deceased wife of Richard Hawkins). She left two sons: 
Melville, now living with our subject, and Albert, residing with his uncle, 
George W. Phifer (our subject's son). The remaining grandchildren of 
Emanuel Phifer are Myrtie and Eugene Laverne, of John's family, and 
Farlan. Ebon and Faith, of Edwin's family. Emanuel Phifer is a public- 
spirited citizen and has always contributed to worthy enterprises. 

ALEXANDER PHILLIPS (deceased) was born in Harrison County, 
Ohio, August, 12, 1812, son of William Phillips, a prominent pioneer of 
Jefferson County, Ohio. Our subject married in Carrollton, Carroll Co., 
Ohio, September 1, 1885, Miss Catherine, daughter of Horace and Mary 
(Cunningham) Duvall, prominent pioneers of Carroll County, Ohio. Alex- 
ander Phillips came to this county in 1856. He reared a family of four 
sons and five daughters. Before coming to this county Mr. Phillips had 
carried on merchandising; here he was successfully engaged in farming and 
stock raising, accumulating a handsome competence which, upon his death, 
he left to his family. Mr. Phillips was an active church and temperance 
worker for many years. His clever business capacities and upright charac- 
ter made him a very acceptable official, and the people of this county elected 
him as their representative to the Legislative Assembly of Ohio. The fact 
that he was elected on the Republican ticket in a county largely Demo- 
cratic, attests to his popularity with the people and to their appreciation of 
his worth. Hon. Alexander Phillips died September 22, 1876, during the 
session of the Legislature, and was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery with 
Masonic honors. The following resolutions of respect and condolence were 
passed by that branch of the Legislature of which he had been a member: 

IN MEMORIAM 
ALEXANDER PHILLIPS. 

Resolred. That it is witli unfeigned sorrow that we learn of the death of the Hon. 
Alexander Phillips, late a member of this House, suddenly cut down at his home at 
Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio, Friday, September 23, 1876. 

Resolved, That Mr. Phillips, by his quiet, unassuming manner, constancy in attend- 
ance upon the sessions of the House and close attention to its business, not only made 
friends of those associated with him but impressed all as an honest and faithful public 
servant. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHir AND VILLAGE. ito 

Resolved, That the memory of such a man is, to the House of which he was a mem- 
ber, to his constituents and the State of Ohio, a loss most serious, while to the family 
of which he was the loved and honored head, it is irreparable. 

Resolved. That to the family of the deceased we hereby extend our sincere sympathy, 
trusting that the Author of all good will kindly remember its members in this hour of 
affliction. 

Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the journal of the House and that 
the speaker be requested to transmit a certified copy thereof to the family of tiie de- 
ceased. 

C. H. Grosvenor, 

Speaker. 
Adopted January 24, 1877. 

ELI P. PHILLIPS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Mifflin County, Penn., June J6, 1821, to Charles and Elizabeth (Powell) 
Phillips, who removed to Eagle Township, this coiinty, in 1 833, and there 
reared one son and three daughters: Elizabeth (deceased); Catherine, wife 
of Peter Fetters; Rebecca (deceased) and Eli P. Our subject learned the 
plasterer' s trade of his father and engaged in it for many years. He mar- 
ried Margaret, daughter of Henry and Levina (Searfoss) Folk, early settlers 
of Findlay Township, this county, and parents of the following named 
children : Susan. Harriet, Sarah, Elizabeth, Margaret, Henry and William. 
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips began, immediately after their marriage, improving 
their present farm which was then covered with timber. He cut cord-wood 
and rafted it down Eagle Creek to the old Eagle Mills and there sold it, at 
$1.25 per cord, to Benjamin Huber, who was then proprietor of the mills. 
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have attended religious services when they were held 
at the homes of the pioneer families scattered over the country, and he has 
visited the Tiffin Mills for breadstuff. Mr. Phillips has not only improved 
many acres of land for himself, but has also cleared away the forest for others; 
he has opened up, in all, about 500 acres, and has probably done about as 
much hard work as any man in this county, and with as little fatigue. In 
his latter years Mr. Phillips has given considerable attention to mechanism 
and inventions; he invented a neat and cheap wooden grocery-scoop which 
is very useful. He also has a simple stone base for fencing posts which is 
unquestionably the finest thing of the kind in use; every farmer should have 
this kind of fence; it saves half their timber in posts; only foiir-feet posts 
are needed. His latest invention is a patent gate hinge, a long-hoped-for 
necessity. Having somewhat retired from actual labor, Mr. Phillips spends 
a large share of his time in constructing fine picture frames, etc. His mar- 
riage gave him four children: Sarah J. and Henry, who died young; Simon 
(who married and has one son and one daughter, Clement and Alverda); Will- 
iam Nelson, who married Sara Weber (they have one son and three daugh- 
ters, Clara M., Eva V., Charles L. and Nellie E.). Mr. and Mrs. Phillips 
attend worship at the Evangelical Church. He is a public-spirited man and 
contributes liberally to all measures for the public welfare of his locality. 
Elsewhere will be found a portrait of Mr. Phillips. 

WILLIAM T. PLATT, auditor of Hancock County, Findlay, was born 
at Cannon's Mill, Columbia Co., Ohio, March 19, 1853, son of George and 
Eve M. (Faulk) Piatt, the former a native of Oldham, England. George 
Piatt, a miller by occupation, came to America when a young man, and died 
at Findlay in 1867, leaving a family of three sons and five daughters as a 
care for his estimable widow, who deserves especial mention as a worthy 
woman, wife and mother, and who by dint of steady, persistent industry, 



776 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

reared aud educated her children and has lived to see them occupying import- 
ant positions in life. William T. Piatt obtained a good common school edu- 
cation and, at the age of twenty, engaged in teaching. After spending two 
terms in the country he came to Findlay, where, after teaching in the B de- 
partment of the grammar school he taught for four years in the A depart- 
ment. During this time he served for six years as a member of the board 
of school examiners of Hancock County (from 1876 to 1883), and as city 
clerk fi'om 1878 to 1883. In the latter year he was elected to his present 
official position, which he has creditably tilled since. He married, in Find- 
lay, Arminda, daughter of Jacob and Susan (Weimer) Altman, pioneers of 
this county. They have one son and one daughter: Florence E. and Clar- 
ence E. Mr. and Mrs. Piatt are members of the English Lutheran Church. 
In politics he is a Democrat. 

GEOKGE W. POWELL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, January 11, 1826, son of Samuel and Sarah 
(Rabenait) Powell, who settled in Liberty Township, this county, in 1834. 
He is one of a family of eight sons and five daughters, of whom five sons 
and three daughters survive. George W. Powell was born and raised on 
the farm, and from the age of twenty-one to twenty-eight occupied his time 
in the winter teaching school and the remainder of the year on the farm, and 
has been successfully connected with that industry in this county since. At 
the age of twenty- seven he married Mary Jane, daughter of Allen Mc- 
Cahan, Esq., and they have two sons and five daughters: Solon, Pearce (a 
teacher in Findlay, this county), Zela Jane, Alice Melissa, Florence Etna 
(wife of Charles N. Isham), Beecher Worth, Patience Eugenia and Mary 
Lucretia. The family attend worship at the church of the Evangelical 
Association. George W. Powell is a hard-working, industrious farmer, and 
has secured a handsome competency. He pays considerable attention to the 
rearing and breeding of fine stock, among which may be mentioned short- 
horn cattle, merino sheep and Poland China hogs. In public life he has 
held aloof from office-seeking; yet he has held township and county posi- 
tions of trust. In politics he is a Prohibition Republican. 

SOLOMON POWELL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 11, 1832, son of Samuel and Sarah 
Rabinalt Powell, who came to this county in 1834. When a lad he received 
the rudiments of an education in the primitive schools of his day, and while 
working on the farm he applied himself during his leisure hours to study, 
and at the age of twenty-one years taught school, which, in connection with 
his receipts for his farm work, enabled him to purchase property and em- 
l)ark in farming for himself. He has been successful, and now owns 240 
acres of valuable land, well stocked. Mr. Powell married, in this county, 
Hannah Thomas, and by her he has one son and three daughters: Flory, 
wife of Harrison Foltz; Effie, wife of James Browneller; Junius and Tina 
(the latter two being at home). Our subject and wife are worthy members 
of the United Brethren Church, which he has served in an official ca- 
pacity for several years. He has also served, with credit, on the school 
board of his district, and in other local official positions. Mr. Powell is a 
worthy citizen, a kind husband and father, and an exemplary business man. 
He has sought to encourage a higher and more progressive state of affairs 
in the social and industrial life of his community. 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 11 1 

RICHARD PRESSNELL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Fiiidlay, was 
born in the parish of Thurman, county of Kent, England, October 8, 1816, 
son of Richard and Ammy Riddle Pressnell, who were parents of fourteen 
children. Our su.bject came to America in 1850, and located in Bergen, N. 
Y. In 1858 he came to this county, where, by persistent industry, he has 
accumulated a handsome competence. He married, in the county of Kent, 
England, Miss Sarah Broomfield, and by her he had seventeen children, of 
whom two sons and five daughters died in youth ; the survivors are Thomas, 
in Iowa; William, in Findlay, Ohio; Mary Ann, wife of Alfred Larkins, in 
Iowa; Alice, wife of James Gibson, in Findlay, Ohio; Amy, wife of D. C. 
Wilson, in Findlay, Ohio; Richard F., in Findlay, Ohio; Susan, wife of 
Joseph Hollins, in Dakota; Sarah, wife of Oscar Mills, in Findlay, Ohio; 
Jane, wife of Andrew J. Smith, in Findlay, Ohio, and Stephen, at home. Oui' 
subject has twenty-eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren 
living. He began life in his adopted country with but little of this world' s 
goods, and has earned a handsome competence. He contributes to all meas- 
ures for the advancement of his locality. In politics he is a Democrat. 

WILLIAM PRESSNELL, contractor and builder, and quarryman, 
Findlay, was born near Elsford. in the county of Kent, England, July 28, 
1845; son of Richard and Sarah (Broomfield) Pressnell, who came to 
America in 1852, settled in this county in 1854. and reared a family of ten 
children. Our subject was reared to the building business (in stone work) 
in which he has been actively engaged since. During the war of the Rebel- 
lion he served two years in the Union Army. He married, in Findlay, in 
November, 186(3, Mary Thomas, who bore him four children: Hardin T. , 
Alice May, Richard and William I. Mr. Pressnell has always been a hard 
working man, and has succeeded in building up a handsome business for 
himself and accumulating a nice competence. He is liberal, and contrib- 
utes to all worthy measures. In politics he is a Democrat. 

A. RADEBAUGH, dealer in general merchandise, and wholesale and 
retail dealer in pictures, fi-ames and moldings, Findlay, was born in 
Liberty Township, this county, November 19, 1857; son of John Rade- 
baugh, Esq. , a native of Ohio, of German descent. At the age of twenty- 
one our subject left the farm and traveled in the interest of commercial 
trade for two years ; then embarked in business, in Findlay, Ohio, where he 
carries in his bazar of notions a fine trade. Mr. Radebaugh was married 
in Findlay, to Mollie, daughter of William Bowman, Esq., and to this mar- 
riage two sons were born: Harry H. and Clarence W. Mr. Radebaugh 
and family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is 
a worthy member of the I. O. O. F., and a member of the Findlay Improve- 
ment Company. In politics he is a Democrat. 

WILLIAM RAMSEY, farmer, P.O. Findlay, was born in Fairfield Coun- 
ty, Ohio, July 27, 1820, son of Albert and Catherine"(Herrod) Ramsey, natives 
of Virginia and Pennsylvania respectively, and pioneers of Fairfield Coun- 
ty, Ohio. They came to this county in 1833 and settled in Marion Township, 
where they entered and cleared land on which they lived for many years. 
This farm they sold before moving to Findlay, this county, where they 
passed the remainder of their lives. They were parents of eight children of 
whom five are now living: James, William, Daniel, Calistie, wife of Lewis 
Thomas, and Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Johnson. William Ramsey, the sub- 
ject of this sketch, was twice married; first, June 4, 1846, to Louisa Saben, 



778 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

who bore him four children: George (deceased), Harriet (deceased), Ellen 
(deceased), and Catherine, wife of Zachariah Fetters, residing in Wells 
County, Ind. Mr. Ramsey's second marriage was with Caroline M. Thom- 
as; they have no children born to them but have an adopted child, "William 
H. Ramsey, whom they have reared since he was three years of age. The 
subject of this sketch removed to Indiana for a short time, but returned to 
this county and has lived for twenty years on his present farm, located on 
Blanchard River, in Marion Township. In politics he is a Republican. 

BASS RAWSON, M. D., Findlay, was born April 17, 1799, in the town 
of Orange, Franklin Co., Mass., son of Lemuel Rawson, a tanner, who 
carried on his trade in Warwick, Mass., until about 1812, when he devoted 
his attention to agriculture for a number of years. In 1^3(3 he removed to 
Bath, Summit Co., Ohio, but subsequently died at the residence of his son, 
Dr. L. Q. Rawson, at Fremont, Ohio. Dr. Bass Rawson is one of live 
brothers who removed from Massachusetts at an early day, and settled in 
Ohio, four being physicians. He is a member of the sixth generation of the 
Rawson family, in direct descent from Edward Rawson, who left England 
in 1636, and became secretary of the Massachusetts Colony from 1650 to 
1686. His mother, Sarah Rawson (whose maiden name was Barrows), of 
Warwick, Mass., was left an orphan at an early age. In his boyhood Dr. 
Rawson worked on a farm, and attended a country school. From the farm 
he went to learn the trade of hatter, which he worked at until he was about 
twenty years of age, but, his health somewhat failing him, he determined to 
relinquish it and engage in the study of medicine. To this end he entered 
an academy at New Salem, Mass. , which he attended several terms. In the 
meantime he taught school for the purpose of earning money to defray the 
necessary expense of his education. At the age of twenty-five he married, 
and immigrated to Ravenna, Ohio, where he remained a few months. He then 
removed to Otsego County, N. Y. , and located at Richfield. Here he again 
taught school. Previ.ous to his leaving Massachusetts he had studied medi- 
cine for a few months, but on his return to the East he took up the study serious- 
ly, with the intention of qualifying himself as a physician. Dr. Thomas, of 
Richfield, becoming his preceptor. In the winter of 1826-27 he attended 
medical lectures at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, and at the close of 
the collegiate term returned to his father's house at New Salem, and con- 
tinued the reading of medicine with Dr. Brooks, of Orange. In Jime, 1828, 
he removed to Ohio, and practiced a little more than a year with his brother, 
Dr. Secretary Rawson, who resided in Medina County, Ohio. In Septem- 
ber, 1829, he removed to Findlay, where he settled permanently in the 
practice of his profession. He was the first practicing physician that had 
arrived in the town, and was cordially welcomed by its inhabitants. The 
place had been but recently settled, and the first sale of lots occurred about 
a week after his arrival. Only twelve white families resided within its limits, 
the Indians being moi-e numerous than the whites. Here the Doctor has 
practiced without cessation for over fifty years. Although he has virtually 
retired from actively following his profession, some of his old patients still 
desire his attendance upon them and his professional advice, consequently 
he visits and prescribes occasionally. Dr. Rawson for a long time enjoyed 
a large and successful practice, the result of which, together with judicious 
investments in real estate, is that he is in possession of a competency in his 
old age. He has been a member and supporter of the Presbyterian Church 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. < /9 

for more tliau lifty years. May 3, 1824, he was married to Amanda Black- 
mer, of Greenwich, Mass., who died in 1874, leaving an only daughter — 
Harriet E. Amanda — married to Dr. William D. Canlin, of Findlay, a sur- 
geon in the army, and who died in the service of his country in 1862. Mrs. 
Canlin died in Findlay in 1870, leaving three children: Dr. Cass R., who was 
engaged in sheep raising in Montana, was accidentally shot and killed 
December 26, 1884, near his ranch; William L., residing in Findlay, mem- 
ber of the bar, and S. Amanda, married to C. T. Doudore. now living in 
Missouri. In politics Dr. Rawson is a Rei^ublican. 

CONRAD RENNINGER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Cumberland County, Penn. , May 22,1809; son of Conrad and Cather- 
ine (Switzer) Renninger, natives of Pennsylvania. In 1854 the subject of 
this sketch, having previously been connected with the commission and for- 
warding business in the East, came to this county, engaged in farming and 
improved 160 acres of land in Liberty Township. He had married in his 
native place Miss Christiana Atticks, who died in this county December 11, 
1874, and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery. Of their family William oc- 
cupies the old farm in Liberty Township, this county, and has two sons and 
three daughters: Catherine, was married to William Lytle (she and her 
daughter are both deceased) , Elizabeth died while young, Henry is a farmer 
(he has a son and a daughter), Jane, wife of Dr. T. G. Barnhill (they have 
one son, Samuel, who carries on the home farm and, by his marriage with 
Ada, daiaghter of August and Dora Polz Armbrecht, has one son and one 
daughter: Reginald and Carrie). August Ambrecht, a native of Berlin, 
Germany, died in Andersonville prison, Georgia, during the war of the Re- 
bellion. Mrs. Ambrecht was a native of Hanover, Germany. The subject of 
this sketch has always held a modest position in public afPairs, but has 
served with credit on the school board of his district, and on Findlay Town- 
ship Board; was also infirmary director for three terms. He is public-spir- 
ited and progressive, and contributes libei-ally to all worthy projects. 

SAIkFLTEL RENNINGER, capitalist, Findlay, was born in Cumberland 
County, Penn., May 14, 1816, son of Conrad and Catherine (Switzer) Ren- 
ninger, natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject's grandfathers were Conrad 
Renninger, a native of Germany, and Frederick Switzer, a native of Switzer- 
land. Samuel Renninger learned carpentering, but after following it four 
years he was compelled to abandon the trade for lighter work, and finally 
took up hotel keeping. In 1853 he came to Findlay, this county, and here 
kept hotel for several years. In 1873, upon the death of his wife, Mr. Ren- 
ninger retired fi'om business and has since given his attention to the collection 
of his rents, etc., etc. He has two childi-en: John S., a prominent physician 
in Marshall, Minn. , and Lillie, a lady of fine attainments, now residing with 
fi'iends in Pennsylvania. Samuel Renninger is a clever business man and 
has succeeded in accumulating a handsome competence in the hotel busi- 
ness. He is liberal in his contributions to all worthy public enterprises, and 
gives with a willing hand. 

HERMAN ROGGE, grocer, Findlay, was born in Alberfeldt, Prussia, 
September 18, 1837, son of Ferdinand and Wilhelmina (Feting) Rogge, the 
former of whom died in 1862. Mrs. Rogge and a son reside in the old 
country. The subject of this sketch learned the manufacturing of chemicals 
in his native country, and upon attaining his majority entered the Prussian 
Army, with which he was connected for thirteen years, passing all through 



780 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the Franco-Prussian war. Being wounded at the battle of Sedan his phy- 
sicians advised his making a trip to America, and having a sister living in 
Findlay, Ohio, hither he came in 1872, the advantages of business proving 
the magnet which has held him in this place since. Mr. Rogge was mar- 
ried, in Findlay, to Caroline Hahn, who died in 1881, leaving one son and 
one daughter: William and Mena. Mr. Rogge' s second marriage was with 
Katie, daughter of Christopher Follweiler, Esq. , of Liberty Township, this 
county, a native of Baden, Germany, and by this marriage there are one 
son and one daughter: Nellie and Herman. Our subject and wife attend 
the German Reformed Church. He is an active member of the Harmonia 
Society and is its present secretary. 

J. B. ROTHCHILD, wholesale dealer in liquors, Findlay, was born in 
Milhausen, Kingdom of Bavaria, August 6, 1832; son of Benjamin and Car- 
oline (Kurtz) Rothchild. Our subject learned hat and cap making in his 
native land, and when but sixteen years old came to this country and to 
West Union, Ohio (where a sister, Mrs. Mary Oakes lived), and here spent a 
few years learning the habits and customs of his adopted country. He then 
worked at the tailoring business in Cincinnati and later commenced the 
clothing business at Bucyrns, Ohio. In 1853 he came to Findlay, this coun- 
ty, and opened a clothing store but soon after went to Janesville, Wis., 
where he remained till 1857, when he returned here. Upon the breaking out 
of the Rebellion he retired fi'om the clothing business and accepted the post- 
mastership of Findlay, which he tilled from 18(31 to 1867; retiring fi'om this 
he engaged in merchandising. In 1870 he was appointed collector of inter- 
nal revenue for the Fifth Ohio District, which position he held till 1875 when 
it was consolidated with the Fourth. He then, in 1877, received the appoint- 
ment of special agent of the Treasury Department and traveled through the 
Southern States; this he i-esigned in 1878 and the following year embarked in 
his present business. He married, in 1854, Margaret, daughter of Samuel 
Jones, of Bucyrus, Ohio. They have three daughters and one son living: 
Fannie; Jennie, Avife of Charles J. Stern, a wholesale jeweler of Cincinnati, 
Ohio; Emma and Wilbui-. Mr. Rothchild, although oftentimes requested, 
has always held aloof fi'om allowing his name to be used as a candidate for 
any civic or county office. In politics he is an Independent. 

HENRY SCHWARTZ, retired grocer, Findlay, was born in Bavaria, 
Germany, August 8, 1818, son of Jacob and Margaret (Winters) Schwartz, 
who died there in 1848, leaving three sons and two daughters. Our subject 
learned merchant tailoring in his native land. In 1840 he came to America, 
and after spending some time in business in Massilon and Magnolia, Stark 
Coimty, Ohio, came to Findlay in 1855, and embarked in the grocery busi- 
ness, which he successfully carried on for many years, retiring fi-om it in 1877 
and turning it over to his son, Edward. He married in Stark County, Ohio, 
in 1844, Margaret Gribble, who was born near his native town and who 
came to America in 1833, with her people, who settled in Tuscarawas County, 
Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz have a family of three sons and three daugh- 
ters: Phebe, wife of William B. Richards (Miller) of Allen County, Ohio; 
Caroline, wife of D. T. Winders, of the firm of Schwartz & Winders, gro- 
cers, Findlay; Edward, Grocer, Findlay, married October 25, 1881, to Miss 
Olivia Huffman; Charles, a grocer in W^auseon, Ohio; and Frank and Hattie 
at home. The family attend the services of the Lutheran church of which 
Mr. Schwartz is a liberal supporter. He has held responsible positions in 
his muncipality. In politics he is a Democrat. 



f INDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 781 

DANIEL SHEETS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O., Findlay, was 
born in Westmoreland County, Penn. , September 14, 1850, son of Michael 
and Sarah (Dillinger) Sheets, who settled in this county in 1853. Our sub- 
ject's father was a soldier in Company A, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, and did active service until caj)tured by the enemy. He died in 
Andersonville prison, Georgia, in 1865, leaving two sons and two daughters : 
Daniel, the eldest; Charlotte, wife of James Mason; Elias, a baker, and 
Mary, wife of Heniy Umbrick; all residents of Findlay Township, this 
county. Daniel Sheets was reared on a farm, and has been connected with 
agriculture all his life. He also pays considerable attention to dealing in 
fat cattle. He was married in Findlay, Ohio, to Sarah A., daughter of 
John and Sarah (Light) Stover, and by her has one son and two daughters: 
Myrtle L., Harry E. aiid Inez. In 1879 Mrs. Sheets died, and was buried 
in the Findlay Cemetery. Mr. Sheets is a worthy member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, to which be is a liberal contributor. He is a mem 
ber of the K. of P. society. 

JOHN H. SHULL, manufacturer, Findlay, was born in Franklin Coun- 
ty, Ohio, February 13, 1841, son of Benjamin and Christenia (Kitsmiller) 
Shull, natives of Franklin County, Ohio. Solomon Shull, father of Benja- 
min Shull, served in the war of 1812 in Ohio, and remained here after its 
termination. He was a native of Northumberland County, Penn., the 
father of nineteen children by two marriages. Benjamin Shull (father of 
our subject) came to this county in 1845, and located on a farm in Amanda 
Township. John H. Shull learned carpentering at the age of eighteen, 
which he followed for eleven years, erecting several important buildings in 
Findlay and vicinity. Bell C. Shull was born in Albany County, N. Y., 
August 28, 1842, daughter of Joel and Hannah (Dunbar) Cheselrough, both 
natives of the State of New York. Beriah, father of Joel Cheselrough, came 
to the State of Ohio in 1840, and Joel Cheselrough some years later, and 
located on a farm in Ridge Townshij), Wyandot County. Bell Cheselrough 
acquired an education by which she was granted certificates in Wyandot, 
Hancock and Seneca Counties to teach school at the age of sixteen, and fol- 
lowed teaching (and went to school at intervals) for seven years. December 
21, 1865, John H. Shull and Bell Cheselrough were married, agreeing to 
make their intei'ests one and equal, which has continued to the present. 
John H. Shull entered into partnership with D. C. Fisher and C. E. Sey- 
mour in the planing-mill and lumber business in 1870, in which he has been 
successful and the principal in the manufacturing department. January 1, 
1880, he decided to manufacture on an extensive scale his Champion Ironing 
Table, an invention he has perfected, and which is finding a ready sale, and 
gives employment at present to ten men, besides several salesmen. John H. 
and Bell C. Shull have had four children— two promising daughters living: 
Ella R. and Metta. They are all members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and Mr. Shull has been an official in the church; also is a member 
of the school board. In politics Mr. and Mrs. Shull have always been 
Democratic, and they believe in the theory of a government by the whole 
people — woman as much as man. 

W. E. SNYDER, dealer in dry goods, etc., Findlay, was born in West 
Greenville, Penn., January 4, 1836, son of Simon A. and Elizabeth (Coul- 
di'on) Snyder, natives of Snyder County, Penn. , so named after the Snyders, 
who were prominent pioneers there. In 1849 Simon Snyder settled in 



/82 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Union Township, this county, where his six sons grew to manhood, all of 
whom became worthy merchants except Eli A. Snyder, M. D. , who died in 
Kansas City, Mo. ; Elijah is a grocer in Havana, 111. ; Augustus C. is a dry 
goods merchant in Santa Cruz, Cal. ; Delos D. is in dry goods business in 
Minneapolis, Kas. ; E. D. is a druggist in Kansas City, Mo. Our subject 
received a good schooling, and at fourteen became apprenticed to merchan- 
dising in the store of Henderson & Patterson, at Findlay. At twenty he 
embarked in business at McComb, with B. B. Barney (now of Toledo) ; in 
1865 he came and established the present store, the " Old White Corner," 
with Mr. Barney, whose interest he purchased in 1872, since when he has 
carried on business alone (meanwhile continuing his store at McComb. ) He 
was married in Findlay to Sallie H. , daughter of Frederick and Helen (Gil- 
ruth) Dudxiit, pioneers in Hancock County. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have one 
son and one daughter: Reginald C. and Bernice Fredrika. Mr. Snyder is 
a self-made man. Beginning upon a small clerical salary he managed to 
save and eventually started in business. Here, by dint of steady purpose, 
persistent industry, coupled with able management, he accumulated prop- 
erty rapidly, and eventually placed himself in the lead of his business. 
From 1875 to 1881 he had, jointly with Gov. Foster, and his brother, D. D. 
Snyder, at Fostoria, a lucrative mercantile interest. Besides his extensive 
commercial trade he is also in possession of some very valuable farm prop- 
erty, consisting of three good farms, and owns besides a handsome residence 
and some of the most desirable business property in Findlay. He is a mem- 
ber of Shawnee Commandery of Knights Templar. Mr. Snyder has always 
been averse to holding public office, but has given a cordial support and 
taken active interest in partisan politics. He is a public-spirited and pros- 
perous business man, a liberal citizen, contributing to all worthy objects. 
In personal appearance he is of mediiim stature, of good physique and of 
vigorous disposition. He is of a versatile nature, which has probably aided 
him in drawing around him an extensive and lucrative trade. In politics he 
is a Republican. 

FRED SPAITH, proprietor of the City Meat Market, Findlay, was 
born in Findlay, this county, November 22, 1857, son of John and Eliza- 
beth (Steinbacher) Spaith, natives of Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, for- 
mer a shoe-maker born in Brennaheim, latter in Laudenheim. They came 
to America in 1851, settled in Findlay, this county, and reared a family of 
six sons and three daughters. Fred Spaith, the subject of this sketch, en- 
gaged in his present business when a lad and has been successfully con- 
nected with same since. He married, in Findlay, Mary Weber, daughter 
of Louis and Mary Weber, natives of Alsace, from near Weisberg. Oui- 
subject and wife are parents of one son and two daughters; Carrie Maud, 
Edith May and Cloys Frederick. Mrs. Spaith is a member of the United 
Brethren Church. Mr. Spaith is a member of the National Union. He is a thor- 
ough-going business man and a public-spirited citizen, contributing liber- 
ally to all measures tending to the welfare of his city and county; he has 
a good trade in his line of business and has accumulated a fair share of 
worldly goods. In politics he is a Democrat. 

THOMAS J. STACKHOUSE, proprietor of the Sherman House, Findlay, 
was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, February 14, 1835; son of Joshua and 
Martha Sinclair Stackhouse, natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, respect- 
ively. Our subject spent his early life in Seneca County, Ohio, whither his 



PINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 783 

parents had removed, and when a lad he came to Findlay, where he learned 
the baking business, which he carried on successfnlly for many years, 
retiring from it in 1870. Mr. Stackhouse was united in marriage in 
Findlay, Ohio, with Fannie, daughter of Valentine Hine, and by her he 
has three sons and four daughters; Mary; Ella, wife of Dem. Marvin; 
Cora; Thomas; James; Rosa and Rolla. Mrs. Stackhouse is a worthy mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church, to which our subject is a liberal contributor. 
Mr. Stackhouse is a member of the K. of P. He served in Company I One 
Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and is a member of 
Stoker Post Gr. A. R. He is a public-spirited and energetic business man, 
and has accumulated a nice competence ; is a liberal contributor to measures 
calculated to benefit the public. 

ULYSSES KINSEY STRINGFELLOW, civil engineer and county 
surveyor, Findlay, was born in Union Township, this county, June 26, 
1855, son of Benjamin and Catharine (Kinsey) Stringfellow, the former of 
Pennsylvania pioneer stock and the latter of New England pioneers. They 
removed fi'om Coshocton County, Ohio, to Union Township, this county, in 
1854, and there four sons and three daughters grew up: Ulysses K. ; 
George, who died in Mexico, while j)rosecuting -his profession of civil 
engineer; Susie, wife of A. D. Whisler, a merchant of Bentou Ridge; 
Artensa, wife of Charles Hartman, engineer, in Rawson; Mary; Frank and 
Harry. Ulysses K. Stringfellow obtained a good common school training, 
and at eighteen taught school, in which profession he was creditably con- 
nected for eleven years, retiring fi'om it to accept his pi'esent position, to 
which he had been elected in 188-1. He is a graduate of the Northwestern 
University at Ada, Ohio. November 27, 1884, he married Zetta, daughter 
of William Thomas, of Findlay. Mr. Stringfellow is a member of the I. 
O. O. F. Upon the organization of the Findlay Natui-al Gas Company 
he became connected with it and served as its secretary. He is a public- 
spirited and progressive citizen and, although young, bids fair to take rank, 
in the near future, with Hancock County's most active citizens. In politics 
he is a Democrat. 

JUDGE ROBERT L. STROTHER (deceased) was born in Pendleton 
County, Va. , in September, 1801. He received a common school education, 
and when about eighteen years of age removed with his parents to Licking 
County, Ohio, where he worked on a farm and for Col. Hollister, a manu- 
factiu'er and prominent character. In 1828 our subject and a Mr. Cochley 
came to this county, and, having been informed by surveyors that Blanchard 
River was navigable for several miles above Findlay and via the Auglaize 
down to the Maumee, these gentlemen resolved to locate land along its beau- 
tiful banks, and our subject finally entered what has long been known as 
"The Isaac Comer farm" (now the property of a Mr. Wagner). He re- 
turned to Licking County, Ohio, and in 1829 again came out, this time lo- 
cating eighty acres of land in Section 12, Findlay Township, and, returning 
home, gave a glowing description of the country along the Blanchard 
River, on which stream he confidently expected shortly to see steam boats 
plying. His description of the country induced Johnson Bonham, James 
Caton and Isaac Strother to come out with him on his return the following 
spring, together with one or two hired men. On their arrival our subject 
was greatly surprised and humiliated at finding Blanchard River almost dry. 
Bonham, Caton and Isaac Strother located farms along the river. Some 



784 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

timci after bis settlement in this coimty our subject sold the "Comer farm" 
and purchased land now in North Findlay, and this be subsequently traded 
for eighty acres adjoining bis original entry of eighty acres, on which bis 
bouse stood. Judge Strotber began bis labors in this county by clearing a 
three-acre lot and erecting a log cabin, and soon after bi'ought bis mother 
and sister (now Mrs. Joseph C. Shannon) from Licking County. His 
mother died at bis home in 1851. Judge Strotber was very systematic in 
all that be did. His farm was divided into twenty-acre fields; he i)lanted three 
acres of orchard, and beside every sixteenth panel of fence on the entire farm 
running north and south he planted a grafted apple tree, and likewise 
along each fence extending east and west be planted peach trees. Early 
and subsequent settlers well remember the vast amount of delicious fruit 
that grew on and was sold from Judge Strotber' s well-cultivated orchard. 
Judge Strotber was married, in 1847, to Elizabeth Todd, who bore him one 
daughter, Laura A., a teacher in the asylum for the blind at Columbus, 
Ohio. His second marriage was in 1851, with Sarah A. Merriam, a sister 
of the late Dr. William H. Baldwin (she bad married A. F. Merriam in 1837, 
and by him had three children: Sarah J., wife of J. H. Schell, of Ottawa, 
Ohio; Mrs. Emily C. Kemble, of Findlay, and William D. Mr. Merriam 
died in Kentucky, whither be bad gone to recover bis health. He was a 
cousin to the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, and came with that distinguished 
statesman to Pennsylvania. Mr. Merriam was the second practicing attor- 
ney in Findlay). Judge Strotber' s man-iage with Mrs. Merriam gave him 
three children: Eva A., wife of J. C. Strickler, of Dakota; Mrs. John 
Shuck, wife of a worthy boot and shoe merchant of Findlay, and Nellie 
C. (latter deceased). Our subject lived on the farm until 1875, when be 
removed to Findlay, and about three weeks later, October 8, 1875, be died. 
His death has been an irreparable loss to bis numerous fi-iends. He had 
served as associate judge and county commissioner. In politics be was a 
Whig and Republican, and an active local politician. He united 
with the Methodist Church in 1852, and died triumphant in the 
faith. His widow resides with her daughter, Mrs. Kemble, the 
greater pai-t of her time when not engaged in her active tem- 
perance labors. She has been a delegate to various temperance conventions, 
and was selected as one of Ohio's seven delegates to the national temper- 
ance convention held in Philadelphia, Penn., October 30, 1885. She is 
president of the W. C. T. U. of this, the Fourteenth Congressional Dis- 
trict of Ohio, and is an earnest, energetic advocate of the principles of tem- 
perance for the good of humanity. 

ROLAND G. STROTHER, proprietor of the "People's Meat Market," 
Findlay, was born in Findlay Township, this county, June 1, 1854; young- 
est child in the family of Anthony W. and Mary J. (McRill) Strotber, who 
settled in Findlay Township, this county, in an early day, and reared four 
sons and two daughters. Anthony W. Strotber was born in Licking Coun- 
ty, Ohio, in 1812, son of Benjamin Strotber, a native of Virginia. The 
McRills come of prominent people of Baltimore, Md. , and were also early 
settlers in this county. Roland G. Strotber, the subject of this sketch, 
was reared a farmer and followed agricultural pursuits until the spring of 
1885, when he embarked in bis ])resent business. He was united in mar- 
riage, in 1879, with Mary, daughter of Samuel Hill, Esq., and by her be has 
one daughter, Mary Gladdis. Mr. Strotber is an energetic and public-spir- 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE, 785 

ited business man and citizen, and contributes liberally toward all meas- 
ures for the public welfare. 

H. M. VANCE, stock dealer, Findlay, was born in Findlay, this county, 
February 1, 1883; son of Wilson and Sarah (Wilson) Vance, pioneers of 
Hancock County, and nephew of Gov. Joseph Vance, of Ohio. He is the 
only survivor of a family of eight sons and four daughters. The Vances 
come of pioneer stock in the State, from Virginia. Wilson Vance was born 
in Mason County, Ky. , January 19, 1796, son of Joseph Colville and Sarah 
(Wilson) Vance, natives of Virginia (Loudoun County), and of Scotch -Irish 
ancestry. They removed to Kentucky in 1788, and to Ohio about 1800, 
settling in Greene County, and in 1804 moved to Urbana, Ohio. In the 
fall of 1821 Wilson and Sarah Vance came to Findlay, this county, where, 
besides serving as merchant, farmer, etc., he filled many important official 
positions. After a iiseful and honorable life he passed away September 30, 
1862, respected by all who knew him. He was a strong Whig in politics, 
and never voted with either of the present parties. The subject of this 
sketch has spent the most of his life in Findlay, engaged in a variety of use- 
ful industries. He married, November 2, 1855, in Franklin County, Ohio, 
Flora, daughter of Alexander Shattuck, and by this union has one son and 
four daughters: Sally, wife of Walter G. Higgins, of Fremont, Neb. ; May, 
wife of Charles Bigelow, of Findlay Township, this county; Carrie, wife of 
Samuel S. Howard, a resident of Chicago, 111.; Mary J. and Cloys Wilson, 
at home. Mrs. Vance is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In politics 
Mr. Vance is a Democrat. 

DAVID WALTER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Westmoreland County, Penn., in 1820; son of John and Catherine 
(Roup) Walter, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former born 
in Lancaster County and the latter in Allegheny County; they died in 
Stark County, Ohio, whither they had removed in early times. They left 
five sons and three daughters, Jonas, John, Abigail, Barbara and Elizabeth 
are in Stark County, Ohio; George, in California; Nicholas, in Defiance 
County, Ohio; and David. All have families except one of the sons and one 
daughter. In 1849 the subject of this sketch came to this county and 
settled upon his present farm in Findlay Township, where he has succeeded 
in amassing a fine property and has a beautiful home. He married, in this 
county. Miss Amanda, daughter of Henry Bear, Esq., and they have five 
daughters living: Harriet Ann, wife of Charles Thomas; Emily E., wife of 
John Schwab, and Sarah A. , Barbara A. and Amanda B. at home. Mr. 
Walter and family attend the services of the English Lutheran Church. 
He has always been a worthy, hardworking and painstaking farmer, and 
has reared and educated his family well. He has served his district 
with credit as a member of the school board. In politics he is a Republican. 

JOHN WESLEY WHITEHTJRST, proprietor of the Eagle Restam-ant, 
Findlay, was born in Rockingham County, Va. , August 17, 1838; son of 
John and Margaret (Showalter) Whitehurst, of English pioneer ancestry, 
in that State. In 1842 they settled in Fairfield County, Ohio, and there 
the subject of our sketch grew to manhood. In 1860 he came to Hancock 
County, and the following year enlisted his services, August 5, 1861, in 
defense of the Union in Company G, Ninty- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and did active sen-vice for over three years, participating in all the battles of 
these campaigns, and was wounded at Stone River, Ga. After the war he 



786 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

carried on a restaurant business in Huntington, Ind., for two years, and 
afterward traveled in the interest of mercantile trade till 1871, when he 
retired fi'om that and engaged with a circus business for two years; coming 
hero he established his present business and has, by dint of good lousiness 
ability, secured a nice trade and accumulated a good competence. Mr. 
Whitehurst was married, June 1, 1865, in Indiana, to Emma Keam, of 
Huntington, and by her he has one daughter — Mollie— a young lady of 
estimable attainments. Mr. Whitehurst has always ci ntributed liberally to 
all worthy enterprises. He and his wife and daughter are regular atten- 
dants of the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member 
of the Stoker Post, Gr. A. R., and of the Findlay Improvement Society, and 
of the Findlav Natural Gas Company. 

JAMES H. WILSON, P. O., Findlay, wasl^orn in York County, Penn., 
May 13, 1808, son of James and Eleanor Wilson, of Scotch ancestry, and 
early settlei's of Pennsylvania. Our subject was reared on the farm and ob- 
tained a common school education. In 1832 he came to Findlay, Ohio, and 
the day following his arrival he purchased a partially constructed frame 
building with a lot, the present site of the ' ' Commercial Hotel, ' ' for $700, 
paying part cash. He worked at the carpenter's trade for about one 
year and then engaged as a clerk for S. & P. Carlin, early mer- 
chants. In eighteen months he embai'ked in mercantile business in a frame 
building erected by himself on the lot where now stands the ' ' Carnahan 
Block." In 1848 he erected what was known as the " Melodeon Building," 
then the largest structure in Findlay, containing two store rooms on the first 
floor, offices on the second and a public hall on the third. This building 
was torn away to give place to the magnificent business block lately con- 
structed by T. & W. R. Carnahan. On retiring from his mercantile inter- 
ests Mr. Wilson turned his personal attention to farming and real estate 
transactions. In 1847 he laid out lots from an entire eighty-acre tract, now 
known as East Findlay, and buildings have been erected on a majority of 
the lots. For the last twenty-two years he has been connected with the 
First National Bank of Findlay as a director and stockholder and has retired 
from active labor. He united with the Seceder Church when about fifteen 
years of age, and has lived an active Christian life since, being now a mem- 
ber the United Presbsterians of Cannonsburg, it being the nearest organiza- 
tion of the church of his choice. He buried his first wife, Susan E. (Hutchi- 
son), who died July 8, 1880, and subsequently married Mrs. Lucretia A. 
Marsh. Mr. Wilson has seen Findlay and Hancock County " bud and blos- 
som," having located here when the families of Bass Rawson, Squire 
and Parlee Carlin, Frederick Henderson, Wilson Vance, John W. Baldwin, 
Matthew Reighly, Jonathan Parker, W. L. Henderson. Christian Barnd and 
William Taylor .constituted the principal inhabitants of Findlay. He has 
experienced the hardships incident to the early settlers and merchants, such 
as making trips to New York by wagon, en route to Sandusky, by boat to 
BuflPalo, by stage to Lockport, by canal to Albany and down the Hudson 
River to New York, to purchase goods. It is enough to say that society, as 
well as everything tending to promote the welfare of Hancock County, has 
been benefitted by his relationship with the community; yet it can be added 
that he has taken special interest in helping to establish the first two rail- 
road lines in this county, and has served the city as mayor and councilman 
with honor to himself and the satisfaction of his constituents. He cast his first 



FINDLAY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE. 787 

presidential vote for Andrew Jackson, but left the Democratic party in 1838, 
and since the birth of the Republican party he has been a stanch advocate 
of its principles. During the transactions he has had with the public in the 
various avocations he has followed in this county, he is characterized as hav- 
ing been strictly honest, and his acquaintance, which extends all over the 
county, will take pleasure in seeing him perpetuated with a brief pen picture 
and portrait in this volume. 

HENRY F. WINDERS, dry goods merchant, Findlay, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, May 2, 1831, son of John and Elizabeth (Paden) 
Winders, the former a native of Shenandoah County, Va., and of pioneer 
stock of that State; the latter, a daughter of John and Sidney Paden, 
natives of Ireland who came to this country in 1815, settling in Fairfield 
County. The subject of this sketch, when a lad, was apprenticed to mer- 
chandising in the store of his uncle, T. B. C. Paden, of New Salem, Ohio. 
At twenty- one he embarked in the dry goods business there in which he con- 
tinued till 1859, when he retired to farming. In 1861 he came to Findlay, 
this county, and sold goods for Patterson & Taylor for four years, then em- 
barked in business on his own account with which he has been successfully 
connected here since. He was married, June 22, 1854, in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, to Araminta S. , daughter of the late Judge Wiseman, of Peny County, 
Ohio, and by this union has one daughter and one son : Susie, the wife of 
Thomas Frazer, a di'uggist in Findlay, and John, associated with his father 
(he has a son, Henry, by his marriage with Miss Ella Crooks, of Massillon, 
Ohio). Mr. Winders has held membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church since his fifteenth year; has served as an official in same and has been 
Sabbath-school superintendent for over twenty-three years. He is a worthy 
Mason of over thirty years' standing. Though he has always avoided public 
ofiice he has served with credit in the council and upon the school board of 
Findlay. Besides his extensive mercantile connections he has also been con- 
nected with many of the important industries in Findlay, and has contrib- 
uted toward the development of many of the city's important manufactur- 
ing and other interests. In politics he is a Republican. 

JACOB YATES, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Franklin County, Penn., April 24, 1825, son of Samuel and Mar- 
garet Swisher Y'^ates, latter a native of Franklin County, Penn. , and former 
of Virginia, just across the line; they come of a long line of worthy ances- 
try in their respective States. In 1833 they came to this county and settled 
in Eagle Township, where they both died, she departing this life in 1876, 
and he in 1877; they were parents of twelve children. Jacob Yates, the 
subject of this sketch, embarked in business for himself at the age of twenty- 
one years, and has, by his own exertions, accumulated a handsome, compe- 
tence, owning at present 256 acres of valuable land and several head of val- 
uable fine stock. Of late years he has engaged in stock dealing and has 
done extensive business in shipments of cattle, etc. , from Findlay. Mr. 
Yates married, in 1848, Barbara Foreman, who departed this life September 
22, 1860, leaving two sons and four daughters: Melissa Ann, wife of 
Joseph Cheesebrough, of Findlay, Ohio; Cordelia, wife of Henry Shank, Esq.; 
Sarah, wife of William Black, Esq., of Findlay, Ohio; Ellen, wife of Jacob 
Oman, of Eagle Township, this county; Newton, a farmer of Jackson 
Township, this county; and Joseph (deceased). Mr. Yates' second mar- 
riage was with Mary, daughter of George Hook, Esq. , and by her he had 



788 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

four sons and two daughters: George A., B. B. Barney, Jay T. , Carrie 
Blanche (deceased), Fannie May and Charles Jacob. The subject of this 
sketch has always given liberally to all measures for the good of the public 
welfare of his locality, and takes a leading position in his business interests. 
He is a thorough -going business man and is indebted to his own unaided ex- 
ertions for his large accumulations. He is an exemplary husband and 
father. In politics he is a Republican. 

ABRAHAM YERGER, farmer and stock raiser, Findlay, was born in 
Blair County, Penn., in 1824, son of Abraham and Catherine (Groves) Yei-ger, 
also natives of Blair County, of German descent. April 5, 1841, our sub- 
ject came West and has led an active and useful life in this county since. He 
carried on his trade of farmer and currier and followed moving buildings, 
etc. , for many years after, meanwhile acquiring a line farm just outside of 
Findlay. He mai'ried, in this county. Miss Jane, daughter of Henry Jum- 
per, Esq. She departed this life December 29, 1878, leaving two sons: 
Charles L., married and residing in Bluffton, Ohio, and Albert F., married 
and residing on and working his father's farm in Findlay Township, this 
county. Mr. Yerger' s second marriage was with Mrs. S. J. Hancock {nee 
Smith). There are no children by this marriage. Abraham Yerger has 
often been chosen by the people of this county to official positions within 
their gift and has also served his township in many official positions; his 
services as sheriff and deputy sheriff extended over a period of twelve or 
fifteen years, and, as coroner, over a period of four years. He and his 
family attended services at the Lutheran Church. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 

DAVID BEAGLE, merchant, Houcktown, was born May 17, 1846, in 
Muskingum County, Ohio, son of John and Matilda (Selson) Beagle, natives 
of Frederick County, Md., and who, after living twenty years in Musk- 
ingum County, Ohio, came, in 1852, to Jackson Township, this county, and 
purchased a farm on which they resided until their death; Mrs. Beagle died 
April 20, 1861, and Mr. Beagle January 10,1874, in his seventy -eighth year. 
Their children are Martin, Eli, Alva, Mrs. Eliza Tracy, John, Mrs. Eliza- 
beth French, Mrs. Sarah Waltermire, Mrs. Hester Shearer, David, George 
T. (all living in this part of the State except George T. who resides in Jay 
County, Ind.), and an infant (deceased). Our subject enlisted, May 1, 
1864, in the One Hundi-ed and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His 
regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and took part in the 
Virginia campaigns. He received his discharge with his regiment, leaving 
an honorable record as a brave and faithful soldier, and, returning home, 
again engaged in farming. He was united in marriage, June 23, 1867, with 
Miss Sarah M. Waltermire, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Waltermire. 
In 1876 Mr. Beagle moved to Houcktown and established a boot and shoe 
shop which he carried on for two years. In 1878 he engaged in merchan- 
dising, and he has a general store carrying a complete stock of dry goods, 
grocfiries, hats, caps, boots and shoes, hardware and notions. He is a life- 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 789 

long Republican; was appointed postmaster of Hoiicktown in 1878, which 
office he filled to the entire satisfaction of the people until March.' 1865 
when he voluntarily resigned. Mrs. Beagle departed this life October 25' 
1884, leaving four children: Frank, Carrie J., Charley and Jessie M. 
October 29, 188o, Mr. Beagle was again married, on this ocasion to Emma 
daughter of Thompson and Nancy (Siddall) Myers, who came fi-om Mahon- 
ing County, Ohio, to this county about the year 1848, and have since re- 
sided here. 

ISAIAH FOOLER, farmer, P. O. Findlay.was born in Fairfield County 
Ohio, December 18, 1852. His parents, Christian and Mary Ann Focrler 
natives of Fairfield County, Ohio, moved to Findlay Township, this countv' 
about 1862, and from there in 1868 to the northern part of Jackson Town- 
ship, this county, where they acquired a farm of about 500 acres of land 
They next lived four years in Wyandot County, Ohio, and in the fall of 1883 
moved to Wood County, Ohio, where they now reside. They have nine 
children living: Mrs. Lucretia Fellers, William, Isaiah, Mrs. Catherine 
Wiest, Jeremiah, Mrs. Esther Wiest, Mrs. Ida Shellenberger, Sherman and 
Sheridan. The subject of this sketch was united in marriage. April 6, 1876, 
with Sophia Wilde, a native of near Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio. ' Since 
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fogler have been living in Jackson Township, 
this county. Mr. Fogler is an enterprising young farmer and has here a 
fine farm of eighty acres of well improved land. In politics he is a Demo- 
crat. Mrs. Fogler is a member of the United Brethren Church. 

WILLIAM LOWE (deceased) was born July 27, 1803, in York County 
Penn., where he there married, March 8, 1832, Miss Sarah Hendricks, who 
was born in Baltimore County, Md.. March 1, 1812. Oiu- subject and wife 
came to Richland County, Ohio, in the fall of 1837, and, after three years' 
residence there, finally located on land they had previously purchased in 
Jackson Township, this county. Here they began to clear up and develop 
their farm, which was yet an unbroken wilderness. They had first entered 
eighty acres of land, to which they afterward added eighty acres and then 
forty acres, the farm now consisting of 200 acres of well improved land. 
Mr. and Mrs. Lowe reared a family of three children: Melchi, now livincr at 
home; Mrs. Tirbah Jane Ann Fahl, and Sylvester. William Lowe Ihe 
subject of this sketch, died August 22, 1876. He was a life-long Democrat. 
He and his wife were early members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Mrs. Lowe now occupies the family homestead. Melchi Lowe, who resides 
with her, vras born September 21, 1833. He was prostrated, in 1851, by a 
severe attack of typhoid fever, Avhich partly deprived him of the use of his 
lower limbs. He is a gentleman of good education and mental culture. 
Sylvester E. Lowe married Miss Susan Foster, December 18, 1874, and is 
now farming a part of the homestead farm. 

JOSEPH NEWELL, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Shenandoah 
County, Va., July 20, 1809, and was brought to Fairfield County. Ohio, in 
1812, by his parents, Thomas and Barbara Newell, former of whom died in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1815, the latter then coming to Jackson Town- 
ship, this county, in 1835, with one son, Joseph, and three daughters: 
Sarah, wife of Isaac Morrison; Elizabeth, wife of Adam Hoy, and slilome, 
wife of Samuel Moffitt. Mrs. Newell afterward moved to Illinois, where 
she died in 1860, aged seventy-three years. Our subject was united in 
marriage, in 1835, with Miss Barbara Bibler, of Fairfield County, Ohio, and 



790 • HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

came to Jacksou Township, this county, the following year, entering 160 
acres of land. Their children are Mrs. Harriet Donty, Mrs. Asenath 
Altman, Joseph P. , Mrs. Minerva Oman, Mrs. Emma Peterman, Louisa 
and Mrs. Sarah Morgan. Mr. Newell is an earnest and conscientious Re- 
piiblican. He has filled the office of township trustee for six years; is one 
of the representative i)ioneers and influential citizens of his township. Our 
subject is strictly a self-made man, having earned every dollar he owns, 
and has given his children a good start in life. He and wife are members 
of the Methodist Church. 

JOSEPH P. NEWELL, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born May 27, 
1842, in Jackson Township, this county, son of the pioneer Joseph Newell. 
Our subject was reared on the farm of his father, and attended the schools 
of the home district. He spent four months in 1864 as a soldier in Com- 
pany A, One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment Ohio National Guards, 
which was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and took part in the Vir- 
ginia campaigns. He was mustered out with his regiment, leaving an hon- 
orable record as a brave and faithful soldier always ready for duty. Re- 
turning home he resumed his occupation of farming, and January 29, 1865, 
was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Elsea, daughter of Moses Elsea. 
Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Newell have resided in Jackson Town- 
ship, this county. In 1866 he purchased of Judge D. J. Corey a farm of 
160 acres, which he still owns. In 1877 he purchased the homestead farm 
which his father had entered from the Government, and here he has re- 
sided ever since. He has been industrious and successful in life and has 
acquired a fine property of 320 acres in all. To our subject and wife were 
born three childi-en : Amanda E., Clara A. and Joseph Grant (deceased). 
Amanda E. prepared herself for the profession of teaching and has taught 
very successfully three terms in Jackson and Eagle Townships, this county. 
Mr. Newell is a Republican in politics ; takes a deep interest in public afFairs, 
and is one of the leading farmers and a representative citizen of Jackson 
Township. 

J. F. PETERMAN, farmer and contractor, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Holmes County, Ohio, December 20, 1832, son of John and Mary 
Ann (Jones) Peterman; latter was a native of Virginia, of English descent. 
John Peterman, who was born in Pennsylvania of Scotch and German 
descent, in early life was a stone-cutter, in later life a farmer. He came to 
this county in 1834 and settled in Jackson Township, where he died in 1862. 
Our subject, J. F. Peterman, the eldest in a family of ten children, was 
reared on the farm and attended the common school in Jackson Township, 
this county. He is the owner of a farm in Jackson Township, where he now 
resides. For several years past he has contracted for the construction of 
bridges and pikes, and while making that his principal business has also 
carried on fai'ming. At the age of twenty- five years Mr. Peterman was 
united in marriage with Elenore, daughter of George Bower, a lady of Ger- 
man descent. Five children have blessed this union: Mary Ellen, Amanda, 
Sarah, William S. and Ida Blanche Maria, the eldest three being married. 
Mr. and Mrs. Peterman are members of the Baptist Church. He is a Re- 
publican in politics; has served nine years as school director in the district 
where he resides. 

JOHN SWANK, merchant and retired farmer,. P. O. Findlay, was born 
January 11, 1816, in Loudon, Franklin Co., Penn. His father, Henry 



JACKSON TOWNSHIP. 791 

Swank, son of ©ne of the Hessian soldiers captured, by Washington at Tren- 
ton, married Miss Elizabeth Stndy, a lady of German descent. Her grand- 
mother. Study, lived to within twenty-one days of being one hundied years 
old. The subject of this slcptch was l^-ought, in 1817, by his parents to Rich- 
land County, Ohio, whore the latter resided until their death. John Swank 
was united in marriage, May 18, 1837, with Miss Anna Myers, of Bedford 
County, Penn. , and the following year came to this county to select a home, 
finally locating, in 1841, in Eagle Township. There Mrs. Swank died, of 
milk sickness, November 21, 1844, leaving four children : Washington; Mrs. 
Samantha Ungst, in Richland County, Ohio; Wilson S. , in Putnam County, 
Ohio, and Jefferson. June 1, 1845, oiir subject married, for his second 
wife, Miss Hannah Hare, a native of Westmoreland County, Penn., and she 
died December 28, 1853, leaving four children: Franklin, Henry, Jackson 
and Dixon. Mr. Swank afterward married, July 30, 1854, for his third 
wife. Miss Elizabeth Oman (she had been a j)upil in his school when she 
was but nine years of age). They moved to the present homestead in 1855, 
and here she died December 15, 1873, of typhoid fever, after an illness of 
seventy-four days, leaving twelve childi-en: Benton; Mrs. Anna Merritt, in 
Sandusky City, Ohio; John P., in Van Buren County, Mich.; Mrs. Martha 
Burch, in South Pueblo, Colo.; Mrs. Harriet Her.sher; Loring, in Michi- 
gan; William T. S. (deceased); Anson, in Morrow Coimty, Ohio; Edwin S. 
(deceased); Lehmanouski; Joseph, and an infant (deceased). March 12, 
1874, Mr. Swank married, for his fourth wife. Miss Mary Swank, by whom 
he had three childi-en: Charles, Oliver P. (deceased) and Scott Hayes (the 
latter was kissed and blessed by the Presidential party in 1879). Mr. Swank 
contributed liberally in defense of the Union, sending live sons: Washing- 
ton, Wilson S., Jefferson, Franklin, who was wounded at Chickamauga and 
died at Chattanooga November 17, 1863, and Eli. Mr. Swank becoming unable 
to work in his old age, established a store on his premises, in 1882, and 
still carries it on, supplying the neighborhood with articles of household 
necessity. He kept Clements postoffice here on his place from 1856 to 1866; 
it was afterward changed to Swank, but discontinued at his request. He is 
an earnest Republican, and has independent religious views. The name 
of John Swank will long be remembered by the citizens of Hancock 
County. 

HENRY SWANK, lumber manufacturer, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Eagle Township, this county, September 23, 1848, son of the pioneer. 
John Swank. Henry offered his services in defense of the Government in 
1864, but was not accepted . He early engaged in the saw-mill business, 
which he has since followed. April 15, 1873, Mr. Swank was united in 
marriage with Miss Hannah Jane Orwick. daughter of John Orwick, and 
born in Jackson Township, this county, October 27, 1854. They have two 
children: Harry Wesley and Edith Dale. January 2, 1881, Henry Swank 
purchased a saw-mill, which he located on Blanchard River, in Amanda 
Township, this county. In 1882 he moved it to Findlay, and in 1883 to 
the old VanHorn mill-site, in Jackson Township, this county, where it is 
at present located. Heni-y Swank purchased his present home of one acre 
of land soon after his marriage. He had the misfortune to lose by fire his 
house and household goods May 20, 1885. Mr. Swank is a man of energy 
and enterprise, highly respected by his fellow townsmen. 



792 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

GEORGE W. YOST, farmer, P. O. Houcktown, was born in 
Perry County, Ohio, July 1 7, 1837, and moved to Licking County, Ohio, in 
1846, with his parents. He came to Jackson Township, this county, in 
1872, and carried on a general merchandising store in Houcktown for four 
years. He was united in marriage, June 25, 1874, with Miss Hettie J. 
Melick, of Fairfield County, Ohio. He purchased a farm of forty-two 
acres of land in Jackson Township, this county, in 1876, and has since 
resided upon it. His children were Alfa M. (deceased March 29, 1885, in 
his tenth year), Harry Lee and Georgie (latter deceased May 14, 1884, aged 
nine months). Mr. Yost is a F. & A. M. He is very active in public 
affairs. In 1877 he was elected township clerk, which position he has held 
by re-election ever since, receiving much larger majorities than the rest of 
his ticket in the township. In politics he is a Democrat. Mrs. Yost is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 

ROBERT BARNHILL, a prominent i)ioueer farmer, P. O. Findlay, was 
born in Mifflin County, Penn., March 17, 1809, son of Gabriel and Nancy (Mc- 
Curdy)Barnhill, natives of Pennsylvania. Gabriel Barnhill was one of the early 
farmers of Harrison County, Ohio, and filled the office of justice of the peace 
as early as 1812. His family consisted of eleven childi-en, Robert being the 
second (he has two brothers and two sisters living). The subject of this 
sketch was reared on the old home farm, and acquired his education in the 
common schools of that day. He came to this county in 1836 , and settled 
in Liberty Township, which at that time was densely covered with forest. 
He assisted in clearing away the timber that they might have a few acres of 
land to cultivate, and whereon to raise the necessaries of life. His present 
farm consists of 140 acres of fine land, on which he and his family have 
made many improvements. Mr. Barnhill was united in marriage in Wayne 
County, Ohio, the fruits of which union were six children, three of whom 
survive: Agnes (wife of George Markley), Margaretta M. (wife of John 
Miller) and James (married to Elizabeth Ramsey). The deceased are An- 
derson, Sarah E. and Mary A. After the death of his first wife Mr. Barn- 
hill became united in marriage with Mary A. , daughter of Henry Keel, and 
the fruits of this union are Joseph (in Iowa, married to Sarah Loy), Robert 
(a farmer, married to Mary E. Dennis) and Eliza J. (wife of M. R. Long- 
brake). Mr. Longbrake was bom in Fairfield County, Ohio, September 
27, 1846, and chose farming as his life vocation. He was married in 1871, 
and had the following named children: May A., G. W., J. H. (deceased), 
A. v., William E., Myrtle and Belle Grace. The families are members of 
the Christian Union Church. Mr. Barnhill is school director and township 
trustee. In politics he is a Democrat. 

FRED BROBST, proprietor of saw-mill, P. O. Findlay, was born in 
Germany, April 16, 1851. His mother died when he was but seven years 
old, and his father, Joseph Brol)st, brought him to America soon after. Jo- 
seph Brobst, being a poor man, put young Fred out to work on a farm in 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 793 

Henry County, Ohio, and for several years the son saw nothing of his father. 
When still young, Fred came to this county and worked one year at the car- 
penter trade; afterward attended the high school in Findlay, aad subse- 
quently worked on a farm for John Schoonover for five years. In 1871 he 
embarked in his present enterprise, saw-milling, which he has since fol- 
lowed with marked success. In 1875 Mr. Brobst was united in marriage 
with Miss Samilda, daughter of John Schoonover, and they have one child, 
Harvey. Mr. and Mrs. Brobst are members of the United Brethren Church, 
of which he has been trustee and class-leader, and in all the affairs of which 
he takes a deep interest. 

JUSTUS CHASE, farmer, Findlay, was born in New York State, 
August 29, 1817, son of George and Elizabeth (Wilson) Chase, natives of 
New York, of English descent, and who moved to Madison County, Ohio, 
in 1817, and from there to Hancock County in 1830, where they remained 
until their death, Mrs Chase dying in 1832, and Mr. Chase in 1869. They 
reared a family of five children, oxu- subject being the eldest. Justus 
Chase has made farming his business through life, and has resided 
on his present farm since March, 1831. He is the owner of over 
200 acres of fine land, besides property in Ottawa, Denver and North 
Baltimore, Ohio. Mr. Chase was united in marriage, November 7, 1839, 
with Mary A. Jones, born in 1821, in Westmoreland County, Penn., 
daughter of James and Martha (Black) Jones, the former born in Pennsyl- 
vania in 1791, and the latter in Maryland in 1799. Mr. and Mrs. Jones 
moved from Liberty Township, Westmoreland Co. , Penn. , to Liberty Town- 
ship, Madison Co. , Ohio, and afterward to Liberty Township, Perry County, 
and in 1833 settled in Liberty Township, this county. To our subject and 
wife were born nine childi-en: George D., Martha J. (deceased), Elizabeth 
(wife of Chris Porter), Cerilda M. (wife of Isaac Taylor), Harrison (deceased), 
James W. (deceased), Mary S. (wife of James H. Chase), Annettia (wife of 
John R. Osborn) and Justus Z. Mr. Chase is one of the substantial farm- 
ers of Hancock County, and he and his wife have been consistent members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church for over forty years. 

A. C. EWING, Findlay, superintendent of Hancock County Infirmary, 
was born in Liberty Township, this county, November 26, 1854, son of 
Cornelius and Elizabeth (Insley) Ewing, natives of Ohio, the former of 
German descent, the latter of English extraction. Cornelius Ewing, who 
was a tiller of the soil all his life, came to this coimty in 1853, and settled 
on a farm in Liberty Township; his family consisted of four children, om* 
subject being the eldest. A. C. Ewing was reared on the farm and followed 
agriculture as an occupation until he reached his majority; he afterward 
went to Findlay and engaged as a clerk in a wholesale and retail store, 
and was thus employed for five years; then went to farming for himself. 
Mr. Ewing is the owner of a farm of eighty acres in Union Township. In 
politics he is a Democrat and is a member of the Democratic committee of 
Hancock County. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum. In 1884 Mr. 
Ewing was appointed superintendent of Hancock County Infirmary. He 
is a kind-hearted man, well calculated for the position he fills, and is ably 
assisted by his wife. Mrs. Ai-abella Ewing is a daughter of John King 
and is of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing were united in marriage 
in 1878, and they have one child, Maud May. Our subject and wife are 
members of the Evangelical Church, and he is a class leader and superin- 
tendent of the Sabbath-school. 



794 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

HENRY FKY, farmer, P. O. Findhiy, was born in April, 1809, in 
Prussia, his parents being also natives of same. Our subject acquired his 
education in his native land, where he remained until 1832, at which time 
he came to America; he labored by the day and month to get a start for 
himself, and was one of the early settlers of Liberty Township, this county. 
His first purchase was eighty acres of land where he and his family reside, 
and by industry and economy he added to this eighty-acre tract until he at 
one time owned 590 acres. He has assisted his children to a start in the 
world, and now owns over 300 acres of fine land. Mr. Fry was united in 
marriage, in 1839, with Susan Spangler, and by this union there are four- 
teen children, twelve of whom are now living : John H. , married to Sarah 
Rudisill; Siisan, wife of Jefferson Readebaugh; Solomon, married to Susan 
Witters; Reuben, married to Mary Deal; Jacob, married to Katie Marshall ; 
Benjamin, married to Laura Gross; Sarah E., wife of Zachariah Bish; 
Mary A., wife of Thomas Codner; James B. , Elmer E., Sherman D., and 
Arvilla E. , are still unmarried. The deceased are Clara E. and Emma 
Eliza. The family are members of the Church of God. In politics Mr. 
Fry is a Republican. 

DAVID P. HAGERT Y, farmer and school examiner, P. O. Findlay , was born 
in Fayette Coianty, Penn., April 3, 1844, son of Samuel J. and Maria (Gween) 
Hagerty, natives of Pennsylvania, the former of Irish and the latter of English 
descent. Samuel J. Hagerty was a stonemason in early life, and afterward 
became a farmer; his family consisted of five children — three daughters and 
two sons — our subject being the eldest son. David P. Hagerty was reared 
on the farm, received a liberal education, and, on reaching his majority, 
commenced teaching school in Pennsylvania, where he taught for four 
terms, and also farmed. He came to this county in 1874 and taught school 
here for some time, but, for the last year or two has devoted his time to 
farming, in which pursuit he has been successful. He now owns 121 1 
acres of land, well stocked, and with a good house and barn upon it. Mi*. 
Hagerty is a great reader and a liberal purchaser of books. October 19, 
1865 he was united in marriage with Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Sarah 
(Sloterback), Browneller, the latter a native of Pennsylvania and of German 
descent. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hagerty are Lizzie D. , Albert L. , 
Anna B. , Samuel J. and Emma O. Mr. Hagerty is a Democrat in politics, 
also justice of the peace, and now a member of the board of school examin- 
ers of this county. His great-grandmother, who is a descendant of the 
house of Burgess, holds the title to Staten Island, New York. 

MARION HULLINGER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born 
in Eagle Township, this county, August 14, 1841, son of George and Mary 
Ann (Keel) Hullinger, natives of Pennsylvania, of Dutch descent, and who 
were among the early settlers of Eagle Township, this county. Mr. and 
Mrs. George Hullinger separated when our subject was a small boy, and George 
Hullinger afterward went to Indiana where he passed the remainder of his 
life, dying in 1878. Robert Barnhill became our subject's step-father and 
by him the latter was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. 
Mr. Hullinger chose agriciilture for his vocation in life and is now the owner 
of a good farm of fifty-two acres of land in Liberty Township, this county. 
In 1861 he was united in marriage with Mary Ann Flick, daughter of John 
Flick and of English descent. Three children have blessed this union: 
Oliver, Edward and Nellie. Mrs. Hullinger died in 1882; she was a mem- 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 795 

ber of the Church of God. Miss Sarah Beman is now keeping house for 
Mr. Hullinger. Politically our subject is a Democrat. 

T. S. PORTER, farmer and stock raiser, Findlay, was born in Liberty 
Township, this county, April 7, 1848, son of Amos, a native of Fairfield 
County, Ohio, of Scotch and German descent. Amos Porter, who in early life 
was a blacksmith, later became a farmer, and is now wealthy and in- 
fluential, still residing in Liberty Township, this county. He is one of the 
pioneers of the county. His family consisted of ten children, five of whom 
are now living, our subject being the second. T. S. Porter was reared on 
the farm, received a common school education, and has made agriculture his 
occupation. In 1870 he was united in marriage with Miss Marietta, daugh- 
ter of L. M. S. Miller; her parents were Pennsylvania -Dutch. This union 
has been blessed with four children: Lillie May, Delos D., Florene G. and 
Ralph R. Mr. and Mrs. Porter are members of the Evangelical Associa- 
tion, of the Sabbath-school of which he has been superintendent. In politics 
Mr. Porter is a Republican. He served for fifteen years as township clerk 
of Liberty Township. 

, ANDREW POWELL, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born May 25, 1827, 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, came to this county with his parents, Samuel 
and Sarah Powell, in 1834, and was reared in Liberty Township, this 
county. He was united in marriage, December 20, 1848, with Phoebe Ann 
Yates, who died September 15, 1859, leaving six children: Mrs. Emily 
Dreisbach, Theodore, Franklin P., Mrs. Priscilla De Long of Tipton 
County, Ind., Elijah (deceased) and Roger Sherman. After the death of 
his first wife Mr. Powell became united in marriage, in 1860, with Caroline 
Dotson, who died in 1877, leaving seven childi-en: Mrs. Sarah E. Hamlin, 
Ellsworth, Charles D., Sullivan, Huntington, Jennie June and Homer K. 
For his third wife IVIi*. Powell married, March 5, 1878, Sarah A. Long- 
brake, widow of Harmon Longbrake and daughter of Andrew Fellers. At 
the time of her marriage with our subject she had three childi-en, Cora S. , 
Minnie E. and Curtis E. By her union with Mr. Powell she has two 
children: Inez May and James G. Mr. Powell has been industrious and 
successful in life and owns a fine farm of 295 acres of as good land as there 
is in this county. His farm includes the family homestead and here he has 
erected a handsome brick residence and added other valuable improvements. 
He also owns 120 acres of land in Tipton County, Ind., and valuable town 
property in Findlay, Ohio. He devotes a great deal of attention to the bus- 
iness of bee keeping, and was one of the earliest to introduce this industry 
into this county. He now has a fine, well-stocked apiary. ]Mr. Powell and 
family are members of the United Brethren Church. He has largely con- 
tributed to the erection of a fine church, costing over $5,000, called the 
"Powell Memorial Church," on his premises. Mi-. Powell is a man of 
upright and firm principles, a valuable and prominent citizen, highly 
respected by the entire community. In politics he is a Republican. 

D. M. POWELL, farmer and stock raiser, P O. Findlay, was born in 
Hancock County, Ohio, February 3, 1840, son of Samuel Powell, a native 
of Pennsylvania, who was among the early settlers of this county. Samuel 
Powell settled in the wild woods and reared a family of thirteen children, 
the subject of this sketch being the ninth. D. M. Powell was reared on 
the farm, acquired his early education in the common schools and has made 
agriculture the business of his life. He has been successful and is now the 



79G HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

owner of a first-class farm, comprising 236 acres of land in Liberty Town- 
ship, this county, on which he resides. In 1866 Mr. Powell was united in 
marriage with Hannah, daughter of Jonas Hartman, and a native of Penn- 
sylvania, of Dutch descent. They have one child, Fannie. 

SAMUEL SAGER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Fairfield Coun- 
ty, Ohio, August 18, 1815, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Freed) Sager, na- 
tives of Rockingham County, Va. , and of German descent. Our subject's 
fathw, who was a farmer, reared a family of sixteen children, Samuel being 
the third. Our subject was reared on the farm, and attended school in the log 
schoolhouse of that day. He first came to this county in 1837, when the 
country was new and inhabited by Indians. It took several days to come from 
Kenton, Hardin Co. , Ohio, to Liberty Township, this county. He was unable 
to procure food along the route and had to siibsist on what little he could 
carry with him. He was without money, but with strong arms and a willing- 
ness to work he proceeded to deaden thirty acres of timber, on the farm where 
he now resides, and the following spring he moved here. His farm comprises 
160 acres of good land, and he has lived to see the wild forest converted into 
fertile farms. Samuel Sager was united in marriage in 1837 with Margaret 
Whistleman, a native of Virginia, and of German and English de- 
scent. Their children are John, born in Liberty Township, this county, 
December 22, 1839 (he is a plumber by trade, and I'esides in Findlay, Ohio; 
he was twice married, first to Eliza Cramer, by whom he had one child — 
Emmie — wife of Thomas Fleck (they have four children — Freddie, Guy, 
Gail and Baby), then to Lizzie, daughter of Aaron Baker, and three chil- 
di-en have been born to them, Ida, Dora, Dell and Dennis); Samuel A. a 
farmer, married to Mary Jane, daughter of Daniel Fisher (have two chil- 
di'en, William Amron and Edith Roy; live in Findlay); George, a farmer, 
married to Diana, daughter of Aaron Baker (have four children : Ora, May 
Hester, Joseph and Emra); Lewis, a farmer, was married twice, first to 
Mary Ann, daughter of Michael Bolton, and by her had one child — May — 
then to Emma, daughter of Isaac Fellers (have one child, Mabel) ; Milton, 
a farmer, married to Etta, daughter of Henry Croninger (have three chil- 
di'en Royce, Birdie and Squire); Nancy, wife of Ellis Sperno (have three 
children, Alice, Netta and Samuel); Mary Ellen, wife of Milton Proven- 
mier (have four children : Martha, Jane, Lewis and Addie); and Mggie, wife 
of Manuel Deeds (have three children: Zettie, May, Emmit and Herman. 
Milton and Nancy are twins. 

JOHN SCHOONOVER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Franklin 
County, Ohio, March 8, 1827, son of Abraham and Margaret (Baker) 
Schoonover, natives of Virginia and Maryland, respectively, and of Dutch 
descent. Abraham Schoonover, who was a farmer, came to Ohio in 1831, 
and settled on a farm north of Findlay, this county. He reared a family of 
six children, three of whom are now living, John being the third in the 
family. The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm and chose the 
occupation of agriculturist. He has been successful in life, and now owns 
199 acres of well-improved land, where he at present resides. He married, 
in 1851, Mary Comer, a daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Berton) Comer, na- 
tives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, and of German descent. Isaac 
Comer, who was a farmer, came to this county in 1832, and settled on a 
farm, now owned by Jacob Wagner, located west of Findlay. He reared a 
family of eleven children, eight of whom are now living, Mrs. Schoonover 



LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. 797 

being the sixth in the family. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Schoonover 
now living are SuflPronia, wife of V. Powell; Samilda, wife of Fred Brobst- 
A. P., book-keeper in Findlay; William Lawrence; Harvey and Clara Our 
subject and wife are members of the United Brethren Church, of which he 
IS a trustee. In politics Mr. Schoonover is a Republican. He has been 
school director for several terms, and township treasurer for twenty- ei^ht 
years. ^ 

Tji ^-/-^^HAW farmer and stock raiser, P. O., Findlav, was born in 
Banchard Township, this county, October 1, 1844, son of George (Jr ) and 
l^hzabeth (Wise) Shaw, the former a native of Stark County Ohio of Ger 
man descent, and the latter a native of Germany. George Shaw,' Jr., the 
tather ot our subject, and who was a farmer, came to this county with his 
tather (who was one of the hrst settlers of this county) in 1820; he reared a 
tamily of seven children, our subject being the third. O. P. Shaw was 
rearexi on the farm. In 1801 he enlisted in Company H Fifteenth Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, and became a non-commissioned officer: he was wounded twice 
the hrst time being at the battle of Chickamauga; in 1862, while o-uardino- a 
wagon trainin Kentucky, he was taken prisoner; in 1864 he received ''an 
honorable discharge fi-om the service. In 1866 Mr. Shaw was united in 
naarriage with Mary J. Downing and their union has been blessed with eiffht 
childi^en; Olive, Maretta, Ethel, David, Vina, George, Jane and Dorothy 
Mi-s. Shaw s parents were among the early settlers of Blanchard Township 
this county Mr. Shaw is the owner of a farm of 193 acres of land in Lib- 
erty Township, this county; he has served as township trustee: became a 
member of the Masonic fi-aternity in 1867, in Benton Ridge. Those of the 
tamily having a church membership are connected with the Presbyterian 
CHurch. Politically our subject is a Republican, and will vote for James G 
Blame m 1888. 

. 5^-^^S ,SHERTCK. farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in AVavne Coun-' 
ty, Ohio, February 11, 1831, son of Peter and Barbara (Fink) Sherick na- 
tives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. Peter Sherick who was a 
farmer, came to this county in 1852; he settled in Liberty Township and 
cleared up the farm where om- subject now resides; he is now on a farm in 
J^ indlay Township, this county; his family consisted of eight childi-en five 
ot whom grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch being the fifth. David 
Sherick was reared on the farm, attended the common school and chose 
"^f oAo '"''' ^^ ^'^ vocation in life. He has been successful, and is the owner 
ot . »8 acres of well improved land in Liberty Township, this county. In 
18o4 om- subject united in marriage with Miss Catherine Heck, dauo-hter of 
George Heck and of German descent, born in Pennsylvania. To Mr and 
Mrs. Sherick have been born the following named children: Peter- Barbara 

^T ?^^..^--^''^'^'^^''''*^''' "^^^^^^^^ ^^- ^^^; I^i^^; Emma; John and 
Maud. Mr. and Mrs. Sherick are members of the Church of God. in which 
he was elder for several years. In politics he is a Republican. He has been 
trustee of Liberty Township, this county, and school director for six years 
in succession. 

IT -^^ ?.■ ,^^'^^TZ, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Findlay, was born io 
Fairfield County, Ohio, March 1, 1836, son of George and Mary (Beery) 
Swartz, natives of Ohio, of Pennsylvania descent. George Swartz,* who wks 
a tai-mer all his life, came to this county in 1858, and settled where his son 
b. B. now resides; he reared a family of six children, our subject being the 



798 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

third. S. B. Swartz was roared on the farm, attended the common Hchool 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, and chose agricnltiTre for his occupation. He is 
now the owner of 111 acres of good land in Liberty Township, this 
county In 18G3 he was united in marriage with Miss S. A., daughter 
of S. K. Radebaugh, and a native of Ohio, her ancestors being from 
Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Swartz have four children: Charlie S. 
Morris W., Nelson R., and Merle E. Our subject and wife are members of 
the Presbyterian Church. He has held the office of township trustee and 
school director. In politics he is a Republican. 

G. W. WHISTLEMAN, farmer and stock dealer, Findlay, was born in 
Findlay, Ohio, September 24, 1860. son of John and Christiana (Kisor) 
Whistleman, former a native of Rockingham County, Va. , latter born in 
Ohio, both of German extraction. John Whistleman, who was a farmer 
and one of the pioneers of this county, settled where Findlay now stands, 
when there were only four houses in the village; he died May 4, 1885. G. 
W. Whistleman, the youngest of a family of four children, was reared on a 
farm, and wisely chose agricultiiral pursuits for his occupation. He now 
owns one-half interest in the home farm, consisting of eighty -nine and one- 
half acres near Findlay. In 1882 oiir subject was united in marriage 
with Elizabeth Clamfus, a lady of German descent, and to this union was 
born, October 23, 1885, one son. Mr. and Mrs. Whistleman are members 
of the Evangelical Church; in politics he is a Republican. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 

WALLEN CAMERON, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born in Carroll 
County, Ohio, October 1, 1833, son of Alexander and Lydia (Miller) Cam- 
eron, natives of Ohio, former of whom was a farmer and miller by occupation; 
for many years conducted the hotel at Arlington. His great-grandfather, 
Alexander Cameron, Sr., served in the war of the Revolution, and was 
twice wounded. Wallen Cameron, the subject of this sketch, came to this 
county with his father at the age of eighteen years, and resided here, en- 
gaged in farming, until 1872, when he removed to Nebraska. His father 
dying, Wallen returned to this county and took charge of the old home- 
stead, still retaining his real estate interests in Nebraska. In the fall of 
1861 our subject enlisted in an independent company of sharp-shooters, 
which was afterward credited to the Fourteenth Missouri, and still later to 
the Sixty-sixth Illinois Regiment. He was mustered out in July, 1865, 
after having rendered, with his company, conspicuous service in many of 
the most brilliant campaigns of the war in the Southwest, among which 
were the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, siege and capture of 
Atlanta, and Sherman's march to the sea. Mr. Cameron was united in 
marriage, April 19, 1857, with Miss Sarah J. Woods, a daughter of H. P. 
Woods, of Dunkirk, Ohio. Of the six children born of this union five are yet 
living: Melville, D., Jennie. Harry, Alexander B. and Wallen. Mr. Cam- 
eron and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Chui-ch. He is a 
member of the G. A. R. ; in politics a Republican. 



Madison township. 799 

PHILIP DILLMAN, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born in Jefferson 
County, Ohio, July 4, 1884, son of Peter and Elizabeth (Dame) Dillman, 
natives of Hessen -Darmstadt, Germany, former of whom was a fai'mer and 
a noted hunter. Our subject's grandfather, Adam Dillman, was a farmer 
in the old country. The parents of our subject came to America in 1831, 
and to this county in 1839, and here Philip has resided since, engaged in 
farming. Our subject married, April 23, 1861, Miss Catherine Wilch, daugh- 
ter of Philip P. Wilch, and this union has been blessed with ten children: 
Charles, Peter, Elizabeth, John, James, Margaret, Frederick, Emma, Eva and 
Mary. Mr. Dillman is one of the many respected and substantial German 
citizens of Madison Township, and gives his support to all enterprises for 
public good. In politics he is a Democrat. 

PROF. B. D. EVANS, M. D., Williamstown, was born in Hardy 
County, Va. (now West Virginia), June 16, 1829, son of Joseph and Eliza- 
beth (Stofer) Evans, the former of whom, a son of Joseph Evans, a native 
of Wales, devoted his life principally to farming. He served in the war of 
1812, and died at the age of ninety-one years. The subject of this sketch 
made his residence in various places previous to coming to this county in 
1862, since which date he has practiced his profession, that of medicine 
and surgery, at Williamstown, with success. The Doctor also keeps a drug 
store, and has been postmaster of Williamstown for some time. He studied 
medicine under Dr. Frank Powers, of Delaware County, Ohio, and later 
took a full course in the Physio-Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati. 
For three years he held the position of professor of physiology and obstet- 
rics in the Medical University of Ohio. Dr. Evans has been twice married; 
first, December 2-1, 1850, to Delila Kepler, and afterward. May 17, 1874, to 
Mary E. Cramer. The Doctor has seven children now living, four by his 
tirst marriage : Byron W., Frances E., Helen C. and Kepler; and three by 
his second: Edith R., Mary C. and Edward B. In politics the Doctor is a 
Democrat; in religious conviction a Spiritualist. 

DAVID HOUDESHELL, merchant, Arlington, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, February 16, 1823, son of George and Catherine (Bibler) 
Houdeshell, Americans by birth, but of German descent, the former of 
whom, a farmer, and in politics an earnest Democrat, did active service in 
the war of 1812. Our subject came to this county in 1836, and has since 
resided here, engaged chiefly in general farming. In 1884 he opened a 
hardware store in Arlington, and, with his sons, gives most of his attention 
to his mercantile interests. Mi-. Houdeshell has filled the office of treas- 
urer for his township, and is one of its representative German citizens. He 
married, February 19, 1846, Miss Mary A. Funk, daughter of Martin Funk, 
an old pioneer of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Houdeshell have eight chil- 
dren living: Lydia A., Catherine J., George D., Daniel H., Sarah M., 
Manuel J. , John E. and Nancy L. 

SQUIRE JAMES HUFF, P. O. Arlington, was born in Licking County, 
Ohio, July 15, 1837, and was there married to Miss Amanda Willison, daughter 
of George Willison, of that county. Mrs. Huff died leaving a family of 
five children: Frank, Charles, George, Edwin and William P., all still 
living. Mr. Huff' married for his second wife, Agnes Patton, daughter of 
Thomas J. Patton. IVIr. Huff has been principally engaged dming life in 
farming, and for the past several years has been interested in the saw-mill 
business in Arlington. He is at present justice of the peace of Madison 
To-wnship. 



800 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

CYRUS F. KING, M. D., Arlington, was born in Hancock County, 
Ohio, January 26, 1855, son of John King, who is now a retired farmer of 
Hancock County. The subject of this sketch worked on the farm and 
taught school in his early years, and soon gave his attention to the study of 
medicine. He commenced under the direction of Dr. J. H. Watson, of 
McComb, this county, and afterward studied with Dr. F. W. Entrikin, of 
Findlay, Ohio, attending three courses at the Eclectic Medical Institute, 
Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduating therefrom May 8, 1878. He located at 
once in Arlington where he has since continued in the practice of his pro- 
fession with success, and has also kept a drug store most of the time. The 
Doctor is a member of the Ohio State Eclectic Medical Association and the 
Northwestern Ohio Eclectic Medical Association, of which he is now vice- 
president. He was united in marriage with Miss Minerva L. Porter, daugh- 
ter of Amos and Sarah (Comer) Porter, of this county. Their union has 
been blessed with five childi-en, three of whom are living: Dwight J., Alvin 
E. and Merrill S. The Doctor has been postmaster of Arlington for the 
past four years. In politics he is a stanch Republican, being chairman of 
the Hancock County Rejiublican Convention in 1885, both temporary and 
permanent. He holds a prominent place in the ranks of his native county. 

LEROY S. LAFFERTY, M. D., Arlington, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, October 11, 1829, son of John and Sarah (Lewis) Lafferty. 
Oiu- subject came to this county in an early day and resided for many years 
in Mount Blanchard, afterward removing to Arlington, where he has been 
engaged in the practice of medicine for twenty-five years, with good suc- 
cess. He served in the war of the Rebellion as a member of the One Hun- 
dred and Thirty-third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Lafferty 
first married Miss Nancy Johnson, daughter of William and Catherine 
Johnson, former residents of Morrow County, Ohio, and one son, Squire J. , 
still living, was born of this union. The Doctor married, in Arlington, his 
present wife, formerly Mary E. Cameron, daughter of Alexander and Lydia 
(Miller) Cameron. This union has been blessed with four children: Etta F., 
Sarah V. , Bird L. and Alexander G. The Doctor keeps the ' 'Pioneer House, " 
at Arlington, and is one of the substantial citizens of this county. 

ELIAS S. RIEGrLE, farmer, P. O. Arlington, Ohio, was born in 
Wyandot County, Ohio, October 24, 1836, son of Philip and Catherine 
(Bibler) Riegle, who are present residents of this county. The father was 
born in Cumberland County, Penn., October 6, 1810, son of George and 
Catherine (Schambaugh) Riegle, both of whom were Pennsylvanians by 
birth; the former a son of Simon Riegle of that State. The subject of this 
sketch enlisted at Arlington, Ohio, in Company I, of Col. Birge's Indepen- 
dent Regiment of Sharpshooters. His company was organized by Capt. 
Daugherty, of this (Madison) township. This Independent Regiment was 
first assigned to the command of Gen. J. C. Fremont, afterward known as the 
Fourteenth Missouri, until the battle of Shiloh, after which, by the re-or- 
ganization of the armies, it became the Sixty-sixth Illinois, and the subject 
of this sketch became a member of Company H, of that regiment. The regi- 
mental commanders were, first. Col. Birge of Missouri; second. Col. Burke of 
Missouri; third, Col. Campbell of Illinois; fourth, Col. Gambel of Illinois. The 
principal battles and skirmishes in which the Company was engaged are as fol- 
lows: Mt. Zion, Mo.; Bunker Hill, Mo.; Ft. Donelson, Teiin. ; Owl Creek, 
Tenn. ; Peach Orchard, Miss.; Corinth, Miss.; Second battle of Corinth; 
luka. Miss. ; Blackland, Miss. ; Jumpertown, Miss. ; Hatchie River, Miss. ; 



MADISON TOWNSHlt>. 801 

Booneville, Miss. ; White Side Farm, Miss. ; Snake Creek Gap. Ga. ; Resaca, 
Ga. ; Rome Cross Roads, Ga. ; Dallas, Ga. ; Lone Mountain, Ga. ; New Hope! 
Ga. ; Big Shanty, Ga. ; Brush Mountain, Ga. ; Little Kenesaw Mountain,' 
Ga. ; Kenesaw Mountain, Ga. ; Nicojack Creek. Ga. ; Peach Tree Creeic, Ga • 
Decatur, Ga. ; Atlanta, Ga., 21-26 July; Bald Hill, Ga. ; Howard House,' 
Ga. ; Utoy Creek, Ga. ; Ezra Church, Ga. ; Proctor's Creek, Ga.— two battles; 
siegeof Atlanta Ga.— August 12-20,1804; Jonesboro, Ga. ; skirmish near 
Savannah; capture of two Napoleon guns; capture of Savannah, Ga. ; Rome, 
Ga. ; capture of Columbia, S. C. ; Fayettesville, N. C. ; Goldsboro, N. C. ; 
Bentonville, N. C. He was wounded, in the last week of December, 1863 
(near Decatur, Ala.), near the left temple. At Dallas, Ga., in 1864, Capt. 
Boyd, with the support of the Thirty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, took 
the DeGrass battery, and Boyd had one of the guns double charged, 'which 
burst on being fired, Mr. Riegle being only fifteen or twenty feet distant 
from it at the time. Diu-ing 1802 and a part of 1803, he was a secret scout. 
These scouts did much for the cause of the Union by way of destroying 
Confederate property to the value of millions of dollars, besides gaining 
much useful information and capturing rebel spies. One of the most noted 
of these was Sidney Johnson, Jr., who was captured near Blackland, Miss., 
and shot as a spy at Corinth, Miss. , in 1862. Their principal field of oper- 
ation was in the vicinity of Decatur, Athens, Huntsville and Florence, 
Ala. Mr. Riegle was during his term of service (foiu- years), severely 
wounded several times, and participated in as many battles as any 
other man of the Regiment, in all about seventy-five battles and skirmishes. 
On the 22d of July, 1864, the Sixty-sixth Illinois Regiment, captm-ed 
the DeGrass battery. The man who led the charge was Capt. Boyd, of 
Company A, Sixty- sixth Illinois Regiment. Our subject had the honor of 
gomg through the final review at Washington. May the memory of this 
regiment ever live in the minds of the American people! The company of 
which Mr. Riegle was a member was mustered out in July, 1865. Our 
subject at time of discharge held the rank of corporal. Mr. Riegle is an 
honored member of Welker Post, G A. R. , at Arlington, in which he has filled 
offices of distinction, and now holds the office of S. V. C. He was a delegate 
to the late National encampment at Portland, Me. ,ih 1885, and is the delegate 
to the State encampment at Cleveland, Ohio. He was united in marriage, 
August 29, 1865, with Miss Catherine Cramer, a daughter of Charles and 
Catherine (Price) Cramer, natives of Germany, and by her he has five chil- 
dren; John W. S. born July 29, 1866; Charles M., born February 25, 1869; 
Ettie V. and Nettie V., born Septemljer 15, 1872, and Huldah C. born No- 
vember 1, 1S78. Mr. Riegle and family are connected with the Methodist 
Protestant Church. In politics our subject is a stanch Republican. 

PHILIP P. WILCH, farmer, P. O. Arlington, was born in Hessen-Darm- 
stadt. Germany, September 22, 1823, son of Philip (a farmer) and Elizabeth 
(Brickman) Wllch, who never came to America. Our subject resided in New 
York and Cleveland a short time after arriving in the United States, and 
November 7, 1854, came to this county and has since resided on his present 
farm in Madison Township, engaged in farming. March 7, 1843, he 
married, in Germany, Miss Eva Schafer, and by her has a family of four 
children: Catherine, Margaret, Philip and Susan. The family are all con- 
nected with St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Wilch is one of 
the leading representatives of the German settlement in this part of the 
county, and is a much respected citizen. In politics he is a Democrat. 



802 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 

DINIEL ALTMAN, farmer, P.O. Findlay, was born in Pickaway County, 
Ohio, May 9, 1818. His parents, Adam and Hannah Altman, came to Mar- 
ion Township, this county, in August, 1833, and here entered 480 acres of 
land from the Government, and remained until their death; the former died 
June 17, 1863, in his eighty-fifth year, and the latter October 15, 1848. 
They had twelve children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, and four are 
yet living: Daniel; Mrs. Kate Burnap, of Alcona, Mich.; Mrs. Susan Pow 
ell of Eagle Township, this county, and Samuel, of Findlay, Ohio. Daniel 
Altman was reared on the farm and endured the hardships of a pioneer's 
son. He was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Mooma, in 1841, and 
they then settled where they now reside, having a fine farm of 100 acres of well 
improved land. Their union has been blessed with two children: Joseph, 
married to Mrs. Ellen Spayde (have one son — Harvey P.), and Eli, married, 
March 23, 1871, to Christena Plotts (a sister of Joseph's wife), which union 
has been blessed with four children: Andrew, Clarence, Harry and Carrie. 
In politics Mr. Altman is a Democrat. Mrs. Altman is a member of the 
Lutheran Church. 

S. W. FINK, farmer and proprietor of saw-mill, was born in Luzerne 
County, Penn. , in 1840; son of Elias Fink, also a native of Pennsylvania. 
Our subject came to Ohio in 1876, and settled in Marion Township, this 
county. In 1879 he erected a saw-mill, which he has since carried on. He 
was united in marriage, in 1880, with Caroline, daughter of Charles Hallo- 
way of Findlay Township, this county; this union has been blessed with one 
child, Charles Grlenville. Mr. Fink has built a comfortable house near his 
mill. He is an enterprising, wide-awake young man, and a good citizen. 

MATTHIAS GILLESPIE, lumberman, P. O. Findlay, was born in 
Findlay, May 10, 1835.- His parents, William B. and Eliza Ann (Hamilton) 
Gillespie, natives of Virginia, were married in Hancock County, Ohio, in 1832; 
the former came to this coiinty when a young man, and the latter came here 
in 1825 with her parents, John P. and Martha (Barnes) Hamilton, who 
entered the farm now owned by Aaron Baker, situate partly within the lim- 
its of Findlay. Mr. Hamilton was one of the first commissioners of Han- 
cock County, Ohio. Mr. and Mi's. William B. Gillespie sold their place in 
this county in 1870, and moved to Kansas, where the former died in 1872; 
after the death of her husband our subject's mother returned to Findlay, 
where she died in 1875. Of the six children born to William B. and Eliza 
Ann Gillespie only two are now living: John P., of Allen County, Kas. , 
and Matthias. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native city and 
received his education in the schools of that place. He was united in mar- 
riage, October 27, 1859, with Mrs. Cornelia P. Webster, a native of Massa 
chusetts, who came to Ohio in 1850 with her parents, Oliver and Lucy Tay- 
lor, and to this county in 1854. Our subject has one son, Wellington 
Oliver. Mr. Gillespie has followed the lumber business nearly all his life, 
and has carried on a saw-mill in this county during the entire time. He 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 803 

established in his present location in 1874, and here he has a mill site and 
home on Blanchard River and the Findlay and Carey road. Our subject 
has led a very busy and useful life, and, in addition to his property here, 
has acquired a tract of 820 acres of land in the State of Missouri. 
He is an earnest Republican, and takes an active interest in public 
affairs, having hardly been free from the duties of office since attain* 
ing his majority. He has served his township as clerk, trustee, in fact, 
almost all the offices of the township have been filled by him at various 
times. Mr. Gillespie is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Mrs. 
Gillespie of the Presbyterian. He is a man of strict integrity, a useful cit- 
izen, highly respected by the entire community in which he lives. 

BENJAMIN KISTLER, farmer, P. O. "Findlay, was born in Fair- 
field County, Ohio, January 80, 1817, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kist- 
ler, the former of whom died in 182'2. After the death of her first husband 
our subject's mother married David Hall and moved to Pickaway County, 
Ohio, where young Benjamin was reared. Our subject was united in mar- 
riage December 3, 1840, with Miss Sarah Searfoss, and they came to Mar- 
ion Township, this county, in the following February, bought a new farm 
and began the work of clearing it up and developing it. Mr. Kistler has 
added to his property until he now owns 240 acres of fertile and 
well improved land. To Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Kistler have been 
born seven children: the first child died in infancy; David, married to 
Miss Nancy Ann Brinner (he died June 26,1878); Henry; Benjamin, Jr., now 
in Henry County, Ohio; Mrs. Clarinda Anderson; John and William. Our 
subject is a Democrat in politics; has served his township as trustee. 

ZEBULON P. LEE, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Bloom 
Township, Fairfield Co. , Ohio, July 18, 1828, son of Richard and Lydia 
(Wyant) Lee, natives of Pennsylvania and early pioneers of Ohio. Zebu- 
lon Lee, the grandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
war. Our subject's parents came to this county in 1882-83 and settled in 
Amanda Township, where they entered land and began pioneer life. They 
were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are yet living: ZebulonP., 
John, Caroline (wife of D. Gilbert), Morison, David, Stephen and Noah. 
The subject of this sketch was united in marriage, October 7, 1847, with 
Zill Ann, daughter of Aquilla Gilbert, of Amanda Township, this county. 
This union has been blessed with seven children: Cinderella, wife" of L. C. 
Ewing; Margaret, wife of WilliamFogler; Lydia, wife of Milton Robison ; R. 
A. Lee, married to Hattie Miller; Mollie, wife of Willis Marvin; Ida, un- 
married, and Ollie (deceased). Mr. Lee was trustee of Amanda Township, 
this county, for three years, and treasurer for three years» and has been 
trustee of Marion Township for several years. He came to Marion Town- 
ship in 1877, and pui-chased the land on which he now lives of Adam Haley. 
This farm he has since traded, with William Marvin, for the old Stephens 
property, in Findlay Township, this county. Mr. Lee is a member of the 
Odd Fellows lodge at Vanlue, Ohio. 

WILLIAM B. MILLER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, February 11, 1825, son of Martin and Catharine (Baker) 
Miller, who resided in Fairfield County, Ohio, until their death, both living 
to the age of eighty years. Our subject was united in marriage with Miss 
Jane Martin, March 27, 1845, and they came to Marion Township, this 
county, February 8, 1847, where Mr. Miller owned eighty acres of land near 



804 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

the southwest corner of the township, and to this he has added 100 acres 
by purchase, and has sold twenty acres of it; heat present owns a fine farm 
of 160 acres of well improved land, on which he has erected excellent build- 
ings and made othtn- valuable improvements. He also owns other lands in 
the neighborhood, amounting to 140 acres, aggregating in all 800 acres. To 
Mr. and Mrs. AMlliam B. Miller have been born thirteen childi'en, four of 
whom died in infancy, and one, Mrs. Elizabeth J. Wisely, died at the age 
of twenty years, leaving two children : Orpha and Curtis M. The surviving 
chikiren of our subject and wife are Mrs. Rachel L. Wisely, Sherman M. , 
Mrs. Laura A. Whetstone, Mrs. Mary C. Bennett, Mrs. Harriet A. Lee, 
Alice C, Flora E. and Henry G. The latter three are still living at home. 
Mr. Miller is a Republican in politics, and previous to the organization of 
that party was a Whig, and takes a deep interest in public afFairs. He 
was also nominated liy the Republican convention of this county for repre- 
sentative to the State Legislature in the year 1879, and was beaten by 
Mr. William H. Wheeler 295 votes, while Gov. Foster was beaten 397 votes, 
and the rest of the State ticket . was beaten by over 400 votes. He 
served his township as trustee several terms, and as treasurer one term. He 
was elected justice of the peace in the spring of 1883, and discharged the 
dtities of that office faithfully and to the entire satisfaction of the people. 
He and his worthy wife and most of his family are members of the United 
Brethren Church. Mr. Miller is one of the leading farmers and represent- 
ative citizens of Marion Township. 

HENRY SNYDER (deceased), a pioneer of Marion Township, this county, 
was a native of Basle, Switzerland, born in February, 1790. He came to 
America in 1832, and i^roceeded at once to Fairfield County, Ohio, coming to 
Marion Townshiji, this county, in 1833, and entering a tract of eighty acres 
of land, which he began to improve. In the fall of the same year he re- 
turned to Fairfield County and married Miss Magdalena Sands. They then 
located permanently in Marion Township, this county, the following April ; 
they afterward added twenty acres to their farm. Henry Snyder died 
April 18, 1864, and his widow May 23, 1883, aged seventy-six years. 
They reared a family of six children: Mrs. Mary Herring, of AVyandot 
County, Ohio; Henry, Elizabeth, Susan, Anna and Daniel. The family 
are intelligent and industrious, and are taking good care of the heritage 
left them by their parents. 

HENRY SNYDER, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Marion Town- 
ship, this coiinty, August 12, 1837, and is a son of the well-known pioneer, 
Henry Snyder, Sr. Our subject early engaged in the profession of teaching, 
which he followed successfiilly for five terms (four in this county, and one 
in Livingston County, 111. ) ; he was known as a faithful and efficient instruc- 
tor and gave the best of satisfaction. He was united in marriage, February 
25, 1869, with Matilda, daughter of Henry Shank, Esq. She departed this 
life in October, 1874, leaving two sons: Willoughby Albert and Henry 
Jason. Mr. Snyder is owner of a fine farm of eighty acres of land in Jack- 
son Township, this county. He is a Republican in politics and takes a deep 
interest in public afFairs ; is a member of the Church of the Disciples. He 
held the appointment as postmaster of Elm Grove (afterward changed to Lye 
Creek post office) from 1864 to 1867, when the office was discontinued. Our 
subject is an extensive breeder of and dealer in fine stock. He first began 
buying and feeding hogs for the market, and now devotes his attention en- 



MARION TOWNSHIP. 805 

tirely to the thorough -bred Poland -China hogs, which he produces for breed- 
ing purposes, and has over 100 head of this breed on his farm. He is one 
of the enterprising and successful farmers of Marion Township. 

ANDREW URBAN, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Saxony, Ger- 
many, June 27, 1817, son of Earnest Urban of Saxony. He was united in 
marriage, in 1848, with Barbara Hane, a native of Germany, came to Ohio 
December 21, same year, and settled in this county. He purchased the farm 
where he now resides, in 1858, and erected the buildings upon it him- 
self; the old cabin in which he used to live is still standing opposite his new 
residence. Our subject and wife have been blessed with twelve children: 
Peter, Harriet, Earnest, John, Elizabeth, Charles, Lewie, Frank, William, 
Martin and Mary (twins), and Andy; five of these children are married: 
Harriett married John Heffnan (he died, and she was afterward married to 
John Marquot; she is now a widow); Peter married Maggie McKee (he was 
killed by a falling tree); John married Elnora Fisher; Eliza married Frank 
Carver, and Earnest married Polena Shoutlemire, all of this county except 
Elizabeth, who is in Putnam County, Ohio. Andrew Urban is now taking 
the world easy on his farm of 106 acres of land in this county. He also 
owns a farm of eighty acres in Putnam County, Ohio, where his son-in-law 
now lives. Mr. Urban is a member of the German Lutheran Church, and 
is a worthy citizen of Marion Township. 

GEORGE W. WISELEY, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Marion 
Township, this county, in May, 1843, son of Allen and Amelia (Bright) 
Wiseley, natives of Ohio. Allen Wiseley, whose ancestors were natives of 
Holland and Scotland, was born February 20, 1809, in Fairfield County, 
Ohio. He there became acquainted with his first wife, Amelia Bright. Her 
father, Maj. Bright, moved to Hancock County, and in a few years Allen 
Wiseley came to this county, entered a tract of land, and shortly afterward, 
in October, 1830, married his intended, settled down and has remained here 
since. He still resides on the first forty acres entered by himself in Marion 
Township. He entered other lands by proxy, as at that time no person was 
allowed to enter more than a forty -acre tract. He and his wife were exactly 
of the same age. Before their marriage they went on horseback, riding 
single file along the Indian trail (there being no roads cut then) to the court 
house at Findlay, where they heard Mr. Bowman preach a sermon, and while 
there they put their horses up at an inn kept by a Mr. Taylor. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Allen W^iseley were born seven children, five of whom are living: 
George W. ; Daniel; America, wife of M. E. Glick; Sarah, wife of Henry 
Davis, and Lurany, wife of Henry Wiseley (a member of another family of 
Wiseleys). The mother of these children died December 9, 1878, and Allen 
Wiseley was again married, this time, July 18, 1882, to Mrs. Mary A. 
Clentchy, nee Cahill, and by her he has one child — Jessie. Allen Wiseley 
has been a successful farmer and is a pleasant, social old gentleman. He 
has given each of his children a good farm and has now retired from 
active labors, he and wife enjoying the fruits of years of industry. His 
hoiise and farm are well supplied with relics of antiquity, such as fossils, 
Indian tools, curious formed rocks, etc., which he takes great pleasure in dis- 
cussing. His son. George W. Wiseley, who resides near him, has twice 
married; his first wife, Amanda Johnson, died a short time after their mar- 
riage, leaving him one child — Orion, now an educated young man and resid- 
ing with him. Our subject's second marriage was with Miss R. L. Miller, 



806 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and has resulted in four children : Olive, Laiu'a, William B. and Jennie M. . 
the last two named being twins. George W. Wiseley has a well cultivated 
farm with good improvements. He is an intelligent and pleasing gentle- 
man and a good business man. 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 

JOHN D. ANDERSON, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, is a 
native of Orange Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, born February 14, 1843, 
son of Andrew W. and Mary Anderson, natives of Pennsylvania, of Irish 
descent, who married in York County, Penn., in 1885, and immigrated to 
Ohio the same year. They lived in Cokimbiana County five years, and in 
1840 came to Hancock County. They were parents of two children: John 
T>. and Mary J. , latter of whom now resides in Allen County, Ohio. The 
father died January 25, 1864; the mother resides with her son John D. on 
the old homestead farm. The subject of this sketch is engaged in farm- 
ing and stock raising, improving the homestead farm in various ways, and 
has made some additions to it, and now has 240 acres of land, with good 
buildings and other improvements. Mr. Anderson was twice married; first, 
in January, 1870, to Miss Eliza Montgomery, a native of Orange Township, 
Hancock Co., Ohio, and daughter of John and Ellenor (McClain) Mont- 
gomery, now residents of Orange Township, this county. To this union 
were born two childi-en: John A. and Eliza, both now living. Mrs. Ander- 
son died October 18, 1872, and April 3, 1884, Mr. Anderson married, for his 
second wife. Miss Emma Ruggly, of Orange Township, this county, a native 
of Wayne County, Ohio, and daughter of John and Mary (Stauffer) Ruggly, 
of Orange Township. Mrs. Ruggly died in this county; Mr. Ruggly still 
resides in Orange Township, Hancock County. The second marriage of 
our subject has been blessed with one son, named Jesse Edgar. Mr. 
Anderson is a man of high standing in the community in which he lives, an 
enterprising and industrious citizen. He has served his township in several 
of its offices, and is an earnest and ardent advocate of the principles of the 
Republican party. 

JOHN T. ARNOLD, P. O. Hassan, a native of Delaware County, Ohio, 
born in 1840, is a son of Thomas and Rachel (Moore) Arnold, natives of 
Rhode Island and Hocking County, Ohio, respectively, who married in Del- 
aware County, Ohio, and were the parents of five children: Wilson, Eliza, 
William, Stephen and John T. Eliza resides in Delaware County, Ohio; 
William died in the late war; the remaining childi'cn reside in this county. 
The mother died in 1841, and the father in 1843. He was a Whig in poli- 
tics, and held the office of justice of the peace for several years. John T. 
Arnold married, in Licking County, Ohio, February 18, 1864, Miss Jane 
Lewis, a native of Licking County, Ohio, born March, 1841, daughter of 
John and Sarah (Hughs) Lewis, both deceased. By this union Mr. Arnold 
had ten children: Lizzie, Delia, Thomas (deceased), Samuel R., James H, 
Sarah, George (deceased), Ida (deceased), Bertha A. and AVilliam J. Mr. 
Arnold and family came to Orange Township, this county, in 1866. He now 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 807 

has 160 acres of land, which he has improved in various ways, and on 
which he has good buildings. He served under the three months' call in the 
late war in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are two of the pioneers of the Riley 
Creek Mission Baptist Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

CHARLES BENROTH, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, a native 
of Hesaen- Darmstadt, Germany, born November 6, 1886, near the city of 
Mainz, son of Charles and Hannah (Schueler) Benroth* (the former a cooper 
by trade), who died in their native country. They were the parents of six 
children: Charles, Anthony (deceased), Susan (deceased), Adam (deceased), 
Henry, in Putnam County, Ohio, and George in Allen County, Ohio. Our 
subject came to America in 1854, worked a short time on a farm near Balti- 
m!ore, Md. , lived in Lel^anon County, Penn. , two years, then came to Rich- 
land County, Ohio, where he remained about four years, and in 1861 re- 
moved to Allen County, Ohio, and in 1866 came to Orange Township, this 
county. He has cleared up a farm, and is an industrious citizen. Mr. Ben- 
roth married, January 28, 1860, Melinda Light, of Richland County, Ohio, 
a native of Lebanon County, Penn., born February 14. 1841, daughter of 
David and Mary A. (Crate) Light, natives of Pennsylvania and parents of 
nine children, of whom seven are now living: Melinda (Mrs. Benroth); 
Cyrus, Mary and Henry, in Allen County, Ohio; Amos and Rosannah, in 
Putnam County, Ohio, and Samuel, in Sumner County, Kas. The father 
died in Richland County, Ohio; the mother now resides in Bluffton, Allen 
Co., Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Benroth are parents of nine children: Mary C. 
(deceased), John O. , Margaret E. (deceased), Charles F., Henry A. (de- 
ceased), Susan O., George W., Milton H. and Harry C. In politics Mr. 
Benroth is a Republican. \ 

GEORGE H. BURNET, P. O. Hassan, a native of Orange Township, 
Hancock Co. , Ohio, born February 25, 1858, is a son of Seth S. and Sarah 
(Hay) Burnet, both natives of Ohio, and who married in this county and 
were the parents of twelve children: Mary A., Lomira (deceased), Seth S. 
(deceased), Eliza L. , Sarah A. , Ethan K. , George H. and Susannah (twins, 
the latter deceased), Polly and Zillah (twins), Christena and Nettie G. (lat- 
ter deceased). The father, who was a shoe -maker and tanner by trade, giv- 
ing also some attention to carpenter work, died at Nashville, Tenn. , in 1863, 
while in the service of his country, and the mother now resides on the 
homestead farm with our subject. George H. Burnet married, October 14, 
1880, Miss Mina Curry, of Van Buren Township, this county, daughter of 
Charlie and Hannah E. (Agin) Curry, who were early located in this county, 
but removed to Ionia County, Mich. , where Mr. Curry died ; his widow now 
resides in Van Buren Township, this county. They were the parents of 
two children: Mina and Bertha. Mr. and Mrs. Burnet have two childi-en: 
Charles F. and Edgar E. Mr. Burnei. is a Republican in politics. He and 
his wife are members of the Bapti.st Church. He gives his attention to 
farming, and operates a threshing-machine in the season. 

JOHN D. BURNS, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, born in Chautauqua Coun- 
ty, N. Y., December 12, 1826, is the eldest .son of Esdras R. and Catharine 
(Dull) Burns, natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania, respectively, the for- 
mer of Scotch and the latter of German descent, both deceased. Edward 
Burns, father of Esdras R. Bui'ns and grandfather of John D. Biu'us, was 
pressed into the English service, and was brought to Quebec, Canada; 



808 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUxNTY. 

while there he and two other British soldiers deserted from the British 
service, came over to the States and joined the American Army, and fought 
on the side of Liberty in the Revolutionary war. Esdi-as R. Burns 
married in Chautauqua County, N. Y. , and in 1834 moved to Geauga Coun- 
ty, Ohio, remaining for a few years, then to Ashtabula County, and in 1837 
came to Orange Township, this county, where he entered land and reared a 
family of five children : John D., Mary A., George L., Samuel M. and Will- 
iam S. ; Samuel M. resides in Allen County, Ohio; William S. is in Kansas; 
the others reside in this county. John D. Burns married, in 1851, Miss Su- 
san Goldman of Findlay Township, this county, a native of Lebanon County, 
Penn., and daughter of Peter and Mary (Painter) Goldman, natives of 
Pennsylvania and of German descent, who married in Lebanon County, 
Penn. and moved to Richland County, Ohio, about 1837, and from there 
to this county in 1842; both are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Burns 
have a family of five children: Mary C. , Esdras H. , Melinda E., Dora L. , 
Edward S. Esdras H. resides in Jay County, Ind. , and Melinda E. in 
Hardin County, Ohio. Mr. Burns has improved many acres of land. He 
has served his township in several of its offices, and has been an ardent 
advocate of the principles of the Democratic party. 

GEORGE L. BURNS, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, was 
born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., February 4, 1831, son of Esdras R. 
and Catharine (Dull) Burns, natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania, respect- 
ively, who settled in Orange Township, this county, about 1837, where, 
after many years of hard labor incident to pioneer life, they ended their 
days. At the age of nineteen years our subject began the trade of cabinet- 
making, which he followed two years, giving some attention to wagon mak- 
ing also for a short time; but he finally adopted the carpenter's trade which 
he followed for fifteen years. He purchased land and began farming in 
1862, and now owns 120 acres of farm land. Mr. Burns married, July 29, 
1873, Marilla Philips, of Orange Township, this county, a native of Iowa 
and daughter of Aaron Philips, who lived for several years in this county, 
but finally removed to Michigan where he died. His wife died in Iowa 
several years prior to his death; of their family only three girls survive: 
Mrs. Biu'ns, and her two sisters, Abigail and Julia, who now reside in 
Ionia County, Mich. Mr. and Mrs. Burns have three children: Charles 
E., Safrona M. and Golden I. 

JOHN CHARLES, farmer, P. O. Ada, Hardin County, a native of Rich- 
land County, Ohio, born March 15, 1831, is a son of Isaac (a miller by 
trade, which he followed most of his life) and Sarah (Moudy) Charles, the 
former of Scotch and the latter of German descent, natives of Pennsylvania 
and Maryland, respectively, and who were married in Richland County, 
Ohio, about 1825, and died in Allen County, Ohio, faithful members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. They were the parents of five children: 
Elijah, Rosannah (deceased), John, Isaac and Anna (latter deceased). John 
Charles married, in 1850, Miss Mary Caris, of Richland County, Ohio, a 
native of France, born in 1833, daughter of Peter and Mary A. (Styret) 
Caris, who immigrated to America about 1840, and settled in Richland 
County, Ohio, where Mrs. Caris died in 1861. Mr. Caris came to Orange 
Township, this county, and died here ; Mr. and Mrs. Charles moved to Orange 
Townshi}), this county, the same year they were married. He has reared a 
family of five children: Mary A. (deceased), Isaac, Andrew, Peter (de- 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 809 

ceased) and Sarah M. Mr. Charles settled upon land which had been en- 
tered m Orange Township, this county, by his father in 1840, and by in- 
dustry and economy has improved and accumulated land until he now has 
300 acres. In 1884 he built a fine brick residence at a cost of |5,000. He 
also has good out-buildings and various other improvements on his place. 

JOHN CRATES, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, was born June 1, 1829, 
while his parents. Christian and Mary M. (Myers) Crates, were e7i route from 
their home in Wittenberg, Germany, to America. Christian Crates and 
family landed m Philadelphia, lived a few years in Washington County, 
Penn., and in 1844 removed to Hancock County, Ohio, settling in Van Bu- 
ren Township, where Mr. Crates died; his widow, now eighty -nine years of 
age, resides in Eagle Township, this county; she is the mother of ten chil- 
dren, of whom only four survive: Caroline, in Hardin County, Ohio; and 
John, Rosannah and Godfi-ey, in this county. John Crates married No- 
vember 10, 1854, Miss Mary Baldwin, of Orange Township, this county, a 
native of Trumbull County, Ohio, and daughter of Caleb and Jennette 
(Smith) Baldwin, who came from Trumbull County, Ohio, to Orange Town- 
ship, this county, in 1857. Here her father died; her mother now resides 
with our subject and has four children now living: Mary, in Orange Town- 
ship, this county; John, in W^ood County, Ohio, and Harriet and'' Jane, in 
Orange Township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Crates are parents of eleven 
childi-en; those now living are Amelia, Mintie, Lena, Call, Edward, Jen- 
nette, Rosannah and Ida, all in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Crates are 
members of the United Brethren Church. In politics he is a stanch Re- 
publican. 

JAMES CUMMANS (deceased), a native of Loudoun County, Va., born 
September 12, 1804, was the eldest, and at the time of his death, the only 
living son of Aaron and Eleah (Huff) Cummans, natives of Virginia and 
South Carolina, respectively, latter reared in Pennsylvania; they were mar- 
ried in Hampshire County, Va. , and soon after moved to Loudoun County, 
Va., but in a few years returned to Hampshire County, where they reared 
their family of six childi-en: James, John, Elizabeth, Catharine, Aaron and 
Eleah. The father dying in Hampshire County, Va., in 1813, the mother 
and family moved to Ohio several years later and settled in Columbiana 
County, where Mrs. Cummans died. James Cummans came to Orange 
Township, this county, about 1837-38 and entered land which he improved. 
He married, October 13, 1831, Sarah Rickey, a native of Columbiana Coun- 
ty, Ohio, born December 25, 1810, and to this union were born fifteen chil- 
dren: Rueann, John W., Eleah, David, James, Elizabeth J., Sarah C, 
Aaron, George M. , Mary, Harriet, Henry, Nicholas, Oscar and Jesse. Mr. 
Cummans died March 6, 1886; he was a man of extraordinary strength 
when in his prime. He was one of the first voters in Orange Township, 
this county, assisted in the organization of the township, and served in most 
of its offices. He was always identified with the Democratic party, and was 
a prominent member of the Reformed Church. 

AARON R. DALLY, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, born in 
Orange Township, thfe county, August 14, 1839, is a son of Ohio and Eliza 
(Reinhart) Dally, natives of Trumbull County, Ohio, and Green County, 
Penn. , respectively, the former of Irish and the latter of German descent'. 
They married in Wayne County, Ohio, Januaiy 6. 1832, moved to Knox 
County, Ohio, the same year, and in 1836 came to Orange Township, this 



810 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTV. 

county, where they entered and cleared the farm on which they now reside. 
Ohio Dally was a pump-maker by trade, a Democrat in politics, a member 
of the Disciples Church. He was the father of eleven children: Marion F. 
(deceased); Sarah J., now in Grundy Coanty, Mo.; Henry L. (deceased); 
Aaron R. and Mansir M. (twins), the former the subject of this sketch, 
the latter now living in Greeley County, Neb. ; Mary E. , in Boone 
County, Neb. ; Joseph R. , in Burt County, Neb. ; Eliza A. , in Greeley Coun- 
ty, Neb.; John L., in Hardin County, Ohio; James (deceased), and Ben- 
jamin F. , in Barry County, Mich. The father died, and the mother resides 
with her son Aaron R. Dally, and has followed weaving all her life. Our 
subject married, Aiigiist 14, 1869, Miss Mary J. Montgomery, a native of 
Orange Township, this county, born August 18, 1852, daughter of Albert 
and Isabelle (Warren) Montgomery, and by this union there are five chil- 
dren: William R., Cora M. (deceased), Anna L., Hattie B. and Albert O. 
During the late war Mr. Dally served about three years in Company B, 
of Sherman's Body Guards. After his return home, he lived three years in 
Barry County, Mich., and returned to Orange Township, this county, in 
1869. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church; in politics he is a 
Democrat. 

FLAVIUS J. DEWESE, farmer, P O. Mount Cory, was born in 
Wayne County, Ohio, January 17, 1835, son of Thomas and Sarah (VVatkins) 
Dewese, the former born March 4, 1809, and the latter July 18, 1811; they 
married in Wayne County, Ohio, October 2, 1830, and came to this county, 
settling in Union Township in 1836, where they entered and improved land. 
They were parents of nine children: Mary A., Flavins J., Susannah, Thorn 
as. Eve, Adam, Elizabeth, Sarah J. and Francis M. , of whom Flavius J. is 
the only survivor. Thomas Dewese assisted in organizing the first schools 
in Union Township, this county, and was prominently identified with the 
Methodist Protestant Church. He also served in many of the township oifices. 
He passed from this life April 13, 1853. After the death of her hus- 
band Mrs. Thomas Dewese was again united in marriage, this time, 
April 13, 1857, with Levi Showalter, and August 13, 1881, she de- 
parted this life. Flavius J. Dewese, the subject of this sketch, married, 
January 1, 1860, Miss Susannah D. Showalter, a native of Union Town- 
ship, this county, and daughter of Levi and Mahala (Wade) Showalter. 
Mr. and Mrs. Dewese are the parents of eight children : Sanford H. , born 
May 6, 1866; Milton O., born June 4, 1868; Alvin V., born March 3, 1871 ; 
Grace E., born January 25, 1875 ; Francis M., born October 11, 1876; and 
Harry C, born November 28, 1881 (all now living), and Louretta O. (de- 
ceased) and Victoria A. (deceased). Mr. Dewese enlisted in Company G, 
One Hundi'ed and Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 
22, 1862, at Findlay, Ohio. His regiment was assigned to the Second Brig- 
ade, Second Division of the Twenty third Army Corps. For three years 
he was actively engaged in all the battles his regiment took part in, includ- 
ing many of the most important engagements of the war. Mr. Dewese was 
wounded in the left knee at the battle of Resaca. He was in various hos- 
pitals for three months, and this wound has been a source of great pain and 
has impeded him in all labor he has performed since. Mr. Dewese is now 
engaged in agricultural pm-suits, and has one of the most beautiful homes in 
the county. He is an active member of the Republican party. His wife is a 
member of the Methodist Protestant Church. 



ORANGE TOWNSniP. 811 

THOMAS DRAY, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, born in 1804, 
is a native of Trumbull County, Ohio, where he was reared and where he 
lived till 1865. then came to Orange Township, this county, where he still 
resides. By his first wife, Hannah Willick, born February 29, 1812, to 
whom he was married by John Carlton September 24, 1829, he had five 
children: Martha Jane, born in Knox Township, Columbiana Co., Ohio, Janu- 
ary 24, 1834; Lemuel, born June 2, 1837, also in Knox Township; Mary, 
born August 29, 1840, also in Knox Township, died August 17, 1844; Will- 
iam W., born September 22, 1843, in Wellsville, Columbiana Co., Ohio; 
Hannah L. , born May 24, 1848, also in Wellsville, Columbiana Co. , Ohio,' 
died August 28, 1878. The mother of this family dying July 4, 1848. Mr.' 
Dray was married, by Thomas Duncan, May 12, 1853, to Malissa Sheffelton, 
born August 24, 1824, and by her had four children: John S., born Febru- 
ary 28, 1854; Charles H., born June 22, 1856, died February 12, 1858; 
James W., born February 17, 1858; Eliza F. J., born November 13, 1863,' 
died September 5, 1866. Mr. Dray has been a very active man in his dayi 
but is now living a retired life upon his farm, which is operated by his son 
James W. 

JOSIAH DUNLAP (deceased) was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, Au- 
gust 15, 1828, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Philips) Dunlap. natives of 
Pennsylvania, who came to Trumbull County, Ohio, in an early day. In 1856 
they removed to Orange Township, this county, where they ended their days. 
They were the parents of seven childi-en, four of whom are still livino-: 
William P., in Trumbull County, Ohio; Harlan S. and James F. in Mahon- 
ing County, Ohio, and Mary, in Allen County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch 
was married, September 7, 1848, to Mary A. Blunt, of Trumbull County, 
Ohio, a native of Denbighshire, Wales, born November 26, 1828, daughter 
of Edward and Ann (Richards) Blunt, who came to America in 1829, located 
in Schuylkill County, Penn. , resided also a short time in Pittsburgh, Penn. , 
and, about 1832, came to Trumbull County, Ohio, where they died. They 
were parents of ten childi-en. of whom those still living are Thomas and 
Margaret, in Mahoning County, Ohio; Edward I., in Trumbull County, 
Ohio; Hannah in Ft. Wayne, Ind., and Mary A. in Orange Township, this 
county. To Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Dunlap were born seven children : Sarah 
A., now residing in Trumbull County, Ohio; Cyntha E. (deceased); Thomas 
L., in Orange Township, this county; Emma A. (deceased); Clara J. (de- 
ceased) ; Ida E. (deceased), and Maggie in Putnam County. Ohio. Mr. Dun- 
lap was a highly respected citizen; a Democrat in politics. His death oc- 
curred August 2, 1878. His widow still operates the farm with the help of 
her son, Thomas L. 

WILLIAM ELZAY, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, was born in 
Champaign County, Ohio, September 18, 1831, son of Newton R. and Julia 
(Rolston) Elzay, natives of Virginia, who were married in 1828, in Picka- 
way County, Ohio, and in 1845 came to this county, settling in Orange 
Township. They reared a family of seven children: David, William, Ange- 
line, Moses, Mary E., Harriet and Benjamin K. ; Harriet is deceased; Ange- 
line is in Hardin County, Ohio, and all the others are in this county. The 
father, who died in 1851, was a life-long member of the Methodist Church ; 
a Whig in politics. The mother still resides in Orange Township, this county. 
William Elzay married, August 28, 1861, Miss Margaret Markley, of Put- 
nam County, Ohio, daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Salabury) Markley, 



812 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

both of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Elzay are parents of eight chil- 
dren: Newton R. , Samantha J. , Charles L. , Wilbert D. , Mary E. , Hiram W. , 
Benjamin F. and Lawrence C, all living. Our subject purchased land in 
Orange Township, this county, in 1861, which he has improved. He and his 
wife are faithful members of the United Brethren Church. In politics he is 
a stanch Republican. 

JOHN A. EWING, farmer, P. O. BluflPton, Allen County, born in Craw- 
ford County, Penn. , December 25, 1814, is a son of Alexander and Mary 
(Battler) Ewing, natives of Cumberland and Washington Counties, respect- 
ively, who married in Crawford County, Penn., and in 1817 moved to 
Trumbull County, Ohio, where Alexander Ewing died; his widow died in 
this county, and was buried beside her husband in Trumbull County. They 
were the parents of eleven children: William B., John A., Beriah, Benja- 
min L. , Ralph, George, Silas, Nancy, Levi, Mary and Asa. The father of 
this family was a cooper by trade, but gave most of his life to farming; he 
served in the war of 1812. John A. Ewing gave some attention to school 
teaching in early life. He married, in 1888, Elizabeth Clemmens, a native 
of Trumbiill County, Ohio, born May 29, 1817, daughter of Daniel and 
Barbara (Stumbaugh) Clemmens (both now deceased), who were parents of 
eleven children: Philip, Elizabeth, Sarah, William, George, Martin, Henry, 
Jared, Catharine, Eliza and Nancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Ewing were born 
six children: Sarah J., Alexander, Frank, Thomas C. (deceased), Myron J. 
and Eliza A. The mother died February 7, 1859, and Mr. Ewing married, 
in 1863, Miss Mary Battles, of Orange Township, this county, a native of 
Trumbull County, Ohio, and daughter of Samiiel and Caroline (Fish) Bat- 
tles (latter deceased), Pennsylvanians, who lived in Trumbull County, 
Ohio, several years, and from there came to Orange Township, this county, 
in 1844; they had a large family of children, eight of whom are still living: 
Eli, RolDert, Noah, Mary, Rozilla, Olive, Caroline and Rebecca. Mr. Bat- 
tles, now old, feeble and blind, still resides in Orange Township. To the 
second marriage of our subject five children have been born: Florence M., 
Chase, Calvin, Corey L. and Nettie D. Mr. Ewing has been a faithful 
member of the Disciples Church for the past forty -five years. He has been 
an active man in his community, and has served his township in several of 
its offices. He was trustee five years, justice of the peace six years, not- 
withstanding the fact that the township is very largely Democratic, and he 
an old-time Free-soiler and stanch Republican. 

THOMAS FENTON, farmer, P. O. Cannonsburgh, born in Trumbull 
County, Ohio, February 25, 1823, is a son of Robert and Jane (McCrea) 
Fenton, natives of Pennsylvania and Ireland, respectively. They were mar- 
ried in Cumberland County, Penn. , in 1808, and the same year, came to 
Ohio, locating in Trumbull County, and in 1836 removing to Richland 
Township, Allen Co., Ohio, where they died — Robert Fenton in 1852, 
and his widow in 1855. They were the parents of eight children: Samuel 
(died in Allen County, Ohio), Mary Ann, William, Margaret (died in Al- 
len County, Ohio), Joseph (who also died in Allen County), Thomas, 
John and Elizabeth. All those now living are in Allen County, Ohio, ex- 
cept our subject, who resides in Hancock County. The father was a carpen- 
ter by trade, and an active member of and elder in the old Seceder Church. 
Thomas Fenton was first married, November 21, 1850, to Miss Delia Rus- 
sell, of Richland Township, Allen County, Ohio, and a native of Medina 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 813 

County, Ohio, born August 10, 1838. By this marriage there were seven 
children: Phebe J., Mary I., Ebenezer, Emma, James T., John and Delia E. 
Their mother died February 12, 1866, and Mr. Fenton then married, 
October 2, 1870, Janurali Perse, of Union Township, this county, a native 
of Huron County, Ohio, born January 5, 1846. She had one son, Henry 
C. Perse. Mr. Fenton came to this county and to Orange Township, in 1861, 
where he has cleared and improved a large farm. He is a member of the 
United Presbyterian Church, of Cannonsburgh. Ohio. In politics he has 
been identified with the Democratic party. 

JACOB S. GALLANT, farmer, P. O. Hassan, born in Orange Town- 
ship, Hancock Co., Ohio, November 20, 1860, is a son of James and 
Letitia (Stokesberry) Gallant, and was married, February 22, 1882, to Miss 
Lydia Spacht, of Union Township, this county, and a native of Snyder 
County, Penn. , born March 28, 1 862, daughter of Michael and Ada (Musser) 
Spacht. Mr. Spacht died in the late war of the Rebellion, and his widow, 
marrying again, removed in 1872 to this county, where she now resides. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gallant are parents of three children: Jenner O., Oscar S. 
and Orlan J. , the two latter being twins. Our subject and wife are mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church. In politics he is a Eeiniblican. 

JEREMIAH GREEN, farmer, P. O. Blutt'ton, Allen County, born in 
Armstrong County, Penn., November 15, 1821, is a son of "William and 
Susannah (Hummon) Green, natives of and married in Armstrong (^ounty, 
Penn. , who, in 1835, immigrated to Ohio, lived two years in what is now 
AVyandot County, and in 1837 came to this county and settled in Union 
Township, where they reared their family of thirteen children: Samuel and 
Susan (deceased). Jeremiah, Mary A., Margaret, William, Alvira and 
Robert A., in this county; Eliza J., Saloma and Adelia, in Morris County, 
Kas. ; David, in Brown County, Kas. , and Isabelle, in Brown County, 111. 
The parents both died in this county, aged seventy-three and sixty-eight years, 
respectively. Jeremiah Green remained on and operated the home farm until 
1868; then purchased land in Orange Township, this county, where he has 
since lived. He married, January 21, 1819, Rachel J. Routzon, of Findlay, 
this county, a native of Holmes County, Ohio, born July 13, 1828, daughter of 
John and Jane (Campbell) Routzon, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, 
respectively ; they lived in Columbiana County, Ohio, a few years and then re- 
moved to Holmes County, Ohio, and in 1840 came to this county, where Mr. 
Rovitzon followed the trade of brick-mason. They had eleven children: 
Margaret (deceased); Ann (deceased); Elizabeth (deceased); Letitia (de- 
ceased); George W., who was a soldier in the Fifty-seventh Ohio Veteran 
Volunteer Infantry, was mortally wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and died 
April 10. 1862; Alice, Rachel J. and David, in this county; Caroline, in 
Missouri ; Sarah, in Kansas, and Clarissa, in Wayne County, Iowa. The 
parents both died, aged eighty-one and sixty-nine years, respectively. To 
the union of Mr. and Mrs. Green have been born seven children: Alice V., 
now in Morgan Coimty, Tenn. ; John W. (deceased); David E., in this coun- 
ty; Isaac and Robert A., in Iosco County, Mich.; Susan L. (deceased); 
Charles E., in this county. Our subject and wife are members of the Meth- 
odist Church. In politics Mr. Green is a Prohibitionist. 

FREDERICK HAUSER, farmer, P. O. Hassan, born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, in 1820, is a son of Peter and Leah (Fultz) Hauser, natives 
of Virginia, who married in Shenandoah Co^^nty, Va. . and came to Ohio, in 

44 



814 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

1818, where they both died; they were pareuts of thirt(>eu children: Eliza- 
beth; Philip, now in Fairfield County, Ohio; George (deceased); Louisa 
(deceased) and Mary, twins; Jonathan, residing in Randolph County, 
Ind. ; Frederick, Peter (deceased) ; Rebecca, residing in Licking County, 
Ohio; Leah, residing in Indiana; Barbara, in Jay County, Ind.; Levi; and 
Carolina, in Fairfield County, Ohio; Frederick, Mary and Levi are in this 
county. Frederick Hauser married, in 1841, Miss Elizabeth C. Hisey, a 
native of Fairfield County, Ohio, and daughter of Abraham Hisey (de- 
ceased). By this union there were eight children, five of whom are yet 
living. Mrs. Hauser dying, Mr. Hauser was again married, this time to 
Louisa Tryon, of Van Wert County, Ohio, a native of Fairfield County, 
Ohio, and by her he has seven children. Mr. Hauser and family came to this 
county in 185(3; he cleared a large farm and has now 200 acres of land. He 
has been a prominent and official member of the United Brethren Church 
for over forty-five years; he organized the first Sunday-school in Orange 
Township, this county; is a member of the Sandusky Conference and has 
been engaged in the ministry for ten or twelve years. In politics he is a 
Republican. 

DAVID G. LEWIS, farmer, P. O. Hassan, a native of Licking County, 
Ohio, born May 15, 1839, is a son of John and Sarah (Hughes) Lewis, 
natives of Pembrokeshire, Wales, where they married; they immigrated to 
America in 1831, and settled first in Licking County, Ohio, where they reared a 
family of six children: Daniel, Samuel, Mary, Eliza, David G. and Jane. 
The father died in 1863, aged seventy-five years, and the mother in 1873, 
aged sixty-six years. John Lewis was a book-binder by trade, but followed 
farming after coming from his native country. He was a deacon in the 
Welsh Congregational Church. His son Daniel and daughter Mary are still 
in Licking County, Ohio; Samuel and Eliza are in Delaware County, Ohio; 
Jane and David G. are in this county. The subject of this sketch married, 
March 1, 1860, Miss Hannah Williams, a native of Delaware County, Ohio, 
born August 2, 1842, daughter of William B. and Margaret (Davis) 
Williams, who emigrated fi-om South Wales to America in an early day, 
married in Morrow County, Ohio, in 1834, and now reside in Delaware 
County, Ohio, and have reared a family of six childi'en: William, Elizabeth, 
Margaret, Mary, Hannah and David. Mr. Williams is a farmer and a promi- 
nent member of the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents 
of six children: William J., George AV., Grace E., Maggie M., Mary (de- 
ceased) and Jimmie (deceased). Mr. Lewis came to Ohio in 1860. He has 
100 acres of improved land. He and his wife are members of the Mission 
Baptist Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

W^ILLIAM M. McKINLEY, P. O. Cordelia, is the eldest son of John 
and Mary (Marshall) McKinley, the former born in Westmoreland 
County, Penn., September 23, 1801, and the latter in Trumbull County, 
Ohio, May 2, 1806; William M. was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, 
January 22, 1824. John McKinley and family moved to this county 
in 1830 and, in the wilderness, began the work of preparing a home. His 
faithful wife worked with him, and in a few years they were surrounded by 
many comforts. For forty-six years John McKinley was an elder in the 
Christian Church, and was faithful in his attendance at the meetings and 
services of the same. An esteemed friend, a kind husband and father, he 
went to his rest March 20, 1882. His beloved wife entered, before him, 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 815 

the borders of that uuseeu country. William M. McKinley has been a resi- 
dent of this county since coming here with his parents. He was early 
united in marriage with Mary A. Burns, daughter of Esdras R. and Cathar- 
ine (Dtill) Burns. Esdi-as R. Burns was born in 1800 and ended his long 
and useful life December 3, 1883; IVIi-s. Bimis died August 22, 1875. This 
family entered Hancock County, Ohio, in 1837, and since that time have 
wrought much of the change that has been accomplished. The children of 
Mr. and Mrs. William M. McKinley are Esdi-as B., born January 20, 1848, 
now a physician in Putnam County, Ohio ; John R. , born October 30, 1 849, 
died January 21, 1851; William H, born February 10, 1851, and now resid- 
ing in this county; Catherine M., born June 10, 1853, died October 6, 1874; 
Mary R., born January 2, 1856, died October 15. 1860; Samuel E., born 
June 5, 1858, died September 25. 1884; George H., born November 10, 
1860; Robert M., born February 27. 1863; Florence O., born January 18, 
1867, and James S., born March 30. 1869. Catherine M., whose death is 
noted in the record, married J. B. Falk, and when she died left an infant 
daughter, Cora B., who was born March 4, 1874. and who, since her mother's 
death, has been one of Mr. McKinley' s family. William M. McKinley held the 
office of justice of the peace for eighteen years, and office of notary public for- 
nine years. He represented his district in the Legislature in 1874-75, with 
credit to himself and the satisfaction of his constituents. He is now en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits and in the manufacture of brick. He is an 
esteemed citizen of Orange Township. 

SABEERSMAIN, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, born in Virginia, January 19, 
1813, is a son of Timothy andRebecca(Wright)Main,of Virginia, who immigrat- 
ed to Ohio in 1815, settling in Delaware County. »where they died. They 
were parents of a large family, only three surviving: Sabeers and Nathan- 
iel, who reside in Orange Township, this county, and Elijah, now residing 
in Michigan. Sabeers Main came to this county in 1840, where he pur- 
chased land and improved many acres. He married in Delaware County, 
Ohio, Elizabeth Dial, a native of Virginia, and by her he had eight children, 
of whom only four survive : Lee, Louisa. Drial and Alice. In politics Mr. 
Main has always been identified with the Republican party. 

WILLIAM M. MARSHALL, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, born in Trumbull 
County, Ohio, August 8, 1815, is the eldest son of Benjamin and Jane (Mc- 
Kinley) Marshall, who were married in Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1814, 
and came to this county in 1838. Of their family only four sons and three 
daughters survive. The father died and the mother now resides in Union 
Township, this county. A^'illiam M. Marshall married, November 7, 1839, 
Mary A. Vermillion, of Orange Township, this county. Her parents, 
George and Anna (Hardy) Vermillion, came to Hancock County about 
1838. To oiir siTbject and wife have been born eight children: Anna J. (de- 
ceased); Benjamin G. ; James (deceased); Calvin W. ; Martin F. (deceased); 
Chancy C. (deceased); John W. (deceased) and Lydia D. Mr. Marshall 
has improved many acres of land in Orange Township, and has tilled sev- 
eral of the township offices. He has also served the county in the office of 
commissioner. In politics he is a Democrat. Mr. Marshall is now a wid- 
ower, his wife having died some time since. 

W. C. MILLER, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, was born in Union Township, 
this county. May IS, 1853; son of Hiram and Sarah J. (Markley) Miller, 
early settlers in this county. W. C. Miller was united in marriage, Febru- 



810 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

ary 18, 1875, with Miss Sophrona Marshall, of Union Township, this coun- 
ty, who was born Feljniary 12, 1857, and is the daughter of Isaac A. and 
Caroline (Lewis) Marshall, early settlers in this county. W. C. Miller came 
to Orange Township, this county, in 1877, and purchased and improved 
a farm of 100 acres of land, and, in 1882, built a good residence. Mr. 
and Mrs. Miller have a family of three children: Clara D., Marshall M. 
and Emma E. Our subject and wife are members of the Evangelical Asso- 
ciation Church. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JOHN MONTGOMERY, farmer, P. O. , Bluffton, Allen County, a native 
of Columbiana' County, Ohio, born February 1, 1824, is a son of William and 
Sarah (Foutz) Montgomery, natives of Pennsylvania, of Irish and German 
descent, respectively, who married in Columbiana County, Ohio, where 
they reared a family of twelve children, all now living l»ut two; the parents 
both died in Columbiana County, Ohio; the father was a plain farmer, in 
politics a Jacksonian Democrat. John Montgomery left his native county 
in 1844 and removed to Wyandot County, Ohio, where he married Ellenor 
McClain, a native of Greene County, Penn. , who came with her parents to 
Wyandot County, Ohio, when she was but nine years of age. In 1847 Mr. 
and Mrs. Montgomery came to this county and settled in Orange Township, 
where he purchased forty acres of timber land. He now owns 240 acres, 
which he has improved. They reared a family of six children : Eliza, de- 
ceased; William, Rebecca J., Jesse W., Marion and Alice, latter deceased. 
Mr. Montgomery has served his township in several of its offices for a num- 
ber of years ; has been treasurer and trustee. He has always been, and is 
yet, an active and ardent advocate of the principles of the Democratic party. 

ALBERT MONTGOMERY, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen Co., 
Ohio, born in Columbiana County, Ohio, April 1, 1826, is a son of William 
and Sarah (Foutz) Montgomery, both of whom died in Columbiana Coiinty, 
Ohio, the former April 13, 1884, and the latter June 26, 1883, aged, 
respectively, eighty six and eighty-three years. John Montgomery, our 
subject's grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Albert 
Montgomery came to this county in 1851, and purchased, in Orange Town- 
ship, eighty acres of timber land, which he cleared and improved, and to 
which he has added another eighty -acre tract. His farm is well cultivated, 
and has fine buildings, and other improvements on it. Mr. Montgomery 
married, February 6, 1851, Miss Isabella Warren, of Orange Township, 
this county, a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, born in December, 1829, 
daughter of William and Isabell (Hamilton) Warren, the former of whom 
died in Columbiana County, Ohio; the latter, now the wife of William Pep- 
pell, resides in Orange Township, this county. The union of our subject 
and wife has been blessed with five childi'en: Mary J., William W., Brice 
K., Harriet B., and Hamilton (latter deceased). Mr. Montgomery is a 
Democrat in politics. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian 
Church, in which he is a deacon. 

BRICE K. MONTGOMERY, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, son 
of Albert and Isabella (Warren) Montgomery, was born in Orange Township, 
this county, August 4, 1858. He was reared a farmer, an occupation he 
still follows. In 1876 he attended the Northwestern Ohio Normal School, 
at Ada. He married, in October, 1878, Miss Ida M. Harding, a native of 
Oi-ange Township, this county, born May 17, 1861, daughter of Daniel and 
Margaret (Blair) Harding, who still reside in Orange Township, this county. 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 8l7 

Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery are the parents of two children: Earl F. and 
Myrtle F. Mrs. Montgomery is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In 
1884 IVIr. Montgomery built a frame house on his farm, and he is engaged 
in improving his place in various ways. He is a man of good natural abil- 
ity. He is quite active in the ranks of the Democratic party. 

ORVID S. NICHOLLS, farmer, P. O. Ada, Hardin County, was 
born June 24, 1851, in Jefferson County, Ohio, in which county his father 
(James Nicholls) was born November 27, 1821, and married November 9, 
1847. His mother, Jane B. (Freeborn) Nicholls was a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, born November 28, 1821. His parents came to Orange Township, 
this county, in 1868. They reared a family of six children: Malcom W., 
Orvid 8. , Emma, Alton B. , Maria J. and James S. , all living except Emma. 
The father died September 18, 1878. He had followed school teaching and 
superintending all through life. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, 
and the organizer of that church and Sabbath- school in his neighborhood. 
In politics he was active in the ranks of the Democratic party. His widow, 
an educated lady, who followed school teaching prior to her marriage, now 
resides in Wooster. Ohio. Orvid S. Nicholls occupies and owns the home- 
stead farm, and has added to it and improved it in various ways. He was 
educated in the Northwestern Ohio UniversHy, and followed school teaching 
for several years. He is now engaged in general agricultural pursuits. 
April 11, 1872, he married Miss Lillie Morehouse, a native of Lorain County, 
Ohio, born July 11. 1854. daughter of Henry and Maria (Balcom) More- 
house, natives of New York State, who came to Ohio in 1825, and lived 
until 1840, in Medina County, then moved to Lorain County, where they 
still reside. Mr. and IVIi's. Nicholls are the parents of foiu- children: Mal- 
com A. , Elda G. , Pearl and Helen M. The two latter are now deceased. 
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholls are both members of the Presbyterian Church, of 
which he is an elder. In politics Mr. Nicholls is a Democrat. 

MICHAEL C. PALMER, farmer, P. O. Ada, Hardin County, is a native 
of Columbiana County, Ohio, born April 5, 1841, son of Adam and Leah (Cum- 
mans) Palmer, natives of Columbiana, County, Ohio, and Hampshire Coun- 
ty, Va., respectively. They married in Columbiana County, Ohio, and died 
in the same county — the mother in 1846 and the father in 1885. They 
were the parents of four childi-en: John, now in Hardin County, Ohio; Mary, 
deceased; Michael C. and Stephen, now in Mahoning County, Ohio. The 
subject of this sketch came to Orange Township, this county, in 1862. He 
is a carpenter and joiner by trade, which he has followed principally all his 
life. He now resides upon a farm he purchased in Orange Township; this 
county, about 1859, and which he has improved in various ways. He mar- 
ried. September 19, 1865, Miss Louisa E. Hassan, a native of Van Buren 
Township, this county, born in April, 1846, daughter of Eliab and Polly 
(Elliott) Hassan, natives of and married in Trumbull County, Ohio, who came 
to Hancock County in 1843. They had four childi-en: Edward, Marrietta (de- 
ceased), Louisa and Margaret. Mr. Hassan now resides in Ada, Ohio. His wife 
died in 1856. They were parents of f our childi-en : Clark (deceased), Cora 
L., LeonaE. and Carl (latter deceased). Politically Mr. Palmer is a Dem- 
ocrat, and takes an active part in politics. He has served his township in 
some of its offices, and was for twelve years a justice of the peace. He is 
a member of the Reformed Church. 



818 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

\yiLLIAM PARK, farmer, P. O. Hassan, a native of Hunterdon County, 
N. J., born February 7. 1811, is a son of John and Margaret M. (McLain) 
Park, natives of Now Jersey and of Irish descent, their forefathers being 
from Counties Antrim and Tyrone; they married, in 1791, in Hunterdoa 
County, N. J. ; reared a family in Hunterdon County, N.-'J. , and moved to 
Huntingdon County, Penn. The names of their children are Robert, John, 
Elizabeth, Mary, James, Margaret, AVilliam, Sarah and Joseph. The two 
latter still live in Huntingdon County, Penn. ; Elizabeth and James are in 
Jefferson County, Iowa; Margaret is in Story County, Iowa; and the others 
(except our subject) are deceased. Robert was a local Methodist preacher 
fi'om the ag(> of twenty-eight years until 1876. John served two terms in 
the Iowa Legislature, and was speaker in the Senate; during the last term 
he was seized with cancer in the mouth, went to Boston to effect a cure, and 
died at the residence of his brother, Joseph, and was buried with his par- 
ents in Cassville, Huntingdon Co. , Penn. The parents died in Pennsylvania. 
William Park came to Ohio at the age of twenty-five years, lived for several 
years in Coshocton and Knox Counties. John R. Gamble and he had the 
contract of Section '28 on the Walhonding Canal, which they completed. 
Mr. Park also engaged in farm work. He married, March 31, 1839, 
Miss Mary Riley, a native of Knox County, Ohio, and daughter of Nicholas 
and Hannah (Shrimplin) Riley, both deceased, who were the first settlers in 
that county, and the parents of fourteen children, of whom Mary, George, 
Hannah, Susan and Nicholas survive. Mr. Park came to this county in 
1849, and purchased over 1, 100 acres of land in Orange Township, this 
county; he has improved many acres of this land, and made liberal distribu- 
tions to his children, and his homestead farm is well supplied with good 
buildings of all kinds. The children of Mr. and Mrs Park, nine in num- 
ber, were Nicholas, Margaret, Susan (deceased), Hannah, Sarah, John, 
Jane, Almira and Rachel; all in this county except Nicholas and John, 
who are in Ada, Ohio. Mr. Park has been identified with the Republican 
party from its organization to the present time. He has served his town- 
ship for ten years, as treasurer. He and his wife are faithful members of the 
Christian Church. 

WILLIAM PEPPELL, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, was 
born in Pennsylvania in 1817; is a son of Lewis and Rachel (Jones) Pep- 
pell, latter of whom died when our subject was quite young. Lewis Peppell 
then came to Ohio with the children, only two of whom are now living — 
William and Catharine — and settled in Columbiana County, where the father 
died a few years later. William Peppell married, in New Lisbon, Colum- 
biana County. Ohio, in 1840, Mrs. Isabelle (Hamilton) Warren, and they 
came to this county the same year. Mrs. Peppell is a native of Ireland, 
born March 5, 1812, the former wife of William Warren, a native of County 
Down, Ireland, where they were married in December, 1827. In the spring 
of 1828 they came to America and settled in Erie County, Penn. , and about 
two years later removed to Columbiana County, Ohio, where Mr. Warren 
died, and where his widow met and married her present husband. By Mr. 
Warren she was the mother of five children: Jane (deceased), Isabelle, Will- 
iam S., Mary A. (deceased) and Hamilton. By her present husband Mrs. 
Peppell is the mother of six children : Warrick, Mary C. , Harriet, Stelta, 
Lewis and Matilda, all living except Warrick and Mary C. Mr. Peppell' s 
first purchase of land in Orange Township, this county, was eighty acres, and 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 819 

by his industry and economy he has made several additions to the same, now 
owning 320 acres, most of which, by the help of his family, he has cleai"ed 
and improved in varioiis ways. 

H. R. PHILLIPS, farmer, P.O. Hassan, a native of Columbiana County, 
Ohio, born in 1813, is a son of Samuel and Mary (Russel) Phillips, natives 
of Pennsylvania, who married in Beaver County, Penn. They came to Ohio 
about 1817, and settled in Columbiana County, where were born to them four- 
teen children, of whom six are yet living. The father died in 1850, and the 
mother in 1869. H. R. Phillips came to this county in 1842, where he pur- 
chased land and cleared up a farm. He married, in 1837, Miss Jane Smart, 
a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, born July 29, 1813; daughter of James 
Smart (deceased), who was formerly from Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. 
Phillips are the parents of ten children: James A., Catharine A., Samuel W., 
David J. , Mary J. , Nancy C. , Henry R. , Elizabeth A. , Hugh S. , and John 
P. James and Hugh are in Platte County, Neb. ; Samuel, Henry and 
Elizabeth, are in Hardin County, Ohio; all the others are deceased. Their 
mother died June 16, 1878; she was a member of the Reformed Church. 
Mr. Phillips has served as trustee, and in other township offices. He is a 
shoe- maker by trade, which he did not abandon entirely until about fifteen 
years ago, since when he has given his attention to general agricultural pur- 
suits. He is a member of the Reformed Church. 

DAVID REDICK, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, born October 
10, 1822, in Columbiana County, Ohio, is a son of David and Margaret 
(Allison) Redick, natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively; they 
immigrated to Ohio in 1812, and reared a family in Columbiana County, 
where Mrs. Redick died in 1848. David Redick, Sr., came to this county 
in 1849, and died in 1852; they were the parents of eight children, of whom 
only two survive: Sarah, now in Monroe County, Iowa, and the subject of 
this sketch, who moved to Wyandot County, Ohio, in 1845, and two years 
later came to this county and settled in Orange Township, where he still re- 
sides. Our subject married, November 28, 1844, Miss Sarah Montgomery, a 
native of Columbiana County, Ohio, born June 6, 1822; daughter of William 
and Sarah (Foutz) Montgomery. To this union were born fifteen children, 
several of whom died in infancy, and six grew to maturity: William, Mar- 
garet, Lemuel, Jane, Mark and Isabelle, all now living except Margaret. 
The mother of this family died September 28, 1882. She was a faithful 
member of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Redick is still a member. 
In politics he is a Democrat. 

NICHOLAS REDICK, farmer, P. O. Cordelia, was born in Van Buren 
Township, this county. May 23, 1851, son of John A. and Elizabeth (Katzer- 
mire) Redick, who emigrated from Germany and settled in this county in a very 
early day. They had following children: Anna, John, Elizabeth, Mary 
(half sisters), Nicholas, Adam and George, all living in this county except 
Mary, who now resides in Chicago. The father died in this county Novem- 
ber 17, 1878. The mother now resides in Orange Township, this county. 
Our subject, Nicholas Redick, married, September 8, 1878, Delila Feller, of 
Van Buren Township, this county, a native of Eagle Township, this county, 
born February 18, 1851, daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Banhart) Fel- 
ler, who reside in Van Buren Township, this county. Our subject and wife 
have two children: Amanda L. and Edward E. Nicholas Redick came to 
Orange Township, this county, in 1881, and purchased and improved 



820 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

100 acres of land, upon which he still resides. He devotes his time to 
general farming, but prior to his marriage he followed the carpenter's trade 
for several years. He and his wife are members of the Reformed Church. 
In politics Mr. lledick is a Democrat. 

ZACHARIAH T. SHOW ALTER, farmer, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, 
born in Union Township, this county, November 7, 1848, is a son of Levi 
and Mahala (Wade) Showalter. He was married, November 20, 1873, to 
Miss Mary A. Link, a native of Union Township, this county, and daughter 
of Andrew and Ursula (Heininger) Link, who still reside in Union Township, 
this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Showalter have been born three children: 
Winfield A. . Cloyd M. and lima M. Mr. Showalter has a well improved 
farm in Orange Township, this county. In 1880 his residence was burned 
to the ground, but notwithstanding this loss and the expense of rebuilding, 
he is still in comfortable circumstances. In politics he is a Republican. 
Both he and his wife are members of the Evangelical Church. 

GEORG E SPANGLER, farmer, P. O. , Cordelia, was born in Fairfield 
County. Ohio, October 8, 1835, son of Abram and Elizabeth (Hoops) Spang- 
ler, natives of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio, respectively, and of Ger 
man and Irish descent ; prominent members of the Evangelical Association 
Church. They were married in Fairfield County, Ohio, and came to Union 
Township, this county^ in 1839, and cleared up a large farm. They were 
parents of seven childi-en: Jonathan, Nancy and Margaret, all deceased, 
and Mary A., Elizabeth, David B. and George, all in this county. Abram 
Spangler was a cabinet-maker, coffin-maker, pump manufacturer, carpenter 
and farmer. In politics he was a Whig and Republican. George Spang- 
ler, the subject of this sketch, first married November 27, 1856, Nancy 
Nonnamaker, a native of Eagle Township, this county, and daughter of 
Ami and Lucinda (Houdeshell) Nonnamaker. To this union were born six 
children: Ami N., Mary E., John A., Abram C, David C. and George C. 
The mother of this family died, March 23, 1882, and George Spangler 
then married, June 6, 1883, Mrs. Mary E. (Brown) Bloom of Hardin Coun- 
ty, Ohio, the widow of Nicholas Bloom, late of Hardin County, Ohio, and 
daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Claypool) Brown, latter deceased, for- 
mer, now residing in Auglaize County, Ohio. Mrs. Spangler has had no 
children by either marriage. George Spangler operated the homestead 
farm for eleven years, then rented, for four years, and in 1871 purchased 
the farm in Orange Township, this county, upon which he now resides and 
which he has cleared and improved. He makes general farming and hand- 
ling of stock his principal business. Mr. Spangler has served his township 
in several of its offices and is now filling the office of justice of the peace. 
He is a strict Democrat. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical 
Association church. 

ASA STRATTON, farmer, P. O., Bluffton, Allen County, was born 
in Wayne County, Ohio, September 7, 1841, son of William and Eliz- 
abeth (Denning) Stratton, natives of New Jersey and Pennsylvania respect- 
ively. William Stratton was born in Vernon Township, Essex Co. , N. J. , 
October 8, 1810; came with his father to Beaver County, Penn., in 1815, 
and to Canaan Township, Wayne Co., Ohio, in the fall of 1817, travel- 
ing in a wagon drawn by oxen. Running out of money just before they 
reached tjieir destination, they paid for a night' s lodging with dressed flax. 
William's chances for an education were somewhat limited, the first school- 



ORANGE TOWNSHIP. 821 

house ill the neighborhood being bnilt in 1826; however, he acquired a fair 
education for that period, together with some knowlege of law, and was elect- 
ed squire in 1850; resigned his office and moved to Hancock County, Ohio, 
in the fall of 1852, where he was re-elected squire and served till his death. 
He was religiously inclined and was for a number of years a member of the 
Methodist church. In politics he was an active Democrat. His ancestors 
came fi'om Holland, but at what date is not known. William and Elizabeth 
Stratton reared a family of ten children : Jasper (deceased) ; Robert (deceased) ; 
Joseph, living in Hillsdale County, Mich. ; Asa, in this county; Isaac, Will- 
iam Oliver and Cyrus, in Johnson County, Mo. ; Ann, in Allen County, Ind. ; 
Elizabeth, in Ingham County, Mich, and Emma, in Johnson County, Mo. ; 
the mother still resides in this county. Asa Stratton, the subject of this 
sketch, married, October 7, 1805, Miss Frances J.Cornwell, of Union Town- 
ship, this county, a native of Eagle Township, this county, and daughter of 
Anderson and Eliza J. (Coulter) Cornwall, early settlers in Hancock County. 
Mr. and Mrs. Stratton have nine children: Lizzie J and Eliza A. (twins); 
Horace E., Christena, Ortonand Orland (twins), John, Charles and CHfFord, 
all living except Orland. Our subject purchased land in Orange Township, 
this county, in 1865, and now has 240 acres, most of which he has improved. 
In politics he is a stanch Democrat. 

ISAAC F. VERMILLION (deceased) was born in Union Township, 
this county, February 20, 1836, son of Charles and Ann (King) Vermil- 
lion, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, kvho married in Champaign 
County, Ohio, and removed to this county about 1881 or 1832. Of their 
family of twelve children nine are still living, who now reside near the town 
of Dexter* Iowa. The subject of this sketch was married. May 3, 1860, to 
Mary E. Elzay, of Orange Township, this county, born in Champaign 
County, Ohio, April 14, 1837. Her parents, Newton R. and Julia A. (Ral- 
ston) Elzay, came to this county in 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Vermillion were 
blessed with seven children: Elizabeth A., Harriet A., James W., Levi F., 
Daniel E. , William A. and Turley B. , all living in this county. Mr. Ver- 
million cleared and improved his farm in Orange Township, this county, 
which his widow still operates. He was a highly respected citizen, and 
served his township in some of its offices. In politics he was a Republican. 
His death occurred March 16, 1880. 

WILLIAM S. WARREN, farmer, P. O. BlufFton, Allen County, is a native 
of Columbiana County, Ohio, born November 9, 1833, son of William and Isa- 
belle (Hamilton) Warren, natives of. and married in. County Down. Ireland. 
They immigrated to America in 1828, first locating in Erie County, Penn. , 
then moving to Columbiana County. Ohio, where Mr. Warren died in 1836, 
and where his widow married William Peppell, her present husband, who 
came to this county in 1840, and still resides in Orange Township. William 
S. Warren also came to this county, where he has since made his home. He 
married, November 9, 1862, Miss Nancy A. Miller, a native of Orange 
Township, this county, born April 25, 1844, daughter of William and 
Roxany (Patch) Miller, natives of and married in Trumbull County, Ohio, 
and who came to this county in 1841. Their family consisted of five sons 
and four daughters: Samxiel (deceased), Arvilla, Levi, Nancy A. (deceased), 
John A., Ephriam, Henrietta, Susan and William (latter deceased). Will- 
iam Miller, the father, died in 1854; his widow still resides in Orange 
Township. To Mr. and Mrs. Warren were born four daughters and two 



822 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

sons: Dora M. , Minervia S., Rosa J., Arthur S., John A. and Lettie L. 
The mother of this family died October 8, "1884. She was a faithful mem- 
ber of the Evangelical Church. Mr. Warren, having no financial means, 
worked by the day and month for several years in his early life, but in 1858 
he purchased forty acres of timber land which he has cleared, together with 
several subsequent purchases. He is a member of the Evangelical Church. 
In politics he is a Repiiblican. 

JOHN H. ZEIGLEE, farmer. P. O. Ada, Hardin Co., born in Colum- 
bia County, Ohio, October 28, 1 841), is a son of Parry and Hannah (Mus- 
ser) Zeigler, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively; they mar- 
ried in Columbiana County, Ohio, where they still reside ; they are the parents 
of eight childi-en : Lavina, Charles, Chancy, John H., Harry, Jennie, Alice 
and Lizzie. Our subject l)egan the blacksmith trade at the age of four- 
teen years and continued working at it until about seven years ago. In 
1878 he came to Orange Township, this county, and purchased 160 acres 
of timber-land which he has cleared, and improved in various ways, and 
on which he has erected good buildings. He devotes his time and at- 
tention to general agricultural pursuits. January 29, 1873, Mr. Zeig- 
ler married Miss Semantha J. Palmer, a native of Columbiana Coimty, Ohio, 
born December 28, 1849, daughter of Michael and Mary (Barnett) Palmer, 
natives of, and married in Columbiana County, Ohio (they had three children : 
Susan, MaryE., and Semantha J.); Mr. Palmer died April 16, 1877; his 
widow still resides in Columbiana County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Zeigler are 
parents of one son: Harry, born February 18, 1875. Mrs. Zeigler is a 
member of the Presliyterian Church. In politics Mr. Zeigler is a Republi- 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 

ANDERSON S. APGER, farmer and stock raiser, post ofifice McComb, 
was born in the Empire State, January 5, 1839; son of John R. and Eliza- 
beth (Atchley) Apger, who were of German descent. John R. Apger, in 
early life was a blacksmith, but in later years a farmer; in 1848, he came to 
Wood County, Ohio, and entered land; he was twice married and reared a 
family of ten chikiren. Our subject, the eldest by his first wife, was reared 
on the farm, acquiring a cojnmon school education in the log schoolhouse. 
During the late war of the Rebellion he enlisted, in 1862, in Company G. , 
One Hundi-ed and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving under Capt. 
Howell. He was a non-commissioned officer, was wounded at the battle of 
Stone River, participated in several engagements and was a prisoner of war 
for five months. He came to Hancock County in 1865, settled on a farm, 
and same year was married to Hannah C. , sister of Ira B. Conine, of Mc- 
Comb. To this union were born the following named children : Carrie G. , 
Loretta, Wilber and John H. Mr. and Mrs. Apger are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has served as trustee. 

A. L. BAILS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Hancock County, Ohio, November 5, 1836, son of Abraham and Rebecca 
(Alloway) Bails, the former a native of Virginia, of English descent, the 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 823 

latter Ixji-n in Pennsylvania, of German origin; they were the parents of 
thirteen children (all attaining maturity), eight of whom are still living. 
Abra,ham Bails, who was a l)rick layer in early life, came to Hancock County 
in 1883, settling on land which he entered near Findlay. He died Decem- 
ber 29, 1855. Our subject, the seventh born, grew up on the farm, attend- 
mg the log schoolhouse, where he acquired his education. He is owner of 
two farms in this county. Mr. Bails was twice married; on first occasion, 
January 1, 1858, to Elizabeth Hart, who bore him the following named 
children: Emma A.; W. H., a school teacher; Mary; Chester; Isaac and 
Ida May (two last named Ijeing twins). Mrs. Bails died in 1869. Our 
subject next married, in 1872, Maria E. Moorhead, of Irish origin, daugh- 
ter of Josiah Moorhead. To this union were born two children: Adam^C. 
and Harvey E. (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Bails are members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, in which he has been steward, class leader, trustee, 
and superintendent of the Sabbath- school. Politically Mr. ■ Bails is a 
Republican. Formerly he was an active member of the L O. O F 

CAPT. ^MLLIAM BENSINGER, farmer, P. O. Deweyville, was born 
in Wayne County, Ohio, January 14, 1840, son of Keuben and Hannah 
(Feazel) Bensinger, the former a native of Pennsylvania and of German 
descent, and the latter a native of Ohio and of Scotch- Irish lineage. Reuben 
Bensinger, who was a life-long farmer, settled on a farm in Hancock 
County, Ohio, in 1858. Our subject, the only child, received a common 
school education in Medina County, Ohio, where he lived on the farm until 
eighteen years of age. At the breaking out of the late war of the Rebellion, 
he promptly enlisted in Company G, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
and was m active service until 1862, when he, with twenty-one others, vol- 
unteered to enter the enemy's camp, in disguise. This they did, and cap- 
tured a train of cars, which they succeeded in running 100 miles, but they 
were finally captured and eight of the party hung; the others broke from 
the guards and got away, though most of them were recaptui-ed. Our sub- 
ject was among the unfortunate ones and was kept a prisoner for one year. 
He was then exchanged and promoted to a captaincy. At the close of the 
war he commenced railroading, first as brakesman, then baggage-master, 
and later was fireman for two years, and was then promoted to be engineer. 
Owing to the declining health of his father, about this time Capt. Bensinger 
came home and operated a steam engine for the stave manufactory at Dew- 
eyville for foiu- years. He is now managing his father's farm. Our subject 
was married in 1863, to Sarah Harris, who was born in North Carolina. 
To this union was born one child— Charles H. In politics Capt. Bensinger 
is a Republican. He has served as assessor of his township. He is a mem- 
ber of the G. A. R. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren 
Church, of the Sabbath-school of which he is superintendent. 

FREDERICK BERGER, farmer and stock-raiser, Deweyville, was born 
in Wurtemberg, Germany, April 19, 1827. His father, George Berger, a 
farmer in that country, never came to America. Our subject, the third in a 
family of four children, received his schooling in his native land and there 
learned farming of his father. He came to America in 1853, and after liv- 
ing in Big Lick Township, Hancock Co. . Ohio, four years, moved to Pleas- 
ant Township where he has since resided. He has been twice married. His 
first wife, Catherine Yawn, whom he married in 1853, died in 1874. The 
childi-en born to this union were as follows: Jacob, John, William, Amos, 



824 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Lewis. Emma Ellen, Mary A.. Jonas F. and Charles C. Mr. Berger was 
married, on second occasion, to Mrs. Susan Myers, widow of David Myers 
(by whom she had two children : Laura M. , now the wife of Ephraim Trout 
and Joseph), and daughter of Peter Sherick, a farmer and early settler of 
Wayne County, Ohio. She is of German origin. This union has been 
blessed with two children: Barbara E. and Lydia, Mr. Berger' s four eld- 
est sons are married. Our subject is owner of 120 acres of land, and his 
wife has a life lease of fifteen acres more. Their property adjoins the village 
of Deweyville where they reside. Mr. Berger takes deep interest in educa- 
tional matters and has served as school director for several terms. In pol- 
itics he is a Democrat. 

EDWIN N. BOWMAN, merchant, Deweyville, was born in Defiance 
County, Ohio, May 14, 1857; son of Isaac and Jennette (McFarland) Bow- 
man, also natives of Ohio and of French and Scotch origin. Their family 
consisted of two children: Orville, now residing in Wood County, Ohio, and 
Edward N. The father, Isaac Bowman, was an architect by profession, 
which occupation he followed through life. Our subject received his educa- 
tion in the common schools. He learned the bakery and confectionery busi- 
ness which he followed for three years, and since then, was principally occu- 
pied in clerking, until 1882, when he came to Deweyville and established his 
present business. He was united in marriage, in 1881, with Mary C, daugh- 
ter of Jacob T. Wyckoff, and of German lineage. Their children are 
Joyce, Ross and Edith. Mr. Bowman is a Democrat in politics. 

C. W. BROOKS, farmer, P. O.McComb, was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, 
March 3, 1838, son of Elisha and Margaret (Woods) Brooks, the former a 
native of Virginia, the latter of Ohio and of English and Irish descent, re- 
spectively. The father of C. W\ , in early life a shoe-maker, came to this county 
in 1845 and bought 320 acres of land, on which he farmed the remainder of 
his life, dying in 1855. Our subject, the youngest in a family of eleven 
children (nine of whom grew to manhood and womanhood), was reared on 
the farm and attended the common schools. He is now the owner of 160 
acres of well improved land, and has made farming the occupation of his 
life. He was married, in 1861, 'to Sarah A. daughter of Cyrus and Betsey 
Hart, and descended of English and Irish stock, and who died in 1881. 
The children born to this union are Ellsworth, Norton, Mack, Wesley, Ma- 
tilda, Eli, Jennie and Lizzie. In politics Mr. Brooks is a Republican. In 
1862 he enlisted in Company G, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
was elected captain, but by a general order the regiment was broken up and 
the men detailed to other regiments. He served the full term of his enlist- 
ment, and had a close call at the battle of Stone River, receiving a bullet 
directly over his heart, his life being saved by a small bag of salt which he 
was carrying in his side pocket, and that so reduced the force of the ball 
that it only shattered one rib. Since the war Mr. Brooks has resided on 
his farm, in this township. He served as trustee four years and as treasurer 
four years in Pleasant Township. In 1880 he was elected county commis- 
sioner, but two townships were thrown out, which -gave the office to another. 
He takes an active interest in educational matters, and served eight years 
as a member of the board of education. In 1883 he was elected vice-presi- 
dent of Hancock County Agricultural Association, serving till 1885, when 
he was elected general manager. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. ; was 
First Chancellor Commander of McComb Lodge of K. of P. No. 179, and 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 825 

is now Deputy Grand Chancellor. He was quartermaster of John Howard 
Post 154, G. A. R., three years, and is now commander. 

THOMAS BROWN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb,was born in 
Maine, June 21, 1885, son of Thomas and Susan (Philbrook) Brown, natives 
of that State and of English origin. Thomas Brown was a codfisherman, 
an occupation he followed in early life for twenty -five years. He came to 
Hancock County in 1841, settling on a farm in Union Township, where he 
remained until his death, which occurred in 1884. He raised a large fam- 
ily of childi-en, eight of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. Our 
subject, the eldest son, was reared on the farm, and has always followed 
agricultural pursuits. He acquired a common school education in District 
No. 4, Union Township. During the late civil war he enlisted, in 1861, in 
Company A, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served three years ; 
was transferred to the veteran reserve corps, and became a non-commissioned 
officer. He was discharged at Washington on expiration of term of service. 
He participated in the battles of Corinth, Pittsburgh Landing, the siege of 
Vicksburg and in other engagements. Mr. Brown was married, in 1859, 
to Miss Mary Tussing, of German descent, daughter of Henry Tussiug, a 
wheelwright. Their chihiren are Hanna L., wife of Melvin Dellinger; 
Eliza Jane, wife of Albert Strouse; George W. at home; Freeman D. and 
Charles Elmer. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the United Brethren 
Church, in which he has been class leader and steward. He has served as 
township clerk and trustee, and as school director. He is owner of 130 
acres of well -improved land. 

WILLIAM C. BROWN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O., McComb, was 
born in Ashland County, Ohio, Se[)tember 22, 1851 ; son of Henry F. and 
Mary Ann (Ewing) Brown, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Penn- 
sylvania, and of Irish and German descent, respectively. Henry F. Brown, 
a farmer and manufacturer, came to Hancock Coiiuty, Ohio, in 1854, and 
settled on a farm in Blaachard Township. He was twice married, and by 
his first wife had five childi-en, of whom William C. is the eldest. Our sub- 
ject was reared on the farm, attending the schools in Pleasant and Blanchard 
Townships and the Findlay High School No. 9. He operated a saw-mill in 
McComb one year and a half, bat farming has been the principal business 
of his life. He makes the raising of Jersey cattle a specialty. In politics 
Mr. Brown is a Republican, He has acted as cemetery trustee; was a mem- 
ber of the town council while he lived in McComb, and has served as town- 
ship clerk for several terms. He was vice-chancellor of McComb Lodge, K. 
of P. , to which he belonged and was one of its charter members, and was 
initiated in the several ranks at the institution of the lodge. The lodge was 
instituted January 22, 1884. 

JAMES H. BYAL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born 
two miles west of Findlay, Hancock Co., Ohio, April 14, 1847; son of 
Jacob and Sarah Jane (Watson) Byal. Jacob Byal, born in Ohio and of 
English origin, was a son of John Byal who came to Ohio in an early day, 
and came to Hancock County when a young man, settling on a farm. Of 
the seven chiklren born to Jacqb and Sarah Jane Byal four attained maturity 
and two now survive, viz: James H. and Martha, now the wife of W. Ray- 
mond. One son, John, was killed in the late war of the Rebellion. Our 
subject, who has been a farmer all his life, owns eighty acres of land in 
Pleasant Township. He was married in 1870, to Anna, daughter of Peter 



826 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Boughtall, who whs among the lirst settlers of Findlay. Their children are 
as follows: Eva, Eruma, Frederick, Belle and*Tobias. Mr. Byal is a Repub- 
lican in politics. During the late civil war he enlisted in Company G, Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, in 1864. He is a member of the G. A. R. 

J. B. CHERRY, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, March 1, 1842, son of Ralph and Elizabeth (Lebe) 
Cherry, natives of Pennsylvania and of German origin. Ralph Cherry, 
a farmer by occupation, came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1847, and set- 
tled a half-mile northwest of Findlay. He reared a family of seven chil- 
dren. Our subject, the fifth born, was raised on a farm, attending the 
common schools. He worked on his father' s farm for a few years, and then 
engaged in the harness business in McComb, in which he continued for five 
years. He then rented and conducted a grist-mill for three years. In 
1875 he bought a farm of forty acres, and has since been engaged in agi'i- 
cultural pursuits, for which piirposes he rents other land in addition to his 
farm. He was married, in 1867, to Mary E., daughter of James Ewing, of 
German lineage. Their children are J. R., C. W., J. H., F. B. , Luther, 
J. N. and Vick. Mr. and Mrs. Cherry are members of the Presbyterian 
Chiu'ch in McComb. Politically he is a Repiiblican. He has served as 
school director of his township. 

REV. GEORGE WASHINGTON CLINE, minister in the Disciples 
Church, McComb, was born in Waterford, Juniata Co., Penn. , April 21, 
1843; son of George and Mary (Miller) Cline, natives of Pennsylvania and 
of German origin, and the parents of six childi'en, George W. being the 
third born. His father, a wagon-maker by trade, moved with his family 
fi'om Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1846; he settled in McComb and worked at 
his trade for a short time, thence moved to Putnam County, Ohio, where he 
resided for four years, when he moved to McLean County, 111. , and there 
spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1875. Our subject attended the 
common schools and commenced to teach school when about seventeen years 
old, continuing in the profession for six years. He united with the Disciples 
Church when twenty- one years old, and attended the Lexington University, 
Kentucky, graduating in 1875. His first charge was in McLean County, 
111., but at his father's demise he was appointed administrator, and was 
debarred from active engagements till he was appointed to missionary work 
in McLean County, where he remained only six months, however, returning 
to McComb, where he has been preaching within the radius of twenty 
miles since 1876. He is now ministering in Wood County, Ohio, to a con- 
gregation which under his labors has increased from six to eighty-six mem- 
bers, and who have built a new church. He also preaches at Freeport, 
Wood Co., Ohio, l)ut makes McComb his home. He is a diligent stu- 
dent, a historical reader, and much attached to his profession. He was for- 
merly a Democrat in politics, but is now a Prohibitionist. In 1882 he 
entered the political campaign, in the interests of his party, and was in 
great demand as an able speaker on the temperance question. He served 
two years as president of the Ohio Missionary Society. Rev. Cline was 
married, April 22, 1875, to Carrie E. Collins, of English descent, and a 
daughter of Andrew Collins, who sacrificed his life in defense of his coun- 
try during the lale war of the Rebellion. To Mr. and Mrs. Cline were 
born two children, who are now at school: Vernine and Merle. Mrs. Cline 
is a menaber of the Disciples Church. 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 827 

WILLIAM H. CONINE, retired farmer, McComb, was boru in Morris 
County, N. J., July 22, 1815, son of Jacob and Sarah (Lawrence) Conine, 
natives of New Jersey, and of German descent, the former a farmer by occu- 
pation. Our subject, who early lost his father, was reared by his uncle, 
who kept a hotel. After receiving a common school education, he learned 
the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for several years. He was mar- 
ried, in 18-1:(), to Loretta G. Gail, a native of Erie County, N. Y., and to 
this union were born four children: Ira B., Hannah M. , Sarah F. and Sta- 
tira M. Mrs. Conine died in 1884. She was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which our subject has served as steward and trustee. 
Mr. Conine is a Republican in politics; served as school director for twenty- 
five years and as trustee several terms; was justice of the peace nine years, 
and mayor of McComb two years. He has lived in Ohio since 1821, and in 
Hancock County since 1848. 

IRA B. CONINE, attorney at law, McComb, Ohio, was born in Licking 
County, Ohio, September 24, 1841, only son of William H. and Loretta 
(Gail) Conine, who were the parents of foiu- childi-en. Our subject was 
reared on the farm, receiving a common school education, and followed agri- 
cultural pursuits till August, 1862, when he enlisted in Company G, One 
Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He remained with his 
company and regiment, a part of the time on detail as clerk in the provost 
marshal's office, at Falmouth, Ky., until Jiily, 1863, when he was detailed 
and sent to Boston, Mass., on duty, where he remained until November, 
1863, when he again rejoined his company and regiment at Knoxville, Tenn., 
just after the siege of Knoxville. During the winter of 1863 and 1864 he 
remained with his regiment in that severe campaign against Gens. Long- 
street and Wheeler. He participated in one battle during that winter cam- 
paign in which his regiment lost seventy-nine men. About April 20, 1864, 
he went to Knoxville, Tenn. , where he was detailed as commissary sergeant 
of the convalescent and exchange camp, where he remained until February, 
1865, when he was detailed as brigade commissary sergeant, and sent on 
Stoneman's raid through east Tennessee and North Carolina, in which posi- 
tion he served until the close of- the war. Was mustered out of the 
United States service June 17, 1865, at Knoxville, Tenn., and im- 
mediately went back to Greenville, Tenn., and went into depot com- 
missary as clerk at that post. In August, 1865, he returned home. 
Was married in September, 1865, to Minerva J., daughter of Philip 
and Mary (Carey) Bysel, and whose father was a native of Pennsylva- 
nia, and of German descent. To this union were born the following 
children: Wallace B., Cloyce D., Gail M., William H. , Pearl and Dallas 
C. Mr. Conine went to farming on rented ground, and lived in a log cabin. 
His wife, who was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, died in 
1878. He was again married, in 1879, to Ella H., daughter of Thomas and 
Eliza (Routsou) Shaw. They are members of the Slethodist Episcopal 
Church, in which he now is and has for the six years last past been district 
steward, and for many years has been a member of the board of trustees. 
He is a Republican in politics; has never sought or accepted office. He is 
a member of the G. A. R., a Past Chancellor and District Deputy in the 
order of K. of P. Mr. Conine commenced to read law in the log cabin on 
the farm in 1876. In January, 1878, he passed an examination, and was 
admitted to the bar. He at once began the practice of law with great sue- 



828 HISTORY OF hancock county. 

cess, and in 1884 was admitted to the bar of the United States court. His 
business has so increased that he has an extensive practice in the county in 
which he lives and in adjoining counties. He is now the owner of a fine 
farm, consisting of 200 acres, and several town properties, and has been 
financially successful. 

TAYLOR CONINE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Shawtown, was born 
in Holmes County, Ohio, October 23, 1857, son of James H. and Elizabeth 
(Guear) Conine, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania 
and of German origin. They reared a family of eight children, Taylor 
being the fourth. James H. Conine, a farmer by occiipation, was an early 
settler of Hancock County, coming here in 1855 and settling on a farm in 
Blanchard Township. Our subject, who was reared on the farm and at- 
tended the common school, has always followed agricultural piirsuits and 
has been remarkably successful, now owning a farm of eighty acres on Sec- 
tion 20, Pleasant Township, whereon he now resides. Mr. Conine was 
united in marriage, February 5, 1885, with Mary H., daughter of F. High, 
an early settler of this county and where he lived for many years (at his 
death Mrs. Conine, his only child, inherited eighty acres of improved land 
on Section 19, this township). In politics Mr. Conine is a Democrat. 

ALLEN COOPER, manufacturer, McComb, was born in Portage Town- 
ship, this county, September 18, 1834. eldest child of James and Jane Eliza 
(Cusac) Cooper. (A sketch of his parents appears in this volume, and for a 
more extended history of his mother's family see biography of Hon. I. 
Cusac of McComb.) Our subject received a common school education and 
worked on the farm till he was twenty-one years old when he embarked in 
the saw-mill business in company with J. Cusac. The latter sold his in- 
terest after one year, to Joshua Simon, and the partnership of Allen Cooper 
and Joshua Simon lasted for twenty-one years. They did a successful busi- 
ness, dealing in hard lumber, sashes, doors, blinds and shingles. Mr. 
Simon subsequently sold out and in 1881 W. P. Cooper bought a third in- 
terest and the firm style is now Cooper & Bro. Our subject was maiTied, 
in 1859, to Rebecca, daughter of William Ritter, whose parents were natives 
of Switzerland. This vinion has been blessed with eight children, only two 
of whom now survive: Ida L. , wife of Prof. .H. W. Doty, superintendent of 
the McComb high schools, and William E. , at home. Mr. Cooper served 
two terms as trustee of Pleasant Township. He is a member of the I. O. 
O. F. ; in politics a Democrat. 

W. P. COOPER, manufacturer, McComb, was born in Portage Town- 
ship, this county, July 0, 1851, son of Judge James and Jane Eliza (Cusac) 
Cooper, former a pioneer of Hancock County. Our subject was reared on the 
farm; received a common school education in his native county, and followed 
agricultural pursuits till 1881, when he embarked in the business of manu- 
facturing hardwood lumber, and is now doing a general lumbering business. 
He was married in 1871 to Anna E. Marshall, of Scotch origin, and daugh- 
ter of James Marshall. This union has been blessed with nine children, 
eight of whom are now living: H. J., Lena V., Phebe E., Ettie J., Thomas 
S. , James, Nellie and John. Mrs. Cooper is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. In politics Mr. Cooper is a Democrat. He has served as trustee of 
Portage Township. 

S. A. COOPER, real estate dealer, McComb, was born in Baltimore, Md. , 
April 0,1837, scmof Samuel and Sarah (Harris) Cooper, the former born in 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 829 

England, the latter in Wales, and who came to America with their parents. 
They had a family of thirteen children, nine attaining maturity, S. A. being 
the seventh born. Samuel Cooper, our subject' s father (who was but four years 
old when he came to this country) learned the shoemaker's trade, and car- 
ried on business at Baltimore, Md., for four years, then moved to Mercer 
County, Penn. There our subject attended the common school and learned 
his trade of his father. After completing his apprenticeship he worked at 
his trade for twenty-live years, part of the time also dealing in boots and 
shoes. He was married, in 18()1, to Miss E. J. Seiple, a lady of German de- 
scent, by whom he has had seven children, three of whom are now living: Jen- 
nie L. (wife of B. F. Freed), Edmond (clerking in McComb) and Bertha, at 
home. Mrs. Cooper has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
for thirty years. Mr. Cooper first embarked in business on his own account 
in Pennsylvania, after three years moving to Summit County, Ohio; two 
years later to Trumbidl County, Ohio, where he remained five years. In 
1878 he came to McComb, and worked at his trade till he was elected mayor 
of McComb. In 1879 he commenced the real estate business. He is a 
member of Benton Ridge Lodge, No. 418, F. & A. M., having been admit 
ted a member of the fraternity at Aki-on, Ohio, in 1883. He is also a mem- 
ber of the American Mechanics. 

E. T. CUMMINS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O., Shawtown, was 
born in Champaign County. Ohio, December 21, 1828, son of Benjamin 
and Mary (Davis) Cummins, natives of Kentucky, and of Irish and Scotch, 
descent, respectively. Benjamin Cummins, who was a farmer, came to 
Hancock County, Ohio, in 1881, locating in Liberty Township, but after- 
ward removed to Pleasant Township, where he died in 1875. Our subject, 
third in a family of ten children, . received his . education in Findlay, was 
reared on a farm, and early in life, commenced teaching school, a vocation 
he followed for many years diu'ing the winters, farming in the summers. 
Since 1867 Mr. Cummins has been a minister of the gospel in the Method- 
ist Church; has had several charges but of late years has filled vacancies. 
He was married, in 1855, to Sarah E., daughter of William and Rachel 
(Skelly) Hanna, natives of Pennsylvania, and of Irish and Scotch descent. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Cummins were born the following named childi'en: Albert 
B., man-ied and engaged in farming; Maria L., wife of G. M. Swaney; 
Elmer and Olive, both at home. Mrs. Cummins is a member of the Meth- 
odist Ei^iscopal Church, in which Mr. Cummins is deacon. Politically, our 
subject is a Republican. He has served as justice of the peace for several 
years, also served as township trustee, and for twenty years was school 
director. His principal occupation for several years has been settling up 
decedents' estates. He has lived in Pleasant Township for about fifty years. 

HON. ISAAC CUSAC, retired merchant, McComb, was born in Perry 
County, Ohio, November 18, 1829, son of Daniel and Sarah (Sellers) Cusac. 
Daniel Cusac, a farmer, came to Hancock County in 1839, and settled five 
miles northwest of Findlay. He reared a family of nine children, all of 
whom married and have families, and are now residents of this county, the 
eldest being seventy-one and the youngest fifty years of age. It is rare for 
so large a family, all grown to manhood and womanhood, to live so near 
each other, the greatest distance apart of any of these being about seven 
miles. Our subject, the seventh born in the family, was reared on the 
farm, receiving a common school education. He followed farmino- and 



830 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

milling until the bre;ikin<^ out of the late war of the liebellion, when he en- 
listed in Company G., Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was elected 
captain and subsequently became a major. During his service Mr. Cusac 
was taken prisoner by the enemy and kept in confinement seventeen 
months; was twice wounded, first in the hand and then in the shoulder. 
Oiu' subject was married, in 1850, to Sarah L. , daughter of Rev. George 
Van Eman, a Pres1)yterian minister and a pioneer of this county. To this 
union were born the following named children: Rebecca J., widow of G. C. 
Rotz; George L., a merchant, married and residing in Findlay, Ohio; Syl- 
via E., wife of Robert Morrison; and Sarah L., at home. Mr. and Mrs. 
Cusac are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder. 
Mr. Cusac built the second flour-mill in McComb, which he operated for 
three years; was engaged in general merchandising for six years. Politic- 
ally he is a Prohibitionist. He was elected, in 1858, and served as com- 
missioner of Hancock County, till his enlistment in the army. In 1866 he 
was elected to the Legislature and served two terms. He has been a mem- 
ber of the school board and has tilled the offices of trustee and treasurer of 
Pleasant Township. 

N. D. DAVIS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Blanchard Township, this county, October 5, 1844, son of Alfred and Nancy 
(Houchins) Davis, natives of Ohio, and of Scotch and German descent, re- 
spectively. Alfred Davis was one of the pioneer farmers of Blanchard 
Township, this county, and is the owner of more than 1,000 acres of land 
in that township. N. D. Davis, the subject of this sketch, was reared on 
the farm and acquired a common school education. He has made farming, 
stock raising and stock dealing his occupation, and is the owner of 280 acres 
of land in Van Buren Township, Putnam-Co., Ohio, on which he resides. He 
married, in 1869, Annie E. , a lady of German descent, daughter of Isaac N. 
Vangilder, a farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been born three chil- 
di-en: Cora L., O. T. and Merle C. In politics Mr. Davis is a Republican. 
Mrs. Davis is a member of the Presbyterian Church. 

S. B. DAVIS, editor and proprietor of the McComb Herald, McComb, was 
born in LaFayette, Ind. His father, Samuel N. Davis, was by profession a 
clown in a circus and died before our subject was born. His mother subse- 
quently remarried. Our subject, when but seven years of age, ran away 
from home and went to Sacramento, Cal. , where he found several ways of 
making a living, though he worked in a hotel most of the time. When thir- 
teen years old he returned to South Bend, Ind. , and spent three years in 
learning the printer's trade in the office of the St. Joseph Valley Register, 
which paper was published by Schuyler Coif ax and Mr. Wheeler. Our sub- 
ject next went ' 'West' ' and for a time worked on a paper in Leavenworth, 
Kas. Retiu'ning to Toledo, Ohio, in 1861, he enlisted in Company H, 
Fourteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after serving three months, re- en- 
listed, was assigned to Company D, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, and was wounded 
at the battle of Pea Ridge, Ark. At the expiration of his term of service 
he re-enlisted for three years more and served until the close of the war. 
While on picket duty at Helena, Ark., he was taken prisoner and confined 
for three months at Little Rock, Ark. After the close of the war of the Re- 
bellion, Mr. Davis returned to South Bend, Ind. , and for four years engaged 
in the saw-mill and lumber interest. He then followed the show business 
and lectured for four years. In 1872 he established a newspaper at Bluff- 



PLEASANT TOWNSHtP. 831 

ton, Alleu Co., Ohio, and this he managed for two years and a half; then 
moved with the said printing office to Dunkirk, where he remained for eio-ht 
and a half years, and there established and published the Dunkirk Standard. 
In 1883 he sold out in Dunkirk, came to McComb, and purchased the Herald, 
his present business. Mr. Davis' marriage was a romantic one. November 
12, 1872, he met, and on same day married, Mary, daughter of John Meyers, 
of Dutchess County, N. Y. Her father served a term of years as high sheriff 
of that county, was a hotel-keeper, and died in his thirty-eighth year; he and 
his father and grandfather were all named John Meyers, all Democrats in 
politics, and all born in the same house, which has stood for over 200 
years. To our subject and wife were born the following named childi-en: 
Bessie, Belle, Harry, Clarence and Frederick. Mr. Davis is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of McComb Lodge, I. O. O. F., 
and John Howard Post G. A. R. Politically he is a Republican. 

GEORGE W. EAVING, merchant , McComb, was born in Ashland Coun- 
ty, Ohio, September 30, 1850, son of George and Sarah (Mogle) Ewing, 
natives of Pennsylvania and of German origin. His father, a farmer, 
moved fi-om Pennsylvania to Ashland County, Ohio, and there farmed until 
1851, when he came to Hancock County, Ohio, settling on a farm in Pleas- 
ant Township, where he still resides. George and Sarah Ewing were the 
parents of eleven childi-en (nine now living), of whom George W. is the lifth. 
Our subject was reared on the farm, attending the common school and the 
high school at Findlay, Ohio. He worked on the farm, with his father, till 
he attained his majority, when he taught school for one year. He sub- 
sequently learned the tinner's trade, at McComb, at which he worked for 
four years. Then went to Dunkirk, Ohio, and embarked in business on his 
own account, selling agricultural implements, hardware and stoves for live 
years ; then he came to McComb and established a general store. He was 
married, in 1876, to Jennie Smith, of Irish-German descent, daughter of 
John Smith, a carpenter. To this union were born following named chil- 
dren: Edith E. and Hattie Etta. Politically Mr. Ewing is a Democrat. He 
has sei-ved as clerk of McComb. 

F. P. FIFER, dealer in paints, oils, varnishes, etc., McComb, was 
born in Rockingham County, Va., January 18, 1850; son of Silas and 
Catharine (Richey) Fifer, also natives of Virginia, and of English and Ger- 
man origin, re3j)ectively, former a painter by trade. They came to this 
county in 186/. Our subject, the only child by his father's tirst mar- 
riage, received his education in the common schools and has never been en- 
gaged in any other business than his present one. He was united in mar- 
riage June 4, 1871, with Marinda, daughter of Frank and Malinda (Spit- 
ler) Edgington, natives of Ohio and of English descent. To this union 
were born the following named children: Charles, Jessie and Ebenezer. 
Mr. and Mrs. Fifer are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 
which he is trustee and has been class leader. He is a Democrat in politics. 
He has served as a member of the town council in McComb. 

H. M. FLETCHER, farmer and school teacher, P. O. McComb, was 
born in Portage Township, this county, October 7, 1861 ; son of Charles 
and Catherine (Brown) Fletcher, the latter of whom, at the time of her mar- 
riage with our subject's father, was the widow of P. Emmerson. By her 
union with Charles Fletcher (who was an early settler in this county and is 
the owner of a tine farm on which he resides) she has four children: Victor, 



832 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

E. J., H. M. and E. E. H. M. Fletcher was roared on tb(^ farm and ac- 
quired his education in the common schools of this county and in the Ada 
Normal School. He clerked for one year in the dry goods store of J. S. 
Roth, in McComb, and in the winter of 1881-82 he taught his lirst school. 
He has now taught school six terms. He is also a teacher in the Sabbath- 
school, and is a member of the United Brethren Church. He is a worthy 
member of the I. O. O. F. 

GtEOUCtE W. font, farmer, McComl), was born in Muskingum Coun- 
ty, Ohio, August 20, 1830, son of Frederick Font, of Welsh descent. His 
father, born in Virginia in 17V)8, enjoys good health and takes an active in- 
terest in the affairs of his farm. He, Frederick Font, came with his family 
to this coTinty in 1841, settling in Pleasant Township, where he has since 
resided, taking up 160 acres of wild land, which be has cleared. His wife 
died in 1871. Ho is now passing his declining years with the youngest of 
his live children, George W. Our subject was reared on the farm, attending 
the log schoolhouse. and has made farming his vocation. He was married, 
in 1862, to Sarah E. Cochrel, by whom ho had the following named chil- 
dren: John F. (deceased); Alice A., wife of \V. C. Hanes, a barber, of Mc- 
Comb; Eugene Earl; William A, and Emmet D. In politics Mr. Font is a 
Republican. In 1864 he enlisted in Company CI, One Hundred and Sev- 
enty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, participated in some severe battles, 
and served till the close of the war. He then returned home and resumed 
farming, though his health is seriously impaired by hardships endured while 
in his coiuatry's service. He is owner of a fine farm, part of which is within 
the corporation limits of McComb. 

JAMES FRENCH, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Leipsic, Putnam 
County, was born in Rockbridge County, Va., December 20, 1816, and is 
the eldest child of Rol)ert and Phebe (Grrisby) French, natives of Virginia, 
and of French and English descent respectively, the former a plasterer and 
brick-mason by trade. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, 
acquired a common school education, in Licking County, Ohio, and, in 1886, 
started out for himself, working by the month, and also learning the carpen- 
ter' s trade. He resided in Putnam County most of the time since, and has 
lived in Hancock County for the last eleven years. In 1846 he married 
Catherine (a lady of English descent), daughteT of Elisha Stout, an early 
settler of Putnam County. Our subject and wife are parents of six chil- 
dren: Elisha, Sarah E., Margaret, William, Mary (wife of Asa R. Hig- 
botham, of Ottawa, Ohio) and James. Mr. and Mrs. French are members 
of the Disciples Church, in which church he is a deacon. Our subject is 
the owner of two farms comprising seventy-eight and eighty acres respect- 
ively. In politics he is a Democrat; has served as trustee of Blanchard 
Township, Putnam County. 

PETER J. GROSE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Deweyville, was 
born in Wayne County, Ohio, July 4, 1852; the second in a family of six 
children of Jacob and Mary (Sherick) Grose, natives of Pennsylvania and of 
German descent. Jacob Grose, who was a cabinet-maker in early life and 
in later years a farnier, came to Hancock Coimty, Ohio, in 1855, settling on 
a farm. Peter J. Grose received his education in the common schools and 
also attended Findlay High School. He was reared on the farm, and has 
followed agricultural ]mrsuits all his life. He owns 120 acres of well 
improved land on which he resides. He was united in marriage, 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 833 

in 1876, with Harriet Bolton, of English lineage, and daughter of 
Michael Bolton, an English professor, and for many years a school teacher. 
To our subject and wife were born the following named children: Alverda 
May, Pearl Estelki and Merritt Roy. Mr. and Mi"s. Gi'ose are members of 
the Church of God, in which he is an elder, and of the Sabbath-school of 
which he is a teacher. 

W. H. HALLIWILL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was 
born in Big Lick Township, this county, January 26, 1844, son of John and 
Elizabeth (Albert) Halliwill, the former born in Ohio, of English and Scotch- 
Irish descent, the latter a native of Pennsylvania, of German lineage. John 
Halliwill, a farmer by occupation, came to Big Lick Township, this county, 
in 1888, but is now a resident of Fostoria, Ohio. Our subject, the young- 
est in a family of eight children, was reared on the farm, attending the 
common school. He worked at the carpenter' s trade for five years, but since 

1878 has followed agricultural pursuits, and is now owner of a farm of 
seventy-eight acres in Pleasant Township, and on which he resides. He was 
married, in 1871, to Addie McKee, by whom he had one child, Martha J. 
Mrs. Halliwill dying in 1872, Mr. Halliwill married, on second occasion, in 
1880, Jane Taylor, and to this union was born one son, John Albert. Mrs. 
Halliwill is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. 
Halliwill is a Republican. He is a member of Arcadia Lodge, I. O. O. F. 

J. W. HARLOW, contractor and builder, McComb, was born in Mercer 
County, Penn. , August 3, 1887, and is next youngest in the family of ten 
children of Philip and Eliza (Weaver) Harlow, natives of Germany, former 
of whom, a tailor by trade, died in Pennsylvania in 1860; latter died in 
Wood County in 1874. Our subject received a common school education, 
and at the age of nineteen commenced learning the carpenter's trade, which 
he has since continued in. Ho came to Hancock County in 1858, settling 
in Union Township on a farm, also worked at his trade. He came to Mc- 
Comb in 1882. He built the United Brethren Church at Hoytsville. From 

1879 to 1880 he carried on a branch store for G. M. Ogden. Mr. Harlow 
was married, in 1860, to Sarah, daughter of Reuben George, a native of 
Pennsylvania and of German descent. Their children are Stephen A., 
Henry Milton, Mary E., Lillie May and Bertha L. Mrs. Harlow is a 
member of the Church of God. Mr. Harlow is a Democrat in politics. He 
has served as a member of the town council two years, and as a member of 
the school board of Wood County. 

PHILIP HENRY HELPER, blacksmith, McComb, was born in Han- 
cock County, Ohio, in I860, the eldest son and third child of Philip and 
Elizabeth (Howell) Heifer, latter a native of West Virginia, of English 
origin, her family being members of the Society of Friends (or Quakers). 
Our subject's father was born in Germany; came to America when a young 
man; was a carpenter in early life and among the first settlers of Hancock 
County, locating on a farm in "Washington Township, where he lived; he 
died there in 1865. Philip Henry Heifer was reared on a farm in his 
native county, attending the common school, and at the age of sixteen com- 
menced the blacksmith trade. He was married, in 1881, to CaiTie Cline, 
a lady of Scotch descent, daughter of Jacob Cline. Mr. Heifer has been 
successful financially and owns a neat, substantial house (in which he re- 
sides) and his shop and lot. Politically he is a Democrat. 



834 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

GEORGE E. HELFEK, l)lacksmith, McComb, was born in Fostoria, 
Ohio, November 28, IHfVi, youngest in the family of Philip and Elizal)eth 
(Howell) Heifer, who wore the parents of four children: Sarah, wife of 
William Swaney; Ellen, wife of A. Steneger; Philip Henry and George E. 
Our subject was reared oti the farm, received a common school (nlueation, 
and is now with his brother, Philip Henry, learning the blacksmith's trade. 

ADAM HELFRICK, farmer, P. O. Deweyville, was born in Germany, 
May 11, 1S2.S. His father, John Helfrick, came from Germany to America 
in 1833 and settled on a farm in Pennsylvania; he had a family of eight 
children, of whom six attained maturity. Our subject, the fifth born, had 
two brothers who lost their lives in the late war of the Rebellion — one 
killed in battle the other starved to death in a rebel prison. Our subject 
was reared on a farm, receiving but a limited education. He was a poor 
man when he came to this county, in 1850, having liut $10 in money, 
which he put in th(^ bank. He worked and earned $10 more and in- 
vested in land. As a farmer he has been successful and at the present time 
is the owner of 118 acres of good land. He was married, in 1853, to Mar- 
garet Ruch, of German descent, and who was born in Stark County, Ohio, 
daughter of Jacob and Catharine (Long) Ruch. Her father, a shoe-maker 
by trade, came to America in 1813 and settled in Ohio. To Mr. Helfrick 
and wife were born the following children: George, an attorney and insur- 
ance agent, in Putnam, Ohio; Frank, a farmer in Pleasant Township; 
Mary, wife of Edward Ward; Jacob, a harness-maker; Jennie; Calista; 
Libbie and Callie. Most of the family are members of the Church of God. 
At the breaking out of the late war of the Rebellion Mr. Helfi-ick enlisted, 
April 17, 1861, in Company A, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 

J. H. HICKERSON, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born 
in Licking County, Ohio, May 16, 1830, son of Samuel and Mary (McCrary) 
Hickerson, the former a native of Virginia, the latter of Pennsylvania, and 
of English and Irish lineage, respectively. Samuel Hickerson, who was a 
farmer all his life, came to Hancock County, September 10, 1835, settling 
on a farm on the line of Putnam County. Of a family of eight children, 
our subject is the third. He was reared on a farm, receiving his edu- 
cation in the common schools. He chose the occupation of a farmer and 
has followed agricultural pursuits to the present time, and is owner of the 
well improved farm of eighty acres on which he resides. He was married, 
in 1852, to Susan, daughter of Jacob Mathias. Her parents were of Penn- 
sylvania-Dutch lineage. To our subject and wife were born the following 
children: J. F. , superintendent of the public schools at McClure, Henry 
Co., Ohio; Mary ,1. ; Elmer Ellsworth; James Allen. The family are mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church. In politics Mr. Hickerson is a Prohibitionist. 

H. W. HUGHES, merchant, McComb, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, April 29, 1829, son of Owen and Elizabeth (Bailey) Hughes, of En- 
glish descent, and who reared a family of eight children, H. W. being the 
sixth. Owen Hughes, a mechanic, was a pioneer of Hancock Comity, com- 
ing here in 1832, entering land on what is now known as Benton Ridge, 
which is now owned by his son. H. W. Our subject was reared on the farm, 
receiving a common school education in this county. In early life he learned 
carpentering, and worked at this trade for fifteen years; fi'om 1869 to 1880 
he engaged in farming, and since 1880 he has resided at McComb, where he 
keeps a general store. He has been twice married — first, in 1853, to Emzy 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 835 

Hampton, who died in 1858; he then married, in 1861, Kate, daughter of 
Allen McCaham, a pioneer farmer of Hancock County. To this union was 
born one child. Homer H. , now clerking in his father' s store. Mr. Hughes is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is a trustee and 
steward. Mr. Hughes is a Baptist. Our subject is a Republican in politics; 
served six years as a justice of the peace, two years as clerk and postmaster 
of Blanchard Township, and four years as mayor of McComb. 

JOHN D. JAMESON, farmer, P. O. McComb, was born in Michigan, 
February 5, 1 858, son of Newton and Mary J. (Whiting) Jameson, natives of 
Ohio, and of Irish descent. Our suliject's father, who is a fanner, has lived 
many years in Hohiies County, Ohio, but is now residing on a farm in Michigan. 
Our subject, the third in a family of six children, was reared on a farm, and 
acquired a common school education. He came to this county in 1876, and 
settled on the farm of 180 acres of land where he now resides, in Pleasant 
Township. In 1877 he married Nevada, daughter of James Beard, and to 
them have been born four childi-en: Charles, Silva, Edith and Blondie. In 
politics Mr. Jameson is a Republican. 

CALEB KELLEY, farmer, P. O. Shawtown, was born in Baltimore 
County, Md. , January 24, 1806, son of Thomas and Axey (Tracy) Kelley, 
of Irish descent, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of 
Maryland. Their family consisted of fourteen children, of whom twelve 
grew to manhood and womanhood. Caleb, the youngest, was but a lad 
when his father, who was a farmer, came to Ohio and settled on a farm 
where oui* subject was reared to manhood, attending the log schoolhouse. 
He chose farming as his occupation, and in 1834 came to Hancock County, 
Ohio, settling three miles north of Findlay, where he entered forty acres of 
land. In 1843 he moved to his present farm, soon after the township was 
organized, entering forty acres of land which he cleared, and is now the 
owner of eighty acres of well improved land. Mr. Kelley has been blessed 
with good health, is remarkably well preserved for his years, and does not 
look to be over sixty years of age. He was married, March 7, 1833, to 
Elizabeth, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Hamel) Croser. Her father 
was a farmer of German origin. To this union were born thirteen children, 
of whom seven survive: Samantha, wife of William F. Taylor, a farmer in 
Iowa; Sarah A., widow of Jacob Priest, who was killed by falling from a 
chiu-ch on which he was working, in 1884; Elizabeth, wife of Andi'ew Kesler, 
of Michigan; Margaret Ellen, wife of Wesley Vanscoyoe, of Kansas; Alonzo, 
at home; Francis M. , married and farming in this township; Samuel, also 
a farmer. One son, Thomas Milton, was a member of the Ninety-ninth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and gave his life in defense of his country during 
the late civil war. Alonzo was born in Pleasant Township, this county, and 
educated in the district schools. He has made farming his life business and 
now owns forty acres of improved land. In politics he is a Republican. 
Caleb Kelley lost his life companion in 1880; she was a member of the Bap- 
tist Church in which Mr. Kelley is a deacon. In politics he has been a 
Republican since the organization of the party. 

T. AV. KELLEY, proprietor of saw-mill and manufacturer of lumber, 
hoops, etc., P. O. Shawtown, was born in Hancock County, Ohio, January 
22, 1848, son of T. B. and Margaret (Pickens) Kelley. natives of Ohio and 
of English and Scotch descent, respectively, and who had a family of twelve 
children. T. B. Kelley, who was a carpenter in the early part of his life, 



836 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

and in later years followed fanning, was among the early pioneers of this 
connty, coining herc^ in 1S34, where for a time he worked at carpentering, 
and oi)erated a saw mill. He died Febrnary '23, 1885. Our subject, who 
is th(^ eldest chikl, reciuved his education in the comnjon schools of this 
county. He was tinited in marriage, March 15, 18f)8, with Margaret Lape, 
of ^ Pennsylvania Dutch descent, and daughter of Michael Lape, a pioneer 
farmer of this county. To this union were born four children: Asa, Agnes, 
Louis and J. L. Mrs. Kelley is a member of the United Brethren Church. 
Our subjcict has lieen a member of the school board for six years, and dark 
of the same for three years. In 1873 he eml^arked in his present business, 
the firm nam(^ being Kelley cSi Lape. The mill has a capacity of about 
8,000 feet per day, and gives employment to six men th(? year round. 

li. W. LACEY, livery, McComb, was born in Wood County, Ohio, May 
30, 1853, next eldest of the four children of Henry and Margaret (Sweney) 
Lacey, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German origin. His father, a carpen- 
ter in early life, was later a farmer. Our subject received his education in 
the district school, and grew up on the farm. His first business venture 
was operating a threshing machine (during its season) for nine years, and 
farming. He came to Cass Township, this county, settling on a farm which 
he sold in 1880; then moved to McComb and embarked in the butchering 
business, which he followed till 1882, when he sold out and bought a half 
interest in the livery in which he is still interested. He was married, in 

1873, to Mary Gribble, a lady of German origin, and their children are 
Charles, Elonzo, James, Cora and Wilber. Mr. Lacey is a member of the 
K. of P. Politically he is a Republican. 

F. A. LOVELL. farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Findlay, Hancock Co., Ohio, September 17, 3847, son of Joseph and 
Nancy (Grubl)s) Lovell, the former a native of New York, the latter of 
Holmes County, Ohio, and of English descent. Joseph, who was a ship- 
builder, came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1840, settling in Findlay, where 
he helloed build the court house. After he came to Pleasant Township he 
o])erated a saw-mill for a time, but at present is residing in Michigan, 
where he is farming. Our subject, the second in a family of five children, 
was reared to farming, receiving his education in Pleasant Township, this 
county, where he has resided on a farm since he was one year old. He is 
owner of 1 30 acres of well improved land. Mr. Lovell was married, in 

1874, to Emma J. Beard, of English descent, daughters of James Beard, 
one of the pioneers of Pleasant Township, and who at the time of his deatli 
owned 520 acres of land. To Mr. and Mrs. Lovell were born the following 
named children: Pearl, Clyde, Carrie Belle and an infant (not named). 
Politically our subject is a Republican. He was formerly an active mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F. 

ALBERT LYMANGROVER, postmaster and merchant, Dewey ville, was 
born in Stark County, Ohio, Sej^tember 8, 1851; son of Matthias and Mar- 
tha (Shemer) Lymangrover, natives of Germany, former of whom, a mason 
by trade, came to Ohio when a boy. They reared a family of eight children, 
of whom Albert is the sixth. Our subject received his education in the 
common schools of Henry and Hancock Counties, and also attended the 
Findlay Union School. After working on the farm till he was eighteen years of 
age, he made his home for six years in McComb. this county, clerking in a 
store there. He then served in same capacity in Custar, Wood Coimty, and 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 837 

later in Henry Cunnty, Ohio. He embarked in business in the latter 
county, had the honor of naming the town of Grouten, and through his in- 
fluence a postoffice was established. Mr. Lymaugrover came to Deweyville 
in 1880, since which time he has conducted a successful general merchan- 
dising business. He was married, in 1874, to Mary Walker, a lady of Irish 
lineage, daughter of Harvey Walker. To this union were born the follow- 
ing named children: Lola P., Mabel E., and Ray. Mrs. Ijymangrover is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church. He is a, member of the Christian 
Union and has })een secretary of the Sabbath-school. While a resident of 
Wood County our subject served two years as constable. He is a member 
of McComl) Lodge, No. 354, I. O. O. F. 

SAMUEL MOGLE, farmer, P. O. McComb, was born near the village 
of Millheim, Centime Co., Penn., March 17, 1817; son of Valentine and 
Polly (Moore) Mogle, natives of Pennsylvania, and of Dutch descent. Val- 
entine Moglo moved to Ashland County, Ohio, was one of its pioneers, and 
located on a farm; thence moved to this county in 1855, and settled in this 
township, near Findlay. Our subject, the second born and eldest son in a 
family of eleven children, was reared on the farm, his early means of ob- 
taining an education being limited by his location in a newly-settled coun- 
try, where there was but a small population. He came here in 1851 and 
located on land (covered by woods) on Section 26, Pleasant Township, 
where he has since lived. He lately sold five acres of this farm for $150 
per acre and would not sell the rest for $100 per acre. He is also owner of 
eighty acres more. He is well and favorably known as a thresher, iising 
horse-power till he found out he could accomplish more by steam, when he 
bought a steam thresher, which he still operates. Mr. Mogle was married, 
in 1845, to Sarah, daughter of George PofP, a farmer of Ashland County, 
Ohio, and of German origin. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania. 
This union has been blessed with two children: William, married and farm- 
ing on his father's land, and who also runs a steam thresher and a corn 
huller; Amanda, now the wife of M. Abbott, a son of Dr. Abbott, of Mc- 
Comb. The family are members of the Lutheran Church, in which our 
subject was class leader while a resident of Ashland county. He is a Dem- 
ocrat in politics. 

GEORGE W. MOWERY, farmer, P. O. McComb, was born in Pleas- 
ant Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, November 0, 1847; son of George 
and Eliza (Asire) Mowery, who were married in 1840. George Mowery, a 
native of Virginia, born in 1815, was the son of Abraham and Mary Mow- 
ery, of English descent. His wife, Eliza, (Asire) was born in 1820, daugh- 
ter of Henry and Susannah (Mi Hire) Asire, of German and English lineage, 
respectively. To George and Eliza Mowery were born twelve children, 
(seven now living) of whom GeoigeW. is the fifth. George Mowery (subject's 
father) a farmer by occupation, settled in Pleasant Township, this county, 
in 1847, and died in 1867; his widow still survives. Our subject is the 
owner of a farm comprising 140 acres of land. He was united in marriage, 
in 1872, with Theresa, daughter of James Brown. To this union were born 
following named children: J. B. , W. E. , W. G. , Jennie Pearl and Ora D. 
Politically Mr. Mowery is a Republican. 

WILLIAM NUSBAUM, dealer in pumps, pianos, organs, sewing ma- 
chines, wagons, buggies and carriages, and proprietor of livery, McComb, 
was born in Seneca County, Ohio, November 19, 1849; son of David and 



838 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Mary (Grnbl)) Nushauin, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively, 
and of German origin, ft)rmer a carpenter by trade. David Nusbaum 
reared a family of eight children, William being the fourth. Our subject 
received his education in the common schools in Wood County, Ohio, and 
remained on the farm till he was twelve years old, when he commenced the 
pump -making business, which he has followed most of the time since. He 
is owner of considerable town property in McCorab, and has made all he 
now possesses by his own exertions. Mr. Nuslmum was married, in 1871, 
to Harriet Weaver, of English descent, daiighter of John Weaver, They 
are the parents of four chikken: Burley, Minnie, Rolla and Charles. In 
politics our subject is a Democrat, and has served as a member of the town 
council. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. , which he joined in 1872. 

WILLIAM PENDLETON, senior partner in the firm of Pendleton & 
Hanes, manufacturers, and ]>roprietors of the McComl) Tile and Brick 
Works, McComb, was born at Benton Ridge, Blanchard Township, this 
county, October 1, 1847; son of Darius and May Ann (Green) Pendleton, 
the former born in Maine, of Scotch origin, a farmer by occupation, the 
latter a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent. They had fourteen 
children, thirteen now living (one son lost his life in defense of his country 
at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain). They were among the early pioneers 
of Hancock County, settling on a farm where William was reared and at- 
tended the common schools. The first business ventiire of our subject was 
manufacturing tile in Blanchard Township, in which he continued for nine 
years. He then sold out, moved to Putnam County, Ohio, and there en- 
gaged in same line till 1881, when he returned to Pleasant Township and 
carried on same business. In 1884 the present firm was established. Their 
building, located on Section 26, this township, is fitted up with all the 
modern improvements in this line, worked by steam ; the industry gives work 
to several men and the works have a capacity for turning out 400,000 tiles 
annually. Mr. Pendleton was married, in 1875, to Melvina S. Schilling, 
who died in 1882 and who bore him three children: Clara E., C. A. (now 
deceased) and Bertha. Our subject was again married; this time, in 1884, 
to Mary M. Hanes; she is a member of the Luthei-an Church. Mr. Pendle- 
ton is a Democrat, politically. He is now W. C. in McComb Lodge, No. 
179, K. of P., and has passed all the chairs in the I. O. O. F. 

HENRY PENNINGTON, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was 
born in Centre County, Penn. , January 14, 1826, son of Simon and Nancy 
Pennington, natives of Pennsylvania. His father's parents were natives of 
Scotland, and his mother was of Irish descent. Simon Pennington, who 
was born in 1800, is still living; he came to Hancock C'ounty in 1851, and 
settled south of McComb. Our subject, the third in a family of nine chil- 
dren, acquired his education in his native State, and in 1 846 settled in Sen- 
eca County, Ohio, where he chopped wood and cleared up land. He after- 
ward rented land near Tiffin, Ohio, where he remained three years, at the 
end of which time he bought a farm of eighty acres, which he sold in 1852, 
and came to Pleasant Township, this county, where he is now owner of a 
fine farm of 240 acres, on which he resides. He was married, in 1849, to 
Mary Ann Bachtel, a lady of German descent, daughter of Andrew Bachtel, 
a pioneer of this county, coming here in 1832. Mr. and Mrs. Pennington 
have had eight children, of whom seven survive: Eliza, wife of William 
George; Jemima, wife of Israel Howell; Geneva, at home; J. W., a physi- 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 839 

cian; Andrew, now farming; Jacob Wesley, and Lucinda, attending school. 
In })olitics our subject is a Democrat. He has been trustee of the township 
most of the time since lHiS2, and has also served as school director. 

LIEUT. JAMES l^OKTER, retired, McComb, an old and respected 
citizen of Hancock County and a pioneer carpenter, was born in West 
Virginia, November 8, 1817, and in 1819 came to Ohio with his parents, 
Jonah and Margaret (Reed) Porter, who had a family of eight childi-en. 
Oiu" subject, the third born, received his schooling in Delaware County, 
choosing his father's trade (carpentering), has resided in this county since 
1840, and has worked at his trade for many years. He was united in mar- 
riage, in 1840, with Miss O. Decker, who died in 1882, having reared a 
family of nine children. Mr. Porter is a Democrat in politics and has 
served three years as justice of the peace. At the commencement of the 
late war of the Rebellion he enlisted for three months, in the Twenty-first 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry; served his time and re-enlisted for three years in 
the Twenty-lirst Ohio Volunteer Infantry; was elected first lieutenant, in 
which capacity he served over three years. He is a charter member of the 
G. A. R. 

WILLIAM N. PRATT, blacksmith, McComb, was born in Putnam 
County, N. Y., December 18, 1836; son of William N. and Jane (Barrett) 
Pratt, also natives of that county, and who had a family of thirteen chil- 
di-en, nine of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. Our subject learned 
the l)lacksmith's trade with his father in his native county, at which he 
worked till he came to Ohio, in 1872, when he settled in McComb, where he 
has since lived, and followed his trade with success. At the breaking out 
of the late civil war, he promptly enlisted in Company I, Fifty-ninth New 
York Volunteer Infantry, and was apj)ointed seconcl sergeant ; was wounded 
September 17, 1862, in the leg, and on the eighteenth of the same month 
was shot in the arm, which disabled him, and he lay on the battle-field four 
days before he was picked up. He was discharged from hospital on account 
of disability, February 3, 1863, and returned to New York. Mr. Pratt was 
married, December 26, 1863, to Phebe, daughter of E. H. and Betsey A. 
(Adams) Teller, the former of German descent, a blacksmith hj trade, the lat- 
ter of Irish origin. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt have been l)lessed with seven children, 
four now living: Emma, wife of Charles Font; Lillie May, Edward J. and 
Daisy. Mr. Pratt is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which 
he has served as steward and class leader. He was elected marshal of 
McComb in 1881, and served during the construction of the railroad, which 
drew a rough class of men to the place, he at one time being compelled to 
shoot one man to protect himself and the town. It is said that he put more 
men in the " cooler " than any other marshal of McComb. He is a member 
of the G. A. R., of the Beneficial Association, and of the I. O. O. F. 
society. 

J. B. RADEBAGH, a member of the firm of Hissong & Radebagh, 
proprietors of a general store, McComb, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, October 18, 1841, son of Joseph and Mary (Bope) Radebagh, na- 
tiV^es of Ohio and of German descent, and who came to Hancock County, 
Ohio, in 1842, settling on a farm in Liberty Township, where the father 
still resides. Of their seven children five are now living. Our subject, the 
eldest, received his education in the district school, remaining on the farm 
till 1876. He then went West for two years. In the fall of 1878 he em- 



840 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

barked iu fhe saddlery business at McComb, iii conipjuiy with J. W. Powell, 
but after one year sold out, and clerked in a grocery store at Benton Ridge, 
Blancliard Township, fV)r twenty-two months; then assisted iu a similar 
capacity in a general store at the same place for three years. After clerk- 
ing in that borough for several years, he carried on business there on his 
owu account for one year; then sold out and went to Gilboa, Ohio, conduct- 
ing a store there till 1882, when he came to McComb and embarked in his 
present business, for which his long experience eminently qualifies him. 
Mr. Radebagh has been twice married, first time to Lucy A. Powell, who 
bore him one child -Estella May. After this wife's demise he married 
Miss Sarah J. Saundtn's, by Avhom he has had two children, one now living 
— Roy E. Politically Mr. Radebagh is a Democrat. He is a member of 
the I. O. O. F. 

H. B. RADER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Deweyville, was born in 
Hancock County, Ohio, April 24, 1844; son of John and Alice (Wall) Rader, 
latter born in Ohio, of German origin. John Rader, a native of Virginia, 
and a farmer by occupation, came to this county in 1831, settling in Allen 
Township, at which time there were no roads between that township and 
Findlay, Our subject, the eldest of nine children, was reared on the farm 
and received a common school education. During the late war of the Re- 
bellion he enlisted, in 18()1, in Company K, Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, and lost his left arm in the battle of Stone River. Prior to this ca- 
lamity he had participated in several battles, among which was that of Pitts- 
burg Landing. Mr. Rader was united in marriage, in 1 800, with Margaret, 
daughter of Joseph George, and of German descent. To this union were 
born the following named children: Franklin, Nevada, Ada, Elma, Irvin R. 
and Dallis. Mr. and Mrs. Rader are members of the Church of God; po- 
litically he is a Democrat. He has served his township as assessor and 
trustee and has been school director for nine years. He has made his own 
way in the world, and is owner of eighty acres of cultivated land on which he 
resides. 

O. M. RAMSEY, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Medina County, Ohio, November 1, 1844, son of Samuel and Sarah Ann 
(Coulter) Ramsey, natives of Pennsylvania and of Irish descent. Samuel 
Ramsey, who was a farmer during his lifetime, entered land in the wild 
woods, among the Indians, and here resided until 1875 when he removed to 
Putnam County, Ohio. Our subject, the fifth born in a family of ten chil- 
dren, was reared on the farm, received a common school education, and made 
farming his occupation, now owning a well improved farm of eighty acres. 
He was married, in 1878, to Adaline, daughter of Adam and Mary (Ross) 
Crumrine, of German origin. Their" childi-en are Edna, Charley C. , May, 
Clyde and T. Dale. Mrs. Ramsey is a member of the Disciples Church. 
Mr. Ramsey is a F. & A. M. Politically he is a Republican. 

JOHN RANDALL (deceased) was born in Virginia, in 1805, the son of 
Alexander Randall, a soldier in the Revolutionary war and a farmer, who 
came to Ohio in 1810, settling on a farm in Franklin County. Here our 
subject grew up, attending the common school, and commenced farming. 
In 1841 he came to Hancock County, settling on a farm which is now the 
site of McComb, and built near where the Cooper & Bro. Saw-mill now 
stands. He took an active part in commencing the town, was a prominent 
man and held most of the offices of trust of Pleasant Township. He was 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 841 

very successful, and at. the time of his demise owned 300 acres of land, the 
greater part of which is now in the corporation, and mostly owned by his 
daughter, Martha J. , widow of Dr. Turner. He also owned eighty acres 
of land in Wood County, Ohio. He died October 12, 1856. His wife, 
whose maiden name was Julia Ann Thrap, lived to the advanced age of sev- 
enty-one years and died in 1881. They reared a family of nine children- 
seven sons and two daughters. Five of the sons were in the Union Army 
during the late war of the Rebellion, all serving three years; two re enlisted 
and served till the close of the war; one was a commissioned officer — Joseph, 
captain of Comi)auy K, Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 

EDWARD H. ROSENBEROER, farmer and stock, raiser, P. O. Mc- 
Comb, was born in AVashington Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, October 19, 
1849, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Hartsough) Rosenberger, the former 
born in Pennsylvania, of German descent, the latter a native of New York, 
of English lineage. Daniel Rosenberger, who was a farmer in early life, 
was a stone-mason by trade, and in later years a minister in the German Baji- 
tist Church; he came to Ohio in 1835, settling in Seneca County on a farm, 
where he lived three years, then moved to Washington Township. Hancock 
County; in 1873 moved to Blanchard Township, Hancock County, where 
he died in 1876. He had been twice married, and reared a family of nine 
children. The subject of our sketch, the sixth- born by the first wife, re- 
ceived his education in the schools of this county. At the age of twenty - 
three he commenced to teach school, a profession he followed for four win- 
ters, but has made farming the principal business of his life. He was mar- 
ried, in 1875, to Jane, daughter of George D. and Lydia (Matthias) Wick- 
erham, the former of English lineage, the latter of German origin. To this 
union were born the following named chikiren: Jesse C. and Harvy Earl. 
Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberger are members of the German Baptist Church. 
He has been a minister since 1878, preaching at present at the Sugar Ridge 
Church in this township. He is the owner of eighty acres of cultivated 
land. 

PETER ROTZ, retired, McComb, was born in Franklin County, Penn. , 
October 15, 1809, eldest born of John, a tanner, and Christiana (Sours) Rotz, 
natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent, and who reared a family of 
seven childi-en. Our subject attended the common schools, and when seven- 
teen years of age learned the harness-making at which trade he worked till 
1832, when he commenced clerking in a hotel on corner of Third and 
Wood Streets, Pittsburgh, Penn. , where he remained for four years. Thence 
he went to Wheeling, Va., and clerked in the United States Hotel, where he 
remained four years. He then clerked on a steam-boat on the Ohio and Mis- 
sissippi Rivers for five years. He moved to Pleasant Township, this county, 
in 1844, and settled on the farm, carrying on a harness shop located on the 
road, and often had more work than he could do. He was married, in 
1844, to Susan J. McCullough, of Irish descent and born in Franklin County, 
Penn. , daughter of George and Susan J. McCiillough. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Rotz were born seven children. Mr. Rotz has lived to see his wife and six 
children laid in their final resting place, he and his son John S. being the 
only survivors of the family. Mrs. Rotz was a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. When our subject reached his majority be bought eighty acres of 
wild land in Pleasant Townshij), and by hard work and economy has suc- 
ceeded in acciimulating a handsome fortune, and has done his share toward 
the improvement and growth of McComb. 



842 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTV. 

JOHN S. ROTZ, retired merchant, McComb, is the eldest and only 
siu-viving child of Eeter and Susan J. (McCullough) Rotz, he received a 
common school education, and when a young man went to New Mexico, 
where he clerked in a hotel. In 1865 he crossed the plains to Colorado and 
there also clerked in a hotel two years. He then entered a general store 
in which he continued eight years as manager of the concern, then, in com- 
pany with his brother, embarked in business on his own account, which he 
carried on for ten years. During the war of the Rebellion Mr. Rotz enlisted 
and served as fifer in the band of Company G, Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry. Mr. Rotz was married, in 1880, to Laura D., daughter of I. 
Simon, and by her he has one child, Nellie M. Mrs. Rotz is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church. Politically our subject is a Republican. He took 
an active part when the McComb, Deshler & Toledo Railway was built here, 
and served as its director and trustee. 

HENRY RUDESILL, retired farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, 
was born in York County, Penn. , August 2'2, 1825, son of Samuel and Mary 
(NeflF) Rudesill,, natives of Pennsylvania and of Dutch origin, former a 
farmer. Our subject, the eldest in a family of eight children, received his 
education in his native State, and when he was twelve years of age his 
father moved to Hancock County, Ohio, settling on the farm where he died 
jn 1883, his wife having preceded him in 1877. Henry Rtidesill was reared 
on a farm, chose agriculture as his business, and has been remarkably success- 
ful. Though at the present time he owns but 260 acres, he possessed at one 
time as many as 700 acres in this township. In 1884 he sold a farm for 
$20,000 in cash. He started out for himself with but 1100, and fi'om this 
small beginning has accumulated a handsome fortune. He was married, 
June 18, 1848, to Eliza, daughter of John Kraft, natives of Pennsylvania 
and of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Rudesill reared twelve children: 
Susannah, wife of F. M. Harrett; Sarah, wife of John Frye; John, married, is 
a farmer and school teacher; Mary, wife of M. Keel; Leanna, wife of Frederick 
Burke; Lucretia, wife of John P. Fingst; Jane, wife of Nathaniel Hunt- 
wick; William F., married and engaged in farming; Alice M., at home; Sher- 
man, Perry, Archie. Our subject and wife are consistent members of the 
Evangelical Chiirch, in which he has acted as Sabbath-school superintendent 
for four years, and has been exhorter since 1880. Our subject has resided 
in this township since 1850. He has been school director for twenty- five 
years. 

SAMUEL SHOOP, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born 
in Pennsylvania, August 15, 1821; son of Henry and Barbara (Kaler) Shoop, 
also natives of Pennsylvania and who were of German descent. Henry 
Shoop, who was a farmer all his life, came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1845, 
lived on a farm in Pleasant Township one year, and thence moved to Erie 
County, Ohio. Our subject, the fifth in a family of twelve children that 
grew to manhood and womanhuod, is the only one residing in this county. 
He was reared to agricultural pursuits, attended the district school of Erie 
County and worked on the farm until he came to this county, in 1845, where 
he settled in the woods and enjoyed life better than he ever expects to again. 
He has resided on his present farm in Pleasant Township thirty-five years; 
is one of the successful farmers, owning a well improved farm of 120 acres. 
He was married, in 184(), to Mary, daughter of John and Anna (Stephenson) 
Kalb, of English and German origin. To this union were born the follow- 



PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. 843 

ing named children: Elizti J., wife of Isaac Gault; J. R. and G. L. , en- 
gaged in butchering at McComb; Annie E., at home. Mrs. Shoop has been 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch for twenty-five years. Om- 
subject, a Democrat in politics, has served nine terms as school director and 
several terms as tnistee of this township. 

JOSHUA SIMON, miller, McComb, was born in Mahoning County, 
Ohio, February 17, 1833, son of Henry and Catharine (Stemjile) Simon, the 
former born in Pennsylvania, of German origin, the latter a native of Vir- 
ginia, of English descent. His father, a farmer, settled in Wood County, 
in 1844, where he lived for many years. He was twice married, and reared 
a family of eleven children, Joshua, being the sixth born by his first wife. 
Our sul)ject was reared on the farm, receiving a common school education, 
mostly in Wood County, Ohio. His first business venture was operating a 
saw-mill, and in 1854 he came to Hancock County, continuing in same in- 
dustry, but since 1863 he has lived at McComb, where he bought a grist- 
mill, which, after operating it for three years, he sold out, then speculated 
in real estate till 1878 when he bought his present mill, which he fitted up 
at great expense with the new process roller, etc. , and here does a first- 
class business. Mr. Simon was united in marriage, in 1850, with Clarinda, 
daughter of Nathan Stafford, and of Irish descent. Their children are L. 
J., married, a druggist by profession; Lanson and E. A., both millers; Maud, 
Maggie, Jennie, Guy, Harry, Hattie. Mr. and Mrs. Simon are members 
of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is trustee. He has been a member 
of the school board for twenty years. Politically he is a Republican. 

LANSON O. SIMON, miller, McComb, was born in McComb, this 
county, April 28, 1859, son of Joshua and Clarinda (Stafford) Simon, na- 
tives of Ohio and of German and English origin. Our subject, who is next 
eldest in the family of nine children, was reared on the farm, attending the 
graded schools in McComb, and the Vermillion Institute in Ashland County, 
Ohio. He first worked with his father on the farm and in the saw-mill, and 
in 1881 was admitted as partner in his father's grist-mill, which does a good 
merchant and custom business. He was united in marriage, September 
26, 1882, with Lois C. , daughter of Frank and Amie (Blakeman) Banks. 
Her father is a relative of the well-known Gen. Banks, a prominent offi- 
cer in the Union Army during the late war of the Rebellion. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Simon was born one child, Gretchen. Our subject and wife are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church ; politically he is a Republican. 

JACOB SLUPE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Mahoning County, Ohio, February 21, 1830, son of Solomon, a farmer, and 
Anna (Schater) Slupe, natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent, and 
who were the parents of nine children. Our subject, the eldest in the 
family, was reared on the farm, and acquired a common school education. 
At the age of twenty-one he learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol- 
lowed until 1865. He came to Hancock County in 1857, settling in Pleas- 
ant Township on 160 acres of tine land, where he now resides. He was 
married, in 1856, to Catharine Bachtel, a lady of German lineage, and to this 
union was born one child — Emma J. (now deceased). Mrs. Slupe died in 
1859. Our subject was married on second occasion, in 1861, to Eliza, 
daughter of Joseph Kinsey, also of German descent, and by her he has had 
the following named children: Laura E., wife of E. M. Orwick; Ida A., at 
home; Sylvester (deceased); Florence Ella. Mr. Slupe has served in several 



844 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

offices of trust, such as township trustee, school director and township treas- 
urer, for several years. 

J. H. SMITH, dealer in lumber, McComb, was born in Columbiana County, 
Ohio, August 15, 1880; son of George and Elizabeth (Brady) Smith, na- 
tives of Pennsylvania, and of German origin, former of whom was a farmer 
all his life. They reared a family of eight children, J. H. being the young- 
est. Our subject was ])rought up on the farm and attended district school, 
receiving a good English education. Early in life he studied dentistry at 
Wellsville, in his native county, where he practiced for a number of years. 
He then followed his profession in Franklin County, Ohio; then clerked in 
a dry goods store for two years and the same length of time in a hardware 
store. In 1879 he embarked in the lumber business in Williams County, 
Ohio, dealing in hardwood lumber. Mr. Smith came to McComb, Ohio, in 
1881, where he carries on same business. He was married, in 1870, to Mrs. 
Elizabeth Mogle, nee Stuller, of German descent, widow of Simon Mogle 
(she had two children by her first husband: Addie, now the wife of George 
E. Linn, and Ettie at home). Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one child, Beula 
Belle. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Disciples Church. Mr. Smith is a 
Republican in politics. He has served as a member of the board of educa- 
tion and of the town council and was a delegate to the Congi-essional Con- 
vention He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. 

C. F. SPEICE, druggist, McComb, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, 
January 26, 1850, son of Peter and Sarah' J. (Griffith) Speice, latter of 
whom died when C. F. was but a child. Peter Speice, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, was a cabinet-maker by trade, biit followed farming. He was twice 
married; came fi-om Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1807, settling in Perry Coun- 
ty, and worked at his trade till 1880, when he moved to Fairfield County, 
Ohio, and settled on a farm, where he spent the residue of his life. He died 
in 1855. Our subject (the youngest of a fainily of seven children), after his 
mother's death lived with his uncle, David Speice, who was a farmer. C. F. 
Speice left the farm when nineteen years old, and learned the carpenter's 
trade, at which he worked until he was able to purchase a stock of furniture. 
He continued in the furniture business about two years, then bought a stock 
of drugs, and continued both businesses for foxu- years. In 1882 he came 
to McComb, and has since engaged in the drug business. He was married, 
in 1869, to Sarah G. Johnston, a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, and of 
English descent. Their childi'en now living are Edward Johnston, Jennie, 
Willie, Stella and Charles Floyd. Mrs. Speice is a member of the Presby- 
terian Church, of which Mr. Speice is chorister. Our subject has served as 
a member of the school board, and is the present mayor of McComb. Po- 
litically he is a Republican. He is P. G. in the I. O. O. F. 

JAMES STAFFORD, farmer, P. O. McComb, was born in Richland 
County, Ohio, July 2, 1827, son of Nathan and Christine (Wolf) Stafford, 
natives of Virginia, and of English and German origin, resi)ectively. Na- 
than Stafford, who was a farmer, had a family of twelve childi-en. Our 
subject (the seventh born) was reared on .the farm, received a common school 
education, and chose farming as his vocation. Nathan Stafford died when 
James was twenty years old, and the latter helped to rear the younger 
children. James Stafford came to Hancock County in 1852, settling in 
Allen Township, and is one of the prominent farmers of this county. He 
owns 275 acres of well improved land. Mr. Stafford was married, in 1851, to 



fLEASANt TOWNSHIP. g^g 

born the followino- named children- TW / i \ ^' ^^''^''^'^ were 

educated in the common schools and hi^h school of Findlnv TTo e7 r i 
bu.i„e.» o, Li. life. H. eaZ to "SlLcT'c'o X'": "igf^ "f^Si'^^r 

SliisfgHSSS 



84G HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Ohio, whero his father moved when he was only five years old. He studied 
medicine in the office with his cousin, Dr. Samuel Turner, the first 
physician who located in McComb. There our subject remained three years 
and then attended the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor, Mich. He 
subsequently returned to Ohio and commenced, the practice of his chosen 
profession at Leipsic, where he remained two years; thence came to McComb 
in 1850, and had an extt;nsive practice here till his death, which occurred in 
1880. He was married, in 1854, to Miss Martha J., daughter of John and 
Julia Ann (Thrap) Randall, who were among the early settlers of this county, 
John Kandall being a prominent farmer, owning 30() acres of land here at 
the time of his death. Dr. Txirntu- was eminently successful in his pro- 
fession and succeeded in accumulating a considerable share of this world's 
goods, consisting of land and other property in McComb, which is now 
managed by his widow, a lady of cultivated taste and refinement. 

A. J. WARREN, minister, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, 
was born in Geauga County. Ohio, August 8, 1830, son of Orin and Expe- 
rience (Baitlett) Warren, natives of New York and Connecticut, respect- 
ively, and of English and French descent. Orin Warren was a carpenter 
by occupation. Our subject, the seventh born in a family of eleven children, 
grew up on the farm and followed agricultural pursuits for thirty-five years. 
He received his education in the common schools. At the age of twenty-five 
years he joined the Church of God; was ordained a minister in 1858, his 
first charge being Forest Mission in Wyandot Coiinty, Ohio. Mr. Warren 
has been remarkably successful in his ministrations. He has preached in 
nineteen counties in northwestern Ohio, and during his ministry has or- 
ganized two churches in Wyandot County, two in Defiance County, one in 
Putnam County, one in Paulding County and one in Henry County, Ohio. 
Mr. Warren was married, in 1850, to Catherine, daughter of Daniel and 
Mary (Briner) Spacle, of German lineage. To our subject and wife were 
born the following children: William W., Sarah J., Marion C, James F. , 
Elizabeth A. , Emma C. , Joseph T. Mrs. Warren and all the children but 
two are church members. Politically Mr. Warren is a Prohibitionist. 

J. H. WATSON, physician, McComb, was born November 30, 1833, son 
of Richard and Lucy Watson, natives of Maryland and of English origin, 
and who reared a family of nine children, J. H. being the sixth. The 
parents came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1834, and entered land near 
Findlay, where W\ C. Watson, a successful farmer, now resides. Our sub- 
ject attended the district school and high school at Findlay, and there 
studied medicine in the office of Drs. Armstrong & Green. In 1855 he 
entered the Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating in 1857. He 
first practiced at Grand Rapids, Ohio, where he remained for seven years, 
then came to McComb, where he has since resided and has a large 
practice. The Doctor was married, in 1862, to Caroline Pratt, of English 
descent, daughter of Jonas Pratt, of Henry County, Ohio. Our subject 
and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has 
been trustee, also teacher in the Sabbath- school. The Doctor, who has 
taken an active interest in the advancement and improvement of McComb, 
owns 300 acres of land and one of the most expensive houses in the 
county. He served as a meml)er of the school board. W^hen the building 
of the McComb, Deshler & Toledo Railroad at this point was proposed he 
encouraged the project by his name and influence, and was one of its direc- 



i'LEASANT TOWNSHIP. 847 

tors. He is a F. & A. M. In politics he is a Republican, diflfering in this 
respect fi-om his father and brother who are Democrats. 

W. W. WINTERS, dealer in fruit trees, McComb, was born in Pleas- 
ant Township, this county, October 15, 1855, son of Abraham and Sarah 
(Clarton) Winters, native Ohioans and of German descent, and who had a 
family consisting of one daughter (who died young) and six so as who grew 
to manhood. Abraham Winters settled on a farm in this county in 1852. 
Our subject, the third born, grew up on the farm, attending the district 
school till he was eighteen years old, when he entered the high school at 
Findlay, where he remained nearly two years; then concluding to become 
teacher, he attended the normal school at Ada, Ohio, subsequently 
teaching school one year. About this time he commenced as agent for 
the sale of trees, in which he has been very successful, and now buys and 
sells fruit trees, etc. , employing three assistants. Mr. Winters was mar- 
ried, in 1882, to Arretta, daughter of A. J. VanHorn, a native of Indiana, 
and of German origin, and by her he has one child. Homer. Our sub- 
ject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he 
is class-leader. Politically he is a Republican. 

DAVID WRIGHT, grain merchant, dealer in live-stock, and an extensive 
farmer of McComb, was born in Pleasant Township, this county, March 17, 
1840, son of David and Diana (Baker) Wright, native Ohioans. His father, 
of English descent, was among the pioneer farmers of this county, coming 
here in 1835 and settling in the woods, impi'oving the farm which our sub- 
ject now owns. When he moved to Pleasant Township he had to cut a road 
seven miles in length to reach his settlement, on Section 24. He managed 
to clear seven acres the first year, besides helping at eighteen log-rollings. 
He was also a successful hunter, and for many years killed, on an averge, 
from sixty to seventy deer each winter. He died in 1884, aged seventy-six 
years. Our subject's grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. To 
David and Diana Wright were born five children, three of whom grew to 
manhood and womanhood. Our subject, the youngest, was reared on the 
farm and educated in the common schools, and has made farming a spe- 
cialty. He commenced to deal in stock when he was quite young, and has 
followed this line of business to the present time. He had two partners 
when he bought the elevator and warehouse here, in 1880, but has since 
conducted business alone. He is the owner of 300 acres of well imj^roved 
land, on which he lives. Mr. Wright was married, October 24, 1860, to 
Lucy Plummer, by whom he had three children — two now living : Luella C. , 
William M. (deceased) and S. Udora. Mrs. Wright died in 1875. She was 
a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Wright then married, in 1876, 
Matilda McClester, by whom he had two children: Maggie (deceased) and 
David C. Mrs. Wright is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Wright 
is a member of the K. of P. He has served as school director, and has 
been a member of the Grange. 

J. M. WRIGHT, furniture dealer, McComb, was born in Pleasant 
Township, this county, August 9, 1857, and is the only son of Henry and 
Elizabeth (Mitchell) Wright, the latter of German descent. His father is 
a prominent farmer of this township. Our subject was i-eared on the farm 
and attended the schools of McComb. He followed agricultm-al pui'suits 
till 1882, when he embarked in the furniture business in company with Mr. 
Fife (whose interest he subsequently bought), and in 1883 admitted Mr. 



S48 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Stoker. In 1885 Mr. Wright bought out Mr. Stoker, and now conducts the 
business alone. He was married, in 1879, to Lizzie Fife, of Scotch descent, 
daughter of Nathaniel Fife, and by this union has one child. May. Mrs. 
Wright is a member of the Christian Church. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. , of McComb. 



PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 

HENRY W. REALS, retired farmer, McComb, was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, April 29, 182], son of Abraham W. and Rebecca (Alloway) Reals; 
former born in Maryland, of Scotch and English descent, latter a native 
of Pennsylvania. Abraham W. Reals, who was a stone mason and brick- 
mason for twenty years, came to this county in 1831, settled in Liberty 
Township, and had to cut a road through the timber to reach his land; it 
took him two and a half days to go from Findlay to his place. His family 
consisted of fourteen children, thirteen of whom grew to maturity, our sub- 
ject being the eldest. Henry W. Reals was reared on the farm and re- 
ceived his schooling in the log schoolhouse in Liberty Township, this 
county. After reaching his majority he worked three years in a saw-mill, 
but has ftiade agriculture his principal occupation in life. His farm con- 
sists of 114 acres of land. Oiu- subject has retired from active farm life 
and now resides in McComb, where he also owns property. Mr. Reals was 
united in marriage, in 1852, with Elizabeth, daughter of John McDonald, 
and of Scotch descent. Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Chiu'ch. He is a Democrat in politics, and has served five years 
as constable, and two years as trustee of Portage Township, this county. 
James H. Reals, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Reals, was born 
in Wood County, Ohio, in 1856. He was married, in 1879, to Nevada M. 
Robb, a lady of English descent, and their union has been blessed with two 
children: Claudie J. and Harry A. James H. Reals and family reside on 
the homestead farm of our subject. 

S. ROWMAN, farmer, P. O., North Raltimore, Wood County, was born 
in Redford County, Penu., May 1, 1818, son of Samuel and Elizabeth 
(Moorland) Rowman; former was a native of Maryland, a carpenter and 
joiner by trade; latter, born in the north of L-eland. The father settled in 
Wood County, Ohio, in 1 830, where he followed the occupation of farming 
until his death, which occurred in 1846. His family consisted of four sons 
and four daughters. Our subject, the second son, received his education 
in a select school in Pennsylvania, and chose farming as his occupation. He 
has resided in this county since 1836. His present farm consists of 100 acres 
of land now under a high state of cultivation; it was wild timbered land when 
he first came here, and ho has made most of the improvements upon it him- 
self. Mr. Rowman was united in marriage, in 1850, with Prudence, daugh- 
ter of William Edgar, and of Scotch and English descent. Their childi-en 
are Columbia J., wife of David M. Thomas; Rebecca S. ; William E., a 
school teacher; Phebe andMilo L. Mr. and Mrs. Rowman are members of 
the Presbyterian Church, in which he has been an elder for many years, and 



PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 849 

ateacher in the Sabbath-school. In politics Mr. Bowman is a Republican. 
He has been township clerk and school director. 

A. CRUMRINE, farmer, P. O. McComb, was born in Washington Coun- 
ty, Penn., March 28, 1815, son of Peter and Rebecca (Wise) Crumrine, 
natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Peter Crumrine, who was a 
carpeintor in early life, but who in later days became a farmer, came to Ohio 
in 1832 and settled in Ross County; of his family of nine childi'en our sub- 
ject is the eldest. A. Crumrine was reared on the farm, received a common 
school education, and chose agriculture for his occupation. He came to 
this county in 1842 and settled on the farm in Portage Township, consisting 
of 160 acres of well improved land, where he now resides. Mr. Crumrine 
was united in marriage, in 1839, Avith Mary, daughter of Nathaniel Ross, 
and is of German descent. To them have been born nine children: Sarah^ 
wife of John Nelson; Joseph; Benjamin; Amanda, wife of D. H. Randall'; 
Adaline, wife of O. M. Ramsey; Malissa, wife of Daniel Freed; Nathaniel 
R. and two who are deceased. Mrs. Crumrine is a member of the Disci- 
ples Church. Our subject is a Democrat in politics; for twenty-seven 
years he served as justice of the peace; has been school director for more 
than twenty-five years; has also been trustee of Portage Township several 
terms, and was overseer in the Grange movement in his township. 

JAMES DETER, farmer, P. O. Van Bm-en, was born in FranHin 
County, Penn., March 1, 1818, son of Jacob and Sarah (Anderson) Deter, 
natives of Pennsylvania, who moved from there to Richland County, Ohio, 
when our subject was quite young. Their family consisted of nine childi-en, 
six now living, our subject being the eldest of the family. James Deter 
acquired his education in the common schools of his day, and came to this 
county in 1836, settling in Portage Township. In order to obtain a start 
in the world he worked by the day and month, and part of this time he 
worked on the canal on the Maumee River. In 1850 Mr. Deter was united 
in marriage with Catharine Bushong, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bo- 
hart) Bushong, natives of Stark County, Ohio, who were among the early 
settlers of this county. Mr. Bushong was commissioner of this county in a 
very early day; he departed this life in 1884. Our subject and wife are 
the parents of four children: Jacob, married to Catharine Wagoner (they 
have three children: Laura M., Harry and Clinton ^Y.)^ Samuel, a photog- 
rapher of Grand Rapids, Mich. ; Irvin and Emily J. Mi\ Deter took part in 
the militia of the early times. He has taken an interest in educational affairs 
in his township. He has been successful in life and, by close application to 
business, has acquired 210 acres of fine land on which he and family re- 
side. 

S. F. DXJLIN, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Hampshire County, 
Va., Augusts, 1810, son of William and Charlotte (Florance) Dulin, the 
former of whom was born in England, July 21, 1772, and the latter in Ger- 
many, July 21, 1772. They came to America with their parents when 
young, and settled in Baltimore County, Md., where they married; they 
afterward moved to Virginia, and in 1816, came to Ohio and settled on a 
farm in Pickaway County, and January 27, 1830, removed to this county. 
AVilliam Dulin died November 13, 1832, and his widow in 1866, at the ad- 
vanced age of ninety-three years, nine months and fifteen days. Then- family 
consisted of ton childi-en, the subject of this sketch being the seventh. S. 
F. Dulin was reared on the farm, received a limited education in the com- 



850 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

mon school, and on roachincr his majority learned the cooper's trade, which 
he followed three years, but has made agriculture the occupation of his life. 
He is the owner of a well improved farm of sixty-six acres, on which he re- 
sides. Mr. Dulin has throe daughters: Harriett A., wife of John AV. M. 
Powell, a farmer residing in Putnam County, Ohio; Josephine I., wife of 
Levi Miller, a farmer in Portage Township, this county; and Mary E., 
wife of Isaac Fella])aum, a farmer. Mr. Dulin and family are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been steward, and of the 
Sabbath-school of which he has been superintendent. Mr. Dulin is a mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F., and has taken five degrees in that order. In poli- 
tics he is a ll(^[)ublican. He has, at various times, filled nearly all the 
different township offices. He taught school for three winters in Portage 
Township, this county. He was a member of the State militia, and in 1835 
was elected captain of a rifle company, being afterward promoted to major. 
He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and served in that 
capacity until Gen. Bell appointed him to be brigade inspector, which office 
OTir subject held until the militia was disbanded. 

T. F. EDGINGTON, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Portage Center, 
was born in Richland County, Ohio, September 24, 1828, and is the young- 
est child of John and Catherine (Dougall) Edgington, natives of Virginia, 
and of Scotch and Irish descent. John Edgington, who had been a farmer 
all his life, and was among the early settlers of Portage Township, this 
county, died in 1848, his widow in 1856. T. F. Edgington, the subject of 
this sketch, was reared on a farm, and has followed agricultural pursuits 
with more than average success. At present he is the owner of 232 acres 
of well improved land, on which he resides, in Portage Township, this 
county. Mr. Edgington was united in marriage, in 1851, with Miss Ma- 
linda Spitler, daughter of David and Sarah (Karan) Spitler, who were of 
Scotch-Irish descent. Our subject and wife are parents of the following 
named children: Emily, wife of W. S. Randall; Maranda, wife of F. P. 
Fifer, of McComb; and W. C. who was reared on the farm, attended the 
common school and the Valparaiso College, in Indiana, and chose farming 
as his occupation; he is married and has one child, Thomas F. The sub- 
ject of this sketch has served nine years as justice of the peace, and is con- 
sidered a good judge of law; in politics he is a Democrat. 

J. S. HICKMxiN, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Franklin County, 
Ohio, August 14, 1832, son of Joseph S. and Elenore (Higgins) Hickman, 
natives of Ohio, of English descent, former a farmer. Their family con- 
sisted of seven children, four of whom grew to maturity, the subject of this 
sketch being the eldest one now living. The second son died in the army. 
J. S. Hickman was reared on the farm and educated in the common school. 
He was united in marriage, in Franklin County, Ohio, April 19, 1852, with 
Matilda J. , daughter of William Fountain, and of English descent. The 
children of this union are Thomas L., a druggist; Ida L., wife of Irvin 
Wells; J. S. and Nancy J. Our subject is a Republican in politics; has 
served as school director for six years. He is the owner of eighty acres of 
land. 

W. M. KING, farmer, P. O. Findlay, was born in Richland County, 
Ohio, August, 2, 1819, son of John and Jane (Findlay) King, natives of 
Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively, and of English descent, former a 
carpenter by trade. They reared a family of ten children, our subject be- 



PORTAGE TOWNSHIP. 851 

ing the eldest. W. M. King was reared on the farm, received a common 
school education in Richland Connty, Ohio, and chose farming for his 
occupation in life; has also dealt in stock for several years. He is the 
owner of 174 acres of land in Portage Township where he now resides. 
Mr. King was united in marriage, in 1842, with Miss Elizabeth, daughter 
of Addis. Linn, and of English extraction. The fruits of this union are 
the following named children: John, a farmer; Elizabeth J., a school 
teacher; Addis L., a farmer in Iowa; Mary, wife of Marion Ramsey; Eli; 
C. W. ; Christian; Susannah; Bartley and Emily. Our subject and wife 
are members of the Presbyterian C'hurch. He is a Republican in politics; 
has been school director for twelve years. 

GEORCtE MONTGOMERY, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Portage 
Center, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 11, 1823, only child of 
John and Nancy (Helmick) Montgomery, natives of Ohio, former of whom 
was killed by the falling of a tree when our subject was one year old. On 
the death of his father little George was sent to live with his grandparents. 
His maternal grandfather, Nicholas Helmick, was a soldier in the war of 
1812. He was a very large man and very determined in his ways. 
He came to this county in 1832 and settled in Cass Township, where 
George was reared and grew to maturity. Living in a newly-settled 
country, our subject's means for obtaining an education were limited, 
attending school only three months in his life. He lived with his grand- 
father until twenty-one years of age; he then bought a tax title to forty 
acres of wild timbered land in Portage Township, this county. He was 
without capital, and, to get a start in life, took up auctioneering in connec- 
tion with farming, a l)usiness he followed with success for thirty-seven 
years. For many years Mr. Montgomery was one of the best known auc- 
tioneers in this county, and the only one in that line who took out a license 
for the full year. He has, however, made farming his principal business, 
and at one time was the owner of 1,400 acres of land; but since his chil- 
dren married he has helped them to a start in life, and he now owns only 
the homestead farm, consisting of 105 acres. Mr. Montgomery was united 
in marriage, in 1844, with Mary, daughter of George Chase, a pioneer of 
this county. To this union were born nine children: Miles W., Benoni K., 
Elizabeth Jane, Elcie M. , David, Irene, Martha S. and Mary S. (twins) and 
George C. The mother died in 1801, and our subject married, for his sec- 
ond wife, Doratha A., daughter of Benoni Culp, and to this union have 
been born three children: Angle, Rachel and Wellington H. In politics 
Mr. Montgomery is a Republican. He has been postmaster of Portage 
Center, the second postoffice established in this county, the office being 
now located in his residence. 

ANDREW NIGH, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. McComb, was born in 
Northampton County, Penn., June 14, 1812, son of Lawrence and Nancy 
(Welsh) Nigh; latter a native of Pennsylvania, of Irish descent. Lawrence 
Nigh, the father of our subject, a native of New Jersey and of Holland 
descent, came to Ohio in 1817 and settled on a farm in Columbiana County. 
He reared a family of eleven children, all of whom grew to maturity and 
married, our subject being the eldest. Andrew Nigh was reared on the 
farm, and at the age of eighteen years learned the trade of plastering, 
which he followed for fourteen summers. He came to this county in Octo- 
ber, 1837, and settled on a farm in Pleasant Township, where he remained 



852 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

one year and then removed to his present farm, consisting of 157 acres of 
land in Portage Township, this connty. Mr. Nigh was united in marriage, 
in 1835, with Catherine, daughter of Martin De Rodes, and of German 
descent. To them were born nine children, six of whom survive; of the 
deceased, Franklin aiid Martin both died in the army; Franklin was in 
Company G, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Vokinteer Infan- 
try, and M.irtin served under Capt. Cusac, in Company G, Twenty-first 
Regiment Ohio Voluntctu- Infantry; the survivors are O. P., man'ied, a farm- 
er in Pt)rtage Towushi[), this county; Elizabeth, wife of A. Gorrell, re- 
siding on the home farm; S. W. (married Miss Wilson), a farmer in Portage 
Township, this county; Martha J., wife of Lewis Thomas, a painter in 
Bowling Green, Wood Co., Ohio; Barbara, wife of William Thomas, an 
engineer on the Pan Handle Railroad at Denison, Ohio; and D. E., mar- 
ried, residing in North Baltimore, Wood Co., Ohio Mrs. Nigh died in 1881, 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Nigh was township treas- 
urer for four years and township trustee for six years; he is a prominent pio- 
neer and one of the few who still live on the land they entered from the 
Government. 

S. W, NIGH, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. North Baltimore, Wood 
County, was born in Portage Township, this county, November 17, 1853; 
son of Andrew and Catherine (De Rodes) Nigh. Our subject was reared 
on a farm, attended the district school in Portage Township, this county, 
also the Findlay High School, and chose farming for an occupation, which 
he has followed with success. He is the owner of 240 acres of land, in 
Portage Township, this county, 150 acres of which are under a high state 
of cultivation. Mi-. Nigh was united in marriage, in 1875, with Amelia 
Wilson, a lady of Holland-Dutch and Irish descent; her father, Miles Wil- 
son (deceased), was a pioneer farmer; her mother is still living. The union 
of our subject and wife has been blessed with six children: W^ilburW., 
Clifford G. , Nellie, Ned, Elsie, and an infant, not yet named. Mrs. Nigh 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Nigh is a 
Democrat. 

LEVI M. THOMAS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. North Baltimore, 
Wood County, was born in this county, October 13, 1839, son of 
Jacob and Rebecca (Edgington) Thomas, natives of Ohio, the former of 
Dutch descent, and the latter of Scotch and A\'elsh descent. Jacob Thomas, 
who was a farmer, came to this county and settled on a farm in Marion 
Township; was twice married, and reared a family of nine childi-en, our 
subject being the third by the first wife. Levi M. Thomas was reared on the 
farm, received his education in the common school, and has made agricult- 
ure his business. He is the owner of 1 00 acres of land, on which he resides. 
Mr. Thomas is a man of more than ordinary nerve and energy, and when his 
right leg was broken by a tree falling upon it, he crawled fi-om under the tree 
unaided, unhitched his team and rode home. At another time, while hunt- 
ing in Michigan, he climbed a tree, shot a deer, and while he was descending 
to secure his game, the tree fell, breaking his left leg. He made his way to the 
nearest house, and there, finding that he was many miles from any physician, 
he set the broken leg himself, and placi ng a box around it, came home. Our 
subject enlisted, in 1861, in Company G, Twenty-first Regiment Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry; was taken prisoner at the battle of Chickamauga and sent 
to Libby Prison, where he remained eight months. In 18G9 Mr. Thomas was 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 853 

united in marriage with Mary C. , daughter of William Wilson, and of Dutch 
descent. They have two children: Elsie E. and Jacolj C. In politics Mr. 
Thomas is a Democrat. Ho has been trustee of Portage Township. 

D. C. WARNER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Van Bm-en, was born 
November 2, 1834, where he now resides, on Section 15, Portage Township, 
this county, son of Daniel and Mary (Himer) Warner, former born in New 
York State, April 24, 1799, of English descent, latter born in Philadelphia, 
Penn. The Warner family came to America many years before the war of 
the Revolution, Gen. Warner, of Revolutionary fame, being a member of 
the family. Daniel Warner, the father of the subject of this sketch, came 
to this county February 14, 1834, and entered IGO acres of land in Portao-e 
Township, where he died in 1881. His family consisted of seven children, 
the subject of this sketch being the sixth. D. C. Warner was reared on the 
farm, acquired a common school education, and has made agriculture the 
principal occupation of his life; he is at present the owner of 219 acres of 
land. He served 100 days in Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-third 
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Our subject was united in marriage, 
in 1856, with Angeline, daughter of Jacob Bushong, and of German descent! 
To them were born nine childi-en, seven of whom survive: Willie L. ; Scott, 
married to Caroline Steen; Sylvester, married to Ida Deter; Loie J., mar'- 
ried to William W. Crawford; Maggie; Burtie and Carrie. Our subject and 
wife are members of the United Brethren Chiu'ch, of which he has been 
trustee, steward and Sabbath- school superintendent. In politics Mr. War- 
ner is a Republican. He has held the office of school director for nine years. 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 



ISRAEL BENNER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Rawson, was born 
ni Northampton County, Penn., April 26, 1829; son of Henry and Lydia 
(Falk) Benner, natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Henry Ben- 
ner was a stone-mason by trade but in later life turned his attention to farm- 
mg. He reared a family of four children, Israel being second. Our subject 
grew to maturity on the farm, attended the common school, and, at the age 
of twenty years, learned carpentering, at which he worked for thirty-five 
years. He came to this county in 1848, and settled in the wild woods on the 
farm where he now resides. He is the owner of 120 acres of land. Mr. 
Benner has been twice married; the first time, in 1848, to Caroline Fenster- 
maker, and nine children were born to this union, eight of whom are now 
hymg; four are married and the rest are at home. Mrs. Caroline Benner 
died in 1874, and Mr. Benner then married Caroline Deihl, daughter of Peter 
Delhi, a mason by trade. Our subject's second union has been blessed 
with four children— two boys and two girls. Mr. and Mrs. Benner are 
members of the Evangelical Association, in which he has been steward and 
trustee, class-leader (for ten years) and an exhorter for two years. He also 
takes an interest in Sabbath-schools and was superintendent for ten years. 
In politics ]VIi-. Benner is a Democrat. He has been school director, also 
township trustee. 



854 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

J. H. BIERER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
in Eagle Township, this county, May 4, 1844, son of David and Catharine 
(Dull) Bierer, natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. David Bierer 
was a butcher in early life, in middle life a carpenter, and in later life a 
farmer. He came to this county in 1842 and entered land in Eagle Town- 
ship. He was twice married, having by his first wife one child, and by his 
second wife eight children, J. H. being the fifth. The subject of this 
sketch was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the com- 
mon school, and chose agriculture as his occupation. His parents died when 
he was eleven years old and he was put out among strangers, and battled 
through life as best he could. He lost all his money that he had inherited, by 
a guardian. He worked out by the month for a short time, afterward rented 
land until he was able to buy a farm in Union Township, this county, where 
he now resides. He is the owner of two farms comprising 130 acres. Our 
subject was united in marriage, February 18, 186G, with Polly, daughter of 
Levi and Lydia (Fox) Bergman, latter of German descent, and former of 
whom was a prominent farmer in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Bierer have 
one child, Levi Elsworth. They are members of the Christian Union 
Church. Mr. Bierer is a Democrat in politics. He had three brothers in the 
Union Army dui'ing the late war; his brother Joseph was orderly sergeant, 
and one brother died in Vicksburg, Miss. J. H. Bierer has served twelve 
years as constable in Union Township. 

S. H. BOLTON, farmer and stock raiser and apiarist, P. O. Stanley, 
Putnam County, was born in Stark County, Ohio, January 10, 1845, son of 
John and Mary (Houk) Bolton, natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. 
John Bolton was a carpenter in early life, but in later life became a farmer 
and was among the early settlers in Blanchard Township, Hancock Co. Ohio. 
He reared a family of eight childi-en, S. H. being the seventh. Our subject 
was reared on a farm, received a common school education, and has made 
agriculture the occupation of his life; also, for several years past, has de- 
voted considerable time to the raising of bees, making a specialty of the 
Italian bee. He imports his queens and has paid $5 for a single one. 
At the present time he has ninety stands of bees. In 1885, when the bee- 
keepers of Hancock County, Ohio, met and formed the Bee-keepers' Associa- 
tion, Mr. Bolton was elected secretary. Mr. Bolton owns a well improved 
farm of 100 acres of land. In 1862 he enlistsd in Company D, Ninety-ninth 
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Bope, and served eighteen 
months when he was transferred to the United States Signal Corps, in which 
he served until the close of the war. Mr. Bolton married, in 1860, Lucretia 
E., daughter of Charles Moffit, a pioneer farmer of Blanchard Township, 
this county, and the children of this union were Mary E., Cora O. , Ella M. , 
Willie M., Elva L., John A., Samuel E., Nellie Grace (deceased), and 
Lloyd Blain. Mr. and Mrs. Bolton are members of the Church of God, in 
which he is elder, and has been trustee and Sabbath-school superintendent. 
In politics Mr. Bolton is a Republican; he holds the office of school 
director; is a Master Mason. Mr. Bolton's father died in Findlay, in 1884, 
where he had retired to pass the last years of his life. 

JACOB BOWERSOX, farmer and stock raiser, P. O., Rawson, was 
born in Pennsylvania, November 30, 1 809, son of G. Adam and Mary (Stein- 
brook) Bowersox, both of German descent, latter a native of Pennsylvania. 
G. Adam Bowersox was born in Germany and was a stone-mason in his early 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 855 

life, but in later life became a farmer; his family consisted of nine children, 
Jacob being the fifth. Our subject was reared on the farm and worked at 
the stone-mason trade, but his principal occupation has been farming, in 
which he has been successful. He is the owner of a fine farm of 200 acres 
of land on which he resides. Mr. Bowersox settled in this county in 1859, 
and has accumulated his property by his own exertions. In 1830 he was 
united in marriage with Sophia, daughter of Philip Walter, and of German 
descent. The childi'en of this union are Elizabeth (deceased wife of Job 
Loose); Levi, a farmer, married; Bennival, a farmer, married; Harry, a far- 
mer, married, and residing in Pennsylvania; Jefferson, a farmer, residing in 
Indiana, married; and Edward, who was a member of the Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, and was killed at Richmond, Va. , in the late war. His first wife 
dying, our subject married, two years later, Margaret A. Kister, a lady of 
German descent. This union has been blessed with ten children: Pharus 
(deceased); Jeremiah, a farmer, married; Cyrus, a blacksmith; Robert, a 
farmer, married; John, a carpenter in Calif ornia ; William, now in California; 
Frank, in California; Henry, at home; George and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bowersox are members of the Evangelical Association. In politics he is a 
Republican. 

PHINEAS BROWN, tile manufacturer, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. 
Mount Coi^y, was l)orn in AValdo County, Me., June 8, 1840, son of 
Thomas and Susan (Filbrook) Brown, natives of Maine, the former of Hol- 
land-Dutch, and the latter of English descent. Thomas Brown, father of 
our su1)ject, a fisherman by occupation, came fi'om Maine to Ohio in 1843, 
settling on a farm in Union Township, this county, where he passed the re- 
maining poi-tion of his life, dying in 1884. His family consisted of ten 
children, Phineas being the fifth. Our subject was reared on the farm, 
and chose agriculture as his avocation. In 1880 he embarked in the busi- 
ness of manufacturing tile, carrying this on in connection with his other oc- 
cupation, and making it a success. Mr. Brown married, in 1861, Sarah 
Keel, daughter of Samuel Keel, and the children born to this union are 
Cyrus, W^illiam, Christenah, Samantha, Samuel, Mary Jane, John and Le- 
vina. Mrs. Brown is a member of the United Brethren Church ; Mr. Brown 
being superintendent of the Sabbath-school. He is a Master Mason in the 
Masonic Lodge at Benton Ridge, Ohio. In politics he is a Democrat. He 
has been assessor for fourteen years; also land appraiser, school director 
and township trustee. 

AVILLIAM BURNS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, Ohio, 
born on the farm where he now resides, April 16, 1844, eldest son of James 
and Mary Ann (Moore) Biu-ns, latter of whom, a native of Pennsylvania, 
died Aiigust 26, 1862. Our subject's father afterward married, June 9, 
1864, Charity Dixson, who died April 25, 1865. James Burns was a native 
of Ohio and among the early settlers of this county; he entered and cleared the 
the land where our subject now resides; he was township trustee and as- 
sessor, and for many years a justice of the peace. He was a pioneer and a 
prominent man, and always worked for the advancement of morality. After the 
death of his second wife in 1865, he lived with oiTr subject on the farm 
till his death, which occm-red in 1874. William Burns received his education 
in the common school and in the Bluffton, Ohio, graded school. He chose 
farming for his vocation in life and has met with success, at i^resent owning 160 
acres of well improved land in Union Township, this county, where he resides. 



856 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Mr. BuriiH was iinited in marriaj^e, in 18(55, with Sarah A., daughter of Joseph 
Stratton, and of English descent, born in Wayne County, Ohio, June 18, 
1843, and the children born to this union are Lucina J. , Frank, Walter, 
Bessie and Ethel. Our subject had one sister, Susan, born June 4, 1841, 
died Decemlier 20, 1851, and one Ijrother born January 24, 1846, died in in- 
fancy. Mr. Burns is a good citizen; in politics a Democrat. 

ISAAC CLABATJGH (deceased) was born in Virginia in 1798, son of 
Henry and Rebecca (Miller) Clabaugh, of German descent, former of whom 
had been a farmer all his life. Our subject was reared on a farm, received 
a common school education, and was a tiller of the soil all his days. He 
came to this county fifty years ago, his father having entered the land 
where our subject resided up to his death. In 1820 Isaac Clabaugh mar- 
ried Miss Margaret Houser, who was born in Loudoun County, Va. , October 
15, 1796, daughter of Valentine and Mary (Winegardner) Houser. This 
union was blessed with five childi-en, two of whom are yet living. August 
23, 1885, although at the advanced age of eighty-seven years, Mr. Cla- 
baugh purchased twelve acres of land, and at the time of his death owned 
118 acres besides twelve acres of timber land. His father settled in Ohio 
Territory in 1800 and Isaac Clabaugh lived in the State ever since that 
year. He died September 10, 1885. He was a Jacksonian Democrat in pol- 
itics. His widow, who was born in 1796, is in good health and does her 
own work. 

N. H. CLYMER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
on the farm where he now resides, in Union Township, Hancock Co. , Ohio, 
November 15, 1856, son of C. F. and Catharine (Knichleson) Clymer, latter 
a native of Pennsylvania; C. F. Clymer, our suliject's father, a native of 
Ohio, of English descent, was a farmer all his life, born November 26, 1821, 
and died July 25, 1878, aged fifty-six years. He was the son of Francis 
Clymer and was twice married; he had ten children by his first wife and five 
by his second wife, and ten of his children grew to maturity. He was an 
active member of the United Brethren Church for thirty years. Our sub- 
ject's grandfather, Francis Clymer, was an early pioneer of Hancock Coun- 
ty, and entered the land where our subject was born and now resides. N. 
H. Clymer, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the farm, received a 
good English education, and chose farming as his occupation. He is the 
owner of 1()0 acres of land. February 6, 1881, Mr. Clymer was united in 
marriage with Eliza Whisler, of German descent, daughter of David and 
Mary Ann (Tobias) Whisler. Mr. and Mrs. Clymer have one child living, 
Irvin L. Mrs. Clymer is a member of the United Brethren Church. In 
politics Mr. Clymer is a Republican. One of Mr. Clymer' s brothers lost his 
life in his country's cause during the late war. 

THOMAS COLEMAN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Benton Ridge, 
born December 15, 1825, is a son of Nicholas and Susan (Alcorn) Coleman, 
latter a native of Delaware, of English origin. Nicholas Coleman was a na- 
tive of Maryland, of Irish origin, and in early life was a stage- driver in 
Pennsylvania. His family consisted of five children, two of whom are still 
living: Thomas and Georgianna, latter now the wife of Jackson Baldwin, of 
Blanchard Township, this county. The parents of our subject came £rom 
Pennsylvania to Union Township, this county, in 1840. They brought 
three of their children with them, Thomas being one of the number, walking 
all the way and bringing everything they owned with them, even their cook- 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 857 

ing utensil, which consisted of one little skillet (this skillet is now in the 
possession of Mrs. Baldwin, theii' daughter). Our subject's parents were 
poor, even for pioneers. Thomas worked out by the day and month, and 
for seven years for John Dukes at $7 per month, and has done many a 
hard day's work for 50 cents per day. He labored for 50 cents per day 
"dead'ning" the timber on the farm where he now resides, and which was 
then the property of another man. He then rented land, and as soon as he 
had accumulated money enough he bought forty acres, which he cleared, 
then sold and bought other land. He has met with marked success in bus- 
iness, and is now the owner of 347 acres of land. In 1853 he married Su- 
san Baldwin, a lady of English origin, daughter of David Baldwin, a pioneer 
farmer of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman's childi-en are Nelson, a 
farmer (married), Theodore, Oliver, Herbert, Effie, Viola, Jennie, Belle and 
Charles. In politics Mr. Coleman is a Republican. 

JACOB CRAMEli, retired farmer, Rawson, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, October 26, 1827, son of Philip and Catherine (Harmon) 
Cramer, natives of Pennsylvania, of Oerman descent. Jacob Cramer's 
grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Philip Cramer, who 
was a farmer and a minister of the United Brethren Church, came to Han- 
cock County, Ohio, in 1830, settling in Union "Township, and cleared up a 
farm which is now owned by our subject. Jacob was reared on the farm, 
was educated in the log schoolhouse, and chose agriculture as his occupa- 
tion, which ho follow^ed with success until 1883, when he retired; he now 
resides in Rawson. He was married, in 1850, to Isabella, daughter of 
Alfred Hampton. Their only son now living, C. C. Cramer, is a hardware 
merchant in Rawson, and a prominent man; he was born February 1, 1855, 
and reared on the farm, receiving his education in the district school in his 
native township, and in the high school at Findlay. At the age of eighteen 
years he commenced teaching school, and also worked at farming, being 
thus employed for eight years. He embarked in his present business in 
1883. In 1877 he married Emma C. Tomlinson, and this union has been 
blessed with two children: Edward R., and Fred C. In politics Mr. Cramer 
is a Democrat. He is a member of the town council of Rawson; he is a 
Master Mason. 

HENRY DEEDS, Jr., farmer, P. O. Rawson, was born in Union 
Township, this county, October 5, 1846, son of Henry and Margaret 
(Cramer) Deeds, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. Our 
subject's father was born in 1809, and came to this coimtry in 1833, settling 
in Union Township, on the farm where he now resides. His family con- 
sisted of eleven childi-en, ten of whom grew to maturity, nine still living. 
Our sul)ject, who is the seventh child, received his education in common and 
select schools, and has made farming the occupation of his life. He is the 
owner of 242 acres of well improved land. He was united in marriage with 
Margaret Ellen, daughter of Moses Elza, and of German descent. This 
union has been blessed with five children: Etta May; Elroy G. , Margaret 
Ann, Myrtie Estella, and Cora Dell. Mr. and Mrs. Deeds are members of 
the United Brethren Church; in politics he is a Republican. 

GIDEON FALK, retired farmer, Moiint Cory, was born in Lehigh County, 
Penn., April 26, 1811, son of Matthias and Mary (Shoemaker) Falk, natives 
of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Matthias Falk was a carpenter, a 
trade he followed most of his life, but in later years became a farmer. He 



858 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

reared a family of six children, Gideon being the third. Our subject was 
reared on the farm, received his education in the common school, and chose 
agriculture as his vocation in life. He came to this county in 1848 and set- 
tled on a farm in Union Township. As a farmer he met with marked suc- 
cess, at one time owning 240 acres of well-improved land, and by 
economy and industry he has accumulated a fair share of this world's 
goods; has retired from active business, and now resides in Mount Cory, 
where he owns a neat and substantial residence, and passes his time in ease 
and comfort. Mr. Falk was united in marriage, in 1835, with Hannah, 
daughter of Jacob Kemmerer, and of German descent. Of their eight 
children four are now living: Lydia, wife of George Harpster, a farmer; 
Mary, wife of Thomas Chaney; Levi, married and engaged in milling and 
trading, and Sarah, wife of George Wonder, a prominent farmer in Union 
Township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Falk are members of the 
Evangelical Association, in which he has been class^ leader and Sabbath 
school superintendent. 

THOMAS FLICK, farmer, P. O. Rawson, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, November 18, 1832, son of John and Elizabeth (Fox) Flick, 
of German descent, and natives of Pennsylvania. John Flick was a black- 
smith in early life; in later life became a farmer ; he came to Hancock County, 
Ohio, in 1833, settling in Union Township; he reared a family of six chil- 
dren — four boys and two girls. Our subject, who is fourth in the family, 
was reared on the farm, educated in the old log schoolhouse, and chose 
farming as his occupation, which he had followed with success. He is the 
owner of 120 acres of land. In 1853 Mr. Flick married Sarah 
Deeds, daughter of Henry Deeds, Sr. ; her parents were of German descent. 
Her father, who is a farmer, came to this county in 1833, and is still living. 
Mr. aijd Mrs. Flick's children are Eliza J., (deceased), William, Henry, 
Samantha, Irrilla, Minerva, Leander and Maggie. Mr. and Mrs. Flick are 
members of the United Brethren Church. He has been school director. In 
politics he is a Democrat. 

J. J. FLICK, tile manufacturer, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount 
Cory, was born in Union Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, February 12, 
1837, son of John and Elizabeth (Fox) Flick, of German descent, the for- 
mer born in Virginia and the latter in Pennsylvania. John Flick, who was 
a blacksmith in early life, in later life a farmer, came to this county in 1835 
and settled in Union Township, where our subject's grandfather was among 
the first to enter land in this county. John and Elizabeth (Fox) Flick 
reared a family of seven children, all now living, J. J. being the sixth. 
Our subject was reared on the farm, received his education in the common 
schools, and at the age of eighteen years learned a trade which he followed 
for eighteen years, since when he devoted his time to farming until 1880, 
when he embarked in his present business with Phineas Brown, his present 
partner. Mr. Flick also owns a farm consisting of fifty acres of land, on 
which he resides. He was married in Hancock County, Ohio, in 1858, to 
Eliza, daughter of Henry Deeds, Sr. Their children are Thomas, Oliver, 
Malissa J., Lawrence, Martha Ellen and Celesta May. Mrs. Flick is a 
member of the United Brethren Church. Mr. Flick is a Master Mason. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and has been delegate to the Democratic con- 
vention. He has also been a school director. 



UNION TOAVNSHIP. 859 

DANIEL FOx^, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Kawson, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, February 15, 1826, son of David_ and Elizabeth 
(Bartoon) Fox, former born in Pennsylvania, March 13, 1(90, latter born 
in Maryland in 1801, and both of German origin. David Fox, who was a 
farmer by occupation, came to Hancock County in 1833, and settled on the 
farm on which our subject now lives. The family consisted of seven chil- 
dren. The father died in 1867; the mother is still living, remarkably well 
preserved for one of her age. She remembers when there were but two 
cabins between her house and Findlay. Both father and mother were mem- 
bers of the United Brethren Church for many years. Of their children now 
living, Daniel, the eldest, was educated in the log schoolhouse, made farm- 
ing the business of his life, and is the owner of 1 00 acres of well improved land. 
In 1849 he married Mary Jane Nowlan, a lady of English and Irish descent. 
Their children are S. S., a carpenter by trade, and married; Simeon, at home; 
Cinderella; S. D., a teacher; was married at Concordia, Mo., March 24, 
1885, to Miss Neuhaus; S. M., at home; S. V., at home; S. M. and Sophia 
E. In politics Mr. Fox is a Democrat. He has been trustee of Union 
Township, this county, and for many years was school director; also served 
thirteen months in the Union Army. 

SOLOMON GHASTER, retired farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount 
Cory, was born in Ohio December 31, 1827, son of Henry and Sarah (Pow- 
ell) Ghaster, former born in Germany, by trade and occupation a carpenter, 
mill-wi-ight and farmer, latter a native of Ohio, and of Welsh descent. Sol- 
omon Ghaster, the second in a family of six children, was reared on a farm 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, and his schooling was limited to forty days in an 
old-fashioned log schoolhouse. He chose farming for his occupation, came 
to this county in 1848, and boaght 133 acres of land where he now resides. 
In 1852 he went to California, returning in 1855. When he commenced to 
improve his farm he was $500 in debt, and all he owned was his ax and 
clothes. To use his own words he ' ' had a good ax and good muscle, but 
poor clothes," ])ut by industry and economy he has accumulated a fail- 
share of this world's goods. Mr. Ghaster married, in 1856, Mary, daughter 
of William and SarahFox, former a pioneer farmer of this county. Mrs. Ghaster 
is of German descent. Eight children have been born to this union: Will- 
iam H., John J., S. L., Sarah J., wife of George W. Woods; Ida May, 
Euphemia M. , Elmer Elsw^orth and Charles Monroe. Mr. and IVIi's. Ghas- 
ter are members of the United Brethren Church; he has been class leader 
and member of the quarterly conference for many years, and Sabbath- 
school superintendent. In jiolitics Mr. Ghaster is a Republican. He was 
a member of the school l)oard when they built the new schoolhouse. He 
takes an active interest in educational afPairs, and has been a strong tem- 
I^erance man for the past twenty-six years. In early life Mr. Ghaster was 
a very hardy man; for example, he says he and Daniel Powell, when young 
men, were employed in running a saw-mill in Fairfield County, Ohio, and at 
one time, when business was crowding, they worked five days and four and 
one-half nights without sleep; he says his salary was 133.50 per year, while 
IVIi-. Powell (now a wealthy farmer in this county) received about $10 per 
month. 

J. W. HARRIS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, January 26, 1827, son of Abram and Sarah 
(Kneedles) Harris, natives of Delaware, and of English-Irish and German 



860 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 

descent. Abram Harris, who is a successful farmer, residing in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, reared a family of ten children, eight of whom grew to 
maturity, J. W. being the fourth. Our subject was reared on a farm, ac- 
quired a common school education and chose farming as his vocation. He 
has met with marked success in life, at the present time owning 293 acres 
of well improved land. Mr. Harris came to this county in 1849 and settled 
on the farm where he now resides. In 1848 he married Mary E. Dehouty, 
daughter of Absalom and Elizabeth (Case) Dehouty, natives of Delaware and 
of English descent. Four children have been born to this linion, three of 
whom are now living: Abram B., a farmer; Sarah, wife of Peter Hiimmon, 
and George AV., a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are members of the United 
Brethren Church, in which he has been class leader, and steward and trus- 
tee. He takes an active interest in all that pertains to the church. He has 
given each of his childi'en a good start in the world. Mr. Harris is a voter 
but no one knows how ho votes. 

ADAM HEININGER, hardware merchant. Mount Cory, was born in 
Switzerland, September 22, 1882, son of Andrew and Anna (Kleiner) Hein- 
inger. His father, a farmer, came to America in 1844 and located on a 
farm in Hopewell Township, Seneca Co., Ohio, where he lived until 
1850, when he removed to this county and settled in Union Towliship. His 
family consisted of seven children, six of whom grew to maturity, four now 
living: Adam, the subject of this sketch; Daniel, a minister of the Evan- 
gelical Association, residing in Saginaw City, Mich. ; Samuel, a minister in 
the Evangelical Association, residing in Cleveland, Ohio; and Thressia, wife 
of Andrew Link, of Mount Cory, Ohio. Adam Heininger lived on the farm 
with his parents until he was eighteen years of age. His first education 
was obtained in Europe and he studied the English language in Seneca and 
Hancock Counties. When eighteen years of age he learned the cabinet- 
maker' s trade, at which he worked for ten years. In 1 8G2 he bought a farm 
of 120 acres of land in Union Township, this county, which he still owns. 
In 1883 Mr. Heininger embarked in the hardware business, which he still 
carries on. In 1853 he was united in marriage with Margaret, daughter of 
Jacob Grossly; and born in Lancaster, Fairfield Co., Ohio, of German 
descent. Their childi'en are Wesley G., Anna Catharine, Ella and Lewis. 
Mr. and Mrs. Heiniuger are members of the Evangelical Association, in 
which he has been class leader, steward and trustee, also a teacher in its 
Sabbath-school. In politics he is a Republican. He takes an active inter- 
est in public schools. 

H. E. HENDERSON, grain dealer, P. O. Rawson, was born in Rich- 
land County, Ohio, January 13, 1826, son of Charles and Margaret (Moody) 
Henderson, latter a native of Ohio and of English descent. His father, born 
in Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, and a farmer by occupation, settled in 
1834 on a farm in Big Lick Township, this county. H. E. Henderson, the 
third in a family of nine children, was reared on the farm, receiving his ed- 
ucation in the common schools. He made farming his chief occupation until 
1875, since which date he has devoted his time to his present business. He 
commenced first in Lima, where he located thirteen months, then removed 
to Findlay, where he remained four years engaged in the grain and produce 
business; and next came to Rawson and established his present enterprise. 
In 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was elect- 
ed first lieutenant, was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and was pro- 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 861 

moted to captain of the company ; was afterward transferred to the Invalid 
corps; he was discharged for disability in 1864. Capt. Henderson has 
been twice married; by his first wife he had four children: Arrella, wife 
of George Higgins; Alfi-ed, who is now in the West; Viola, wife of Jacob 
Careny; Flora, wife of Charles Burkette. Capt. Henderson's second wife, 
whom he married in 1866, was the widow of Albert Hollowell ; by her he had 
one child, Jennie. In politics Capt. Henderson is a Democrat. 

J. P. HEWS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born in 
Franklin County, Ohio, July 23, 1815, son of Walter and Nancy (Harris) 
Hews, latter a native of Delaware, of English descent. Walter Hews was 
born in Pennsylvania and was a farmer all his life; he I'eared a family of ten 
children, J. P. being the third; he died when our subject was fifteen years 
old. J. P. Hews was reared on the farm in Franklin County, Ohio, re- 
ceived a limited education in the log schoolhouse and worked on a farm 
until he was twenty-one years old. In 1835 he was united in marriage with 
Elizabeth, a native of Knox County, Ohio, daughter of John Bo wen; her 
parents were natives of Wales. The year of his marriage Mr. Hews went 
security for his cousin and had to pay the bail money; this placed him in 
such a position that he had to borrow 75 cents to pay his marriage 
fee, and left him $180 in debt besides. He then went to work clearing land 
in Franklin County, and in the same fall took a lease on a "dead'ning," 
and the next spring he sold the lease for enough ^ to purchase a 
team. In 1845 he came to this county and bought eighty acres of 
land in Union Township, having five years in which to pay for it. By in- 
dustry, economy and prudent management he has succeeded in accumulat- 
ing a handsome fortune, and is the owner of 505 acres of valuable land. 
Mr. Hews is a Democrat and often represents his party in conventions. He 
has served many terms both on the petit and grand juries. For many years 
past Mr. Hews has dealt largely in stock — buying and shipping. He is 
among the heaviest tax payers in the county, and for several years has paid 
more taxes than any other one man in Union Township. The unioa of Mr. 
and Mrs. Hews has been blessed with ten children, seven of whom are now 
living, five boys and two girls: Hiram, a farmer, in good circumstances; 
Elizabeth (deceased) ; John, married and living on the home farm ; Nancy 
A., now the widow of Robert Stratton; William, a farmer in Wood County; 
Julia A. (deceased); George M., a farmer; Jane, wife of Andrew Doty; 
James, a farmer, and May (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Hews are members 
of the Christian Union Church, in which^he is class leader, and has been 
superintendent of Sabbath-school. 

HIRAM HEWS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Bluffton, Allen County, 
was born in Morrow County, Ohio, April 10, 1836, son of J. P. and Eliza- 
beth (Bowen) Hews, the former a pioneer farmer of Welsh, the latter of 
German descent. Hiram Hews, the , eldest in a family of ten children, 
seven of whom are living, was brought to Union Township, this county, 
when a child, was reared on a farm and received his education in the com- 
mon schools of Union Township, where he grew to manhood, and chose 
farming as his occupation. He has been successful in life and is the owner 
of 226 acres of land upon which he resides and which is well improved and 
well stocked, and on which he has one of the finest farm-houses in Union 
Township. Mr. Hews was united in marriage, July 26, 1859, with Susannah 
Reese, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Young) Reese, and of English descent. 



862 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

This union has been blessed with four children: Emma Augusta, Homer R. , 
Hall a Belle and Orpha Dell. Mr. and Mrs. Hews are members of the 
United Brethren Church, of which he has been trustee. Mr. Hews has been 
school director several terms. In politics he is a Democrat. 

JAMES HEWS, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
in Union Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, January 27, 1859, son of J. P. and 
Elizabeth (Bowen) Hews, former a prominent farmer of Union To"wnship, 
born in Franklin County, Ohio. Jnlj 23, 1815. of Welsh descent; the latter 
a daughter of John Bowen. and a native of Knox County, Ohio, of W^elsh 
descent. James Hews, who is the youngest in a family of ten children, 
was reared on the farm, educated in the home schools, and has made farm- 
ing and stock raising the business of his life. Mr. Hews was united in 
marriage, in 1879, with Miss Mollie Brundidge, daughter of Nathaniel and 
Mollie Brundidge, of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Hews have one 
child, Jasper. Our subject owns 100 acres of valiiable land in Union Town- 
ship, this county, on which he resides, and which is replete with modern 
improvements and well stocked. In politics he is a Democrat. 

CHARLES W. HUFFMAN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Raw- 
son, born in Fairfield County, Ohio, November 24, 1832. is a son of Jacob 
and Susannah (Miller) Huffman, latter a native of Pennsylvania, of German 
descent. His father, who was a native of Virginia, of English and Scotch 
descent, and a farmer by occupation, came to this county in 1833, settling 
in Liberty Township, where he remained one year. He then removed to 
Union Township, this county, and entered land, dying here in 1868. His 
family consisted of twelve children, Charles W. being the fourth. The sub- 
ject of this sketch was reared on the farm, acquired a common school educa- 
tion and has made farming the occupation of his life. In 1852 he took the 
overland route to California, where he engaged in mining. In 1857 he re- 
turned by water, landing in New York, and coming from there to Hancock 
County, Ohio, he bought a farm of 100 acres of land where he 
now resides. In 1865 he again went to California, remaining one year, 
since when he has been engaged in farming. In 1859 he married Barbara 
Flick, daughter of Abraham and Mary (Lockey) Flick, and a native of Vir- 
ginia.of English descent, she died in 1884; she was a member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. HuflPman was class leader, steward and 
trustee and superintendent of the Sabbath-school. IMr. HuflFman's chil- 
dren are Oliver; Edith, wife of Jacob Powell; America; Darius; Blanche; 
Laura and Clara. Our subject is a Democrat. He has been school direct- 
or for nine years. He served two terms on the grand jury; was also a mem- 
ber of the petit jury of the courts of Hancock County, and has been a dele- 
gate to the Democratic Convention of this county. 

DAVID HUFFMAN, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Rawson, was 
born in Union Township, this county, June 9, 1844, son of Jacob and Susannah 
(Miller) Huffman, former born in Virginia, of English and Scotch descent, 
latter a native of Pennsylvania, of German origin. Jacob Huffman, who 
was a farmer, came to Hancock County. Ohio, in 1833; he lived in Liberty 
Township one year, then entered land on Section 10, in Union Township, 
this county, where he died in 1869. His family consisted of twelve chil- 
dred, ten of whom grew to maturity, David being the ninth. Our subject 
was reared on the farm, attended common school in Union Township, this 
county, also the State University at Athens, Ohio. After leaving school he 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 863 

engaged in teaching for a time, also farming. He enlisted September 9, 
1861, in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company F; re-enlisted 
January 4, 1864, and served until the close of the war. He was wounded at 
the battle of Chickamauga September 20, 1863. Since the war Mr. Huff- 
man has followed farming. He was united in marriage, February 24, 1870, 
with Persis Rothen, daughter of David and Barliara (Hartmetz) Rothen, na- 
tives of Germany. This union has been blessed with seven childi-en, four of 
whom survive : Arietta B. , Mary A., AVillis A. and Almira J. Mrs. Huff- 
man died January 25, 1885; she was a member of the Church of God. Mr. 
Huffman is a Democrat in politics; he has been clerk of Union Township, 
this county, and school director. He is a Master Mason in the Masonic fra- 
ternity, and is a member of the G. A. R. , in which he served two years as 
Officer of the Day. 

GEORGE HUMMON, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Bluffton, was 
born in Putnam County, Ohio, January 24, 1845, son of John and Mary 
Ann (Wininnger) Hummon, native of Pennsylvania, of German descent. 
John Hummon was a farmer and came fi'om Pennsylvania to Putnam 
County, Ohio, among the early settlers of that county, and settled on a 
farm. His family consisted of ten children, eight of whom grew to matur- 
ity, George being fourth. Our subject was reared on the farm, and at- 
tended the common school, and also Findlay High School. He has made 
farming his occupation and is a first-class agriculturist. He owns 246 
acres of valuable land, on which he resides; it is under a good state of cul- 
tivation and has excellent farm buildings upon it. In 1869 Mr. Hummon 
married Rebecca Gressly, daughter of Henry Gressly, a retired farmer, of 
Union Township, this county. The children born to this union are Viola 
Aunis, Azotus, Elsea, Blanche, Alverda and Grover. Mr. Hummon was 
treasurer of Union Township, this county, for eight years. In politics he 
is a Democrat. 

DANIEL KEEL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory,wasbornin 
Hancock County, Ohio, September 9, 1843, son of Joseph and Rebecca ( Al- 
spach) Keel, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent, former of whom 
came to Hancock County, Ohio, and entered land near Findlay, where he 
spent the remaining years of his life and died in 1851. Daniel Keel was 
reared on the farm of his uncle, in Eagle Township, this county. He re- 
ceived his education in the common school, and at the age of twenty years 
he enlisted in Company D, Ninety-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
serving three years. In 1867 he was united in marriage with Amanda Bar- 
toon, daughter of John Bartoon, and of English descent. The children 
born of this union are Willie D. and Thornton W. Mrs. Keel died in 
1869, and in 1870 Mr. Keel married Miss Mary Elizabeth, daughter of 
Thomas Banham, of English descent. Their children are Sylva May 
and Tiella Dell. Mr. and Mrs. Keel are members of the United Brethren 
Church, in which he has been class-leader, steward and trustee, and Sabbath- 
school superintendent and school director. 

JOHN KEEL, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Rawson, born in Union 
Township, this county, August 23, 1846, is a son of Samuel and Mary 
(Povenmire) Keel, natives of Pennsylvania, of Gei*man descent. The father 
of our subject was an early pioneer of Hancock County, Ohio, and now re- 
sides in Benton Ridge, Ohio. John Keel, the fifth in a family of eight 
childi-en, was reared on the farm, acquired a common school education, and 



804 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

wisely choso agricultural pursuits as his occupation. He is owner of a well 
improved farm in Union Township, this county, on which he resides. Mr. 
Keel was united in marriage, in 1861), with Martha J., daughter of Henry 
Stover, and of English extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Keel are members of the 
United Brethren Church. In politics he is a Republican. He enlisted, in 
1864, in the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was a non-commis- 
sioned officer in Company H. He is a member of the G. A. R., and is 
chaplain of Post No. 144. 

NATHANIEL J. KRAMER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Rawson, 
was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 26, 1839, reared in Franklin 
County, Ohio, and grew to manhood on the same farm where he was born. 
(This statement may seem incorrect, nevertheless it is true and easily 
explained: the county boundary lines were so changed as to bring Mr. 
Kramer's farm from one county to another). Nathaniel J. Kramer is the 
son of John and Hannah (Boyd) Kramer, of German descent. John 
Kramer was a successful fai-raer. His family consisted of seven childi'en, 
Nathaniel J. being the third. Our subject was reared on a farm, received 
his education in the common schools of Franklin County, Ohio, and learned 
the carpenter trade, which he followed in connection with farming till the 
present time. Financially he has been successful, but he has been danger- 
ously injured three different times: on the first occasion he had his collar- 
bone broken, the second time he had his right shoulder broken, and on the 
third occasion he had his left leg broken. Mr. Kramer is the owner of a 
well improved farm of eighty acres of land, on which he resides, and on 
which he has a neat and substantial house and barn and other out-buildings, 
and which is well stocked. In 1860 Mr. Kramer was united in marriage 
with Susannah, daughter of David Fox, and they have six childi'en: David 
E. ; John H. and Hannah E. (twins — Hannah E. is wife of Isaiah Foltz); 
Willard B. and Wilson D. (twins), and Carrie Dell. Mr. and Mrs. Kramer 
are members of the United Brethren Church, of which he has been steward 
and trustee. In politics he is a Democrat. He takes great interest in the 
education of his children, and has been school director of his district. 

J. C. LEE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born in Fair- 
field County, Ohio, October 5, 1833, son of James and Elvina (Coleman) 
Lee, both of English descent, former of whom, who was a farmer, died in 
1852; latter died in 1849. Of their family of nine children, eight of whom 
grew to maturity, only two survive : Stephen, now residing in Nebraska, and 
J. C. The subject of this sketch was brought to this county when three 
years of age, was reared on a farm, received a common school education 
and has followed agricultural pursuits all his life. In 1855 he went to Iowa 
and in 1859 to California, by the overland route. There he worked in the 
mines, and on his return came by way of water, arriving in New York City 
in 1865. He subsequently returned to his vocation of farming. Mr. Lee 
has been twice married, his first wife being Rusena, daughter of Charles 
Mallahan, and of English descent. Mr. Lee's present wife was Mary 
M. Walter, of German descent, daughter of Frederick Walter, a farmer in 
this county. Mr. and Mrs. Lee's children are Alvan Alphonso and Neoma 
Melvina. In politics Mr. Lee is a Republican. 

MATTHIAS MARKLEY, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, 
was born in Harrison County, Ohio, May 3, 1829, son of Solomon and 
Elizabeth (Salsbery) Markley, latter a native of Pennsylvania of English 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 865 

descent. Solomon Markley, a native of Pennsylvania, of German parent- 
age, and who was a farmer during life, settled in Putnam County, Ohio, in 
1836; he died in 1853. His family consisted of eight childi-en, six of whom 
are now living, Matthias being the second. Our subject was reared on the 
farm, acquired his education in the old-fashioned log schoolhouse, with 
paper windows, in Putnam County, Ohio, and chose farming as his voca- 
tion, which he still follows with success. Mr. Markley may properly be 
called the father of the town of Mount Coiy, for he was instrumental in 
having H. P. Eaton locate the flour-mill there, which gave the town a rail- 
road station. The land where Moiant Cory now stands was owned by Mr. 
S. Kemerer and Mr. Markley, who laid out the town in 1872. Our subject 
has been school director and township trustee, and takes a deep interest in 
all that tends to benefit Mount Cory. He has been remarkably successful 
in business, and is- the owner of a farm and considerable town property. 
Mr. Markley has been three times married; first, in 1851, to Mary Heath- 
man, who died in 1853, without issue. His second marriage was in 1854, 
with Philena Miller, a lady of German descent, and their children are 
Cyrus; Joseph L. ; Elizabeth Ann, now the wife of George F. Smith; 
Hiram D.; Thomas Wesley; Plyna M. ; Mary C. ; William Peter; Ada C. 
and Jennie V. Mr. Markley' s second wife died in 1878, and for his third 
he married, in 1884, Mary Williams, a lady of French origin, fi-om Canada. 
In politics Mr. Markley is a Democrat. He was appointed postmaster by 
President Cleveland in 1885. 

J. W. MAESHALL, farmer and dealer in stock, P. O. Cannonsburg, 
was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, October 9, 1837, son of Benjamin and 
Jane (McKinley) Marshall, natives of Pennsylvania, of Irish descent. Ben- 
jamin Marshall, who was a farmer, came to this county in 1838 and settled 
on the farm where our subject now resides. His family consisted of nine 
children, J. W. being the youngest. Benjamin Marshall died in 1861, and 
his widow, now in her eighty-ninth year, resides with the subject of this 
sketch. J. W. Marshall was reared on the farm, and has made agriculture 
and dealing in stock his business; has met with marked success, and is the 
owner of a fine farm of 205 acres, with first-class improvements. Mr. Mar- 
shall married, in 1858, Mary Nonnamaker, daughter of Ami Nounamaker, 
and of German descent. Eleven children have been born to this union, 
nine of whom survive: Lucinda J. (deceased), David Perry (deceased), 
William Ami, George Clifford, Charles E. , John M., Samuel A., Nellie A , 
Nora M. and Mollie G. The eldest daughter, Nancy E., is the wife 
of Amos Runkle. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall are members of the Evangelical 
Association, in which he is steward and Sabbath- school treasurer. In poli- 
tics he is a Democrat. He has served three years as township trustee. 

JESSE MILLER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Bluffton, was born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio, August 17, 1845, son of Hemy and Catharine 
(Drassley) Miller, the former born in Pennsylvania, of German descent; the 
latter born in Germany. Henry Miller came to this county in 1839 and 
settled on the farm where our subject now resides. He has been a success- 
ful farmer, has retired fi-om active business and now resides in Mount Cory, 
this county. Of his nine childi-en eight are now living, Jesse being the 
fourth. Our subject was reared on the farm, attended the home school and 
chose tilling of the soil as his vocation. He is a successful farmer and owns 
ninety-five acres of good land in Union Township, this county. In 1863 



866 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Mr. Miller enlisted in Company E, Thirty-firfst Kegiment Ohio Volunteer 
Infantry, and participated in forty of the most -severe engagements of the 
war. He was discharged in 1805, at the close of the war, and on his return 
home resumed farming. Mr. Miller was married, in 18(38, to Minerva 
Hummon, daughter of John Hummon, and their childi-en are, Vida, Ada 
Delia, Edmon F., Harley J., Metta, Cloyd, Cosy, Cruden D. and Jesse 
Blaine. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Evangelical Association, 
in which he has served as superintendent of Sabbath-school. He holds the 
office of school director. In politics he is a Republican. 

D. W. MOORE, merchant, Rawson, was born in Union Townshii), Han- 
cock Co., Ohio, October 11, 1857; son of George and Maryaua (Fox) 
Moore, natives of Fairfield County, Ohio, and of German descent. The 
father of our subject, who was a farmer, came to Hancock County, Ohio, 
and settled in the wild woods; his family consisted of thirteen children, nine 
now living. Our subject, who is the eldest, received his education in the 
common school in Union Township, where he was born, also attending Find- 
lay High School. He was reared on the farm and followed agriculture until 
1884 when he embarked in the grocery business in Rawson. February 23, 
1882, he was united in marriage with Jennie Foltz, a lady of German de- 
scent. Her father was a farmer by occupation. This imion has been 
blessed with three children: Nellie Grace, Carrie Agnes and Harry DeWitt. 
Mr. and Mrs. Moore are members of the Christiah Union Church, in which 
he has been class leader and also superintendent of the Sabbath school. He 
is a member of the I. O. O. F. , and has filled all the chairs in the subordin- 
ate lodge, and is now permanent secretary. He is treasurer of the village 
of Rawson. In politics he is a Democrat. 

GEORGE MOORE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O., Rawson, was born 
in Fairfield County, Ohio, December 30, 1828, son of Edward and Sarah 
(Andrick) Moore, natives of Maryland and Ohio, respectively, and of Ger- 
man descent, former a farmer. Their family consisted of twelve children, 
nine of whom grew to maturity, George being the third. Our subject, who 
was reared on the farm and educated in the common schools, chose agricult- 
ural pursuits for his occupation and came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 
1849. His father died in 1863. Our subject went to California in 1864, re- 
turning in 1865. He married, in 1855, Mary Ann Fox, a sister of Daniel 
Fox, and their children are Daniel W. ; Florence, wife of George Knepper; 
Elizabeth, wife of Simon Stager; George M. ; David E. ; Charley; Ida; Ada 
and Cora. Mrs. Moore is a member of the United Brethren Church. Mr. 
Moore is the owner of a well improved farm in Union Township. He is 
a member of the I. O. O. F. , and has taken all the degrees in the Encamp- 
ment. He is a Democrat in politics; has been trustee of Union Township, 
this county. 

W. S. PETERSON, farmer, P. O. , Gilboa, Putnam County, was born in 
Wayne County, Ohio, Oct. 8, 1830, son of Samuel and PolJy (Shepard) Peter- 
son, natives of New York, of Gei man and English descent. Samuel Peter- 
son, who was a carpenter, came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1844, and set- 
tled on a farm in Union Township. His family consisted of four children, 
our subject being the youngest; one daughter is living, now sixty-seven 
years of age, wife of Amos Showalter, and residing in Paulding County, 
Ohio. W. S. Peterson was reared on a farm, and has followed agricultural 
pursuits all his life. He married, in 1850, Margaret Clabaugh, born in 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 867 

Ohio, January 11, 1828, daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Clabaugh, and to 
this union have been born the following named children: Isaac M., a farmer 
in Putnam County. Ohio, married; Hamuel H., a farmer in Union Township 
Hancock Co., Ohio, married; Polly Jane, wife of Calvin Harkness 
(Mr. Harkness was born in this county, February 24, 1854, son of Garrett 
and Mary (Johnson) Harkness; his father was of Irish and German origin- 
Mr. and Mrs. Harkness have three children: William B., Arrey A and 
Mary Myrtle.) Mr. Peterson is a member of the Church of God. He en- 
listed m 1861 in Company K, Sixty-fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
serving three years; he was in several hard fought battles and in all the 
engagements the regiment took part in, and he was discharged at Nashville 
Tenn. In politics he is a Democrat. 

DANIEL POWELL, retired farmer, P. O. Benton Ridge, Ohio was 
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, May 19, 1815; son of Johii Phillip and 
Elizabeth (Raudebaugh) Powell, of German origin and natives of Pennsyl- 
vania, former a farmer and carpenter; their family consisted of fourteen 
childi-en, twelve of whom grew to maturity, Daniel being the sixth. Our 
subject was reared on the farm and attended the common school in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, and has made agriculture the business of his life. He came 
to Hancock County in 1844, and settled in Union Township, on the farm 
where he now resides. As a farmer he has been successful, ownincr now 240 
acres of land. Most of Mr. Powell's life has been devoted to hard labor- 
he has worked all day and all night, when business was crowdino-, in the 
saw-mill in Fairfield County, Ohio. In 1840 he was united in marria^re with 
Elizabeth Ranch, daughter of John Ranch, and fourteen children were born 
of this union: Emanuel, a farmer; Mary Ann, wife of A. Foltz; John H 
a telegraph operator; George W., a physician in New York State; Jonas, a 
farmer; Sarah J., wife of Joseph Bender; Ellen, wife of George Whisler- 
Hattie, wife of F. Andre; Louisa, at home; Catharine A., wife of D. Craft; 
\\ . C. V. ; Levina (deceased wife of Aaron Double); Elizabeth, and an infant 
(deceased). Mrs. Powell died in 1879. She was a member of the United 
Brethren Church. Mr. Powell is a member of same church. He has been 
trustee and school director. In politics he is a Democrat 

WILLIAM REESE, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Rawson born 
in Pennsylvania, February 26, 1829, is a son of Charles and Frances 
(beigler) Reese, former a native of Switzerland, latter, born in Pennsyl- 
vania, of German descent. Charles Reese, father of our subject, came to 
America when he was eighteen years of age. He followed farming in Penn- 
sylvania and came to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1839, settling on a farm in 
Liberty Township. He died in this county in 1854. His family consisted 
of eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity. William, our subject, 
who is the eighth child, was reared on the farm, received a common school 
^?^?ilJ on ^""'^ became a farmer. He has met with success and is the owner 
ot 108. J J acres of well improved land, where he resides. Mr. Reese was 
united in marriage with Miss Catharine Bergman, daughter of John and 
Elizabeth (Polk) Bergman, of German origin, former of whom, a farmer, 
died in Liberty Township, this county, in 1874, latter died in 1865; they 
reared a family of twelve children, and four of the sons now reside in this 
county Mr. Bergman took an active interest in public schools and helped 
build the first schoolhouse in the district where he lived, in Liberty Town- 
ship, this county. Mr. Reese has tilled the office of trustee of Union Town- 
ship, this county. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a Master Mason. 



868 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

JONATHAN SAGER, retired farmer, Mt. Cory, was born in Fairfield 
County, Ohio, November 2, 1828, son of Shem and Maria Barbara (Nuner- 
maker) Sager. The ])arents of Mrs. Maria Barbara Sager were natives of 
Wurtemberg, Germany. Shem Sager. a native of Virginia, of German de- 
scent, and a farmer by occupation, came from Virginia to Ohio and settled 
in Fail-field County in 1806; he was twice married. By his first wife he 
had six childi'en, and l)y the second he had eight, Jonathan being the eldest 
child by the second marriage. Our subject was reared on the farm, and 
educated in Fairfield County School. He chose farming as a business 
and came to this county in 1853, settling in the woods in Eagle Township, 
where his father entered land. He has been successful in life and at pres- 
ent owns two farms in Union Township, this county. Retiring from farm 
life he removed to Mt. Cory in 1884. Mr. Sager married, in 1851, Mary 
Ellenberger, a lady of German descent, and their children are Sarah B. , 
wife of Jam(!s Cantner; Lucinda, wife of John R. George, and Rebecca, 
wife of Henry Williams. Our subject's second wife was Nancy Spangler, 
and by her he had the following named children: Clarinda, wife of W. H. 
Whitenmyer; George; Esther A., wife of Jacob Nepper; Augusta and 
Nancy L. Mr. Sager' s third wife was Elizabeth Sampson. Our subject 
and wife are members of the Evangelical Association, and Mr. Sager has 
been a local minister for twenty years. He has been school director, as- 
sessor and trustee. He is a member of the Grange at Benton Ridge and is 
lecturer of that order. In politics he is a Democrat. 

M. M. SAYLOR, M. D. , Cannonsburg, was born in Fairfield County, 
Ohio, September 24, 1846, son of Daniel and Ardilla (Whiteley) Saylor, the 
latter of whom, born in Dorchester County, Md. , of Welsh descent, was the 
daughter of Willis Whiteley and sister of Judge M. C. Whiteley, of Find- 
lay, Ohio. Daniel Saylor, father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland 
County, Penn. , of Irish descent. He was a wagon and carriage-maker by 
trade, came from Pennsylvania to Ohio and settled in Fairfield County. Of 
his six children Dr. Saylor is the sole survivor, all the rest having died 
young. Dr. M. M. Saylor was reared on a farm, and received his education 
in the Findlay High School. Since thirteen years of age he has made his 
own way in the world. At the age of twenty -two he embarked in mercantile 
bvisiness in Fostoria, Ohio. He commenced the study of medicine in 1876, 
and attended the Ohio Medical College. He then moved to Ft. Wayne, 
Ind. , where he graduated in medicine in 1881; then commenced the prac- 
tice of his profession (to which he is wonderfully attached) in Cannonsburg, 
this county. In 1871 the Doctor was united in marriage with Lydia, daugh- 
ter of Martin and Sophia (Frederickson) Royce, natives of New York, of 
English descent. Of the four children born to this union, only one, Min- 
nie, is now living. Dr. Saylor is a member of the I. O. O. F. In 1864 he en- 
listed in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and served the full term of his enlistment. In politics he is a Republican. 
LEVI SHOW ALTER, retired farmer. Mount Cory, was born in Adams 
County, Penn., January 8, 1814, son of Daniel and Susannah (Rode) 
Showalter, natives of Lancaster County, Penn. ; his father and grandfather 
wei'B farmers. Daniel Showalter had a family of thirteen children, Levi 
being the third. Our subject was reared on the farm, received his education 
in Adr.ms Coimty, Penn., and came to this county in 1887. He worked out 
by the month to earn money to enter eighty acres of laud. He married, in 



UNION TOWNSHIP. 0D9 

1837, Mahala Wade, a native of Virginia, of English descent, and by her 
had nine children, of whom there are now living four boys and two girls. 
Mrs. Showalter dying, Mr. Showalter married his second wife, whose maiden 
name was Sarah Watkins, with whom he enjoyed twenty-three years of wed- 
ded life, and she dying, Mr. Showalter married his present wife, whose 
name was Mary A. Clymer, nee Sickafoose. Mr. and Mrs. Showalter are 
members of the Methodist Church, in which he has been steward and 
trustee. Mr. Showalter has been successful in business, at one time own- 
ing 500 acres of well-improved land. He has been liberal with his chil- 
dren, and has given each of them a good start in the world, and those yet 
living are all doing well. In politics Mr. Showalter is a Republican. He 
has filled the office of school director. 

RICHARD SHOWALTER, farmer, P. O. Mount Cory, was born in 
Lancaster County. Penn., March 10. 1827, son of Daniel and Susan (Red) 
Showalter, natives of Pennsylvania and of Dutch and German descent. 
Daniel Showalter, who was a farmer, reared a family of thirteen children, 
eleven of whom grew to maturity, Richard being tenth. Our subject was 
reared on a farm, receiving his education in an old log schoolhouse in Han- 
cock County, and has resided in this county since 1836. He has been a 
farmer all his life and has met with moderate success. He is the owner of 
eio-hty acres of well-im])roved land near Mount Cory. In 1852 Mr. Showalter 
was united in marriage with Susannah, daughter of Thomas Watkins; her 
parents were of Oerman and Irish descent and among the pioneer farmers of 
Union Township, this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Showalter have been born 
seven children, of whom four are dead: Robison S., Seward S. and two in- 
fants; three daughters are living: E. C, Alice and Zella. Our subject and 
wife are members of the Methodist Protestant Chiu'ch in which he is class 
leader and has been Sabbath-school superintendent, being now teacher 
of the Bible class. He has held the office of school director. In politics 
he is a Repiiblican. 

J. H. STRAUCH, farmer, P. O. Mount Cory, was born in Pennsylvania, 
May 14, 1834, son of Daniel and Susan (Reed) Strauch, of German de- 
scent, former of whom was a boat-builder, working at the carpenter trade in 
later life. J. H. Strauch obtained his schooling in Pottsville, Penn. He 
has lived in this county since he was a child; was reared on a farm, and 
chose agriculture for his occupation in life; he also deals^in stock. Mr. 
Strauch^is owner of 140 acres of well improved land. In 1857 he was united 
in marriage with Sarah J., daughter of Henry James, and of German de- 
scent, whtch union has been blessed with ten children, seven of whom are 
now living: Savilla, Samantha, Aaron, Sherman, Eve, Adam and Joseph. 
Mrs. Strauch is a member of the Evangelical Association. Mr. Strauch is 
a Republican in politics. He has been school director. He has one sister, 
Elizabeth Diefiendiefer, now aged about sixty -four years, and one brother, 
T. , now aged about fifty-four years. 

WILLIAM D. TURNER, merchant, Mount Cory, was born in North- 
ampton Coiinty, Penn., September 15, 1833, son of Cornelius and Eliza- 
beth (Bebelhim) Turner, latter a native of Pennsylvania, of German de- 
scent. His father, a native of Connecticut, and of English extraction, died 
in 183(3. The subject of this sketch was reared by his gi-andfather, on a 
farm, and when he was five years of age his grandfather moved to Ohio, 
settling on a farm. Here our subject received his education in the common 



870 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

schools. Durinpr the o-okl excitement of 185'2 he went to California, where 
he enga(:jed in raining for seven years. He then went to Adams County, 
Ind., and bought a farm and saw-mill, which latter he continued to operate 
until 187;], when he removed the mill machinery to Mount Cory, this 
county, and ran the mill in this place for four years. In the fall of 1877 
Mr. Turner embarked in his present business, keeping a general store. In 
1808 he was appointed United States Marshal for Adams County, Ind., 
and while acting in that capacity he had several narrow escapes from death, 
and was shot at though not hit. He continued to act as marshal until the 
close of the war. Mr. Turner is an agreeable gentleman, and a good busi- 
ness man. He has been three times married; the lirst time, in 1802, 'to 
Jane, daughter of George Hackett, and of Eftglish and German descent. 
They had one child. Nolin V. , at present a partner with his father, and who 
was married in 1885 to Huldah Miller, a lady of Dutch descent. Our sub- 
ject's first wife died in 1870, and in 1871 he again married, this union be- 
ing blessed with one child, Jennie, now at home. Mr. Turner's third wife 
is a twin sister to his first wife. One child has been born to this last union, 
Antoinette. Mr. and Mrs. Turner ai-e members of the Methodist Protestant 
Church. In politics he is a Eepublican. 

I. M. WATKINS, farmer anfl stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
in Union Township, Hancock Co., Ohio, January 4, 1844, son of James 
and Elizabeth A. (Nowland) Watkins, the latter born in New Brunswick, of 
English descent, yet living at the advanced age of sixty-five years; James 
Watkins, born in Ohio, of English descent, a farmer by occupation, came 
to this county in 1839, and settled in Union Township, where he passed the 
remaining portion of his life, dying in 1874. Of the seven children in their 
family, four grew to maturity, three of whom survive. I. M. Watkins was 
reared on a farm, attended the home schools, and chose farming for his 
occupation; has also dealt extensively in stock; he owns 181 acres of well 
improved land, on which he resides. February 12, 1805, Mr. Watkins was 
united in marriage with Mary D. Feller, daughter of Daniel and Mary 
(Donnelson) Feller, natives of Ohio and of German descent. The children 
of this union are Teressa A., Daniel Webster, James Mellvil, Mary Eliza- 
beth, Isaac Scott, Lottie Emaline and Jennie Alice. Mr. and Mrs. W^at- 
kins are members of the Methodist Protestant Church. He has been trus- 
tee and secretary of the financial board, and has been school director seven 
years; is trustee of Union Township. In politics he is a Democrat. Mr. 
Watkins' eldest daughter has seen her four great-grandmothers. 

JOHN WEISEL, farmer, P. O. Mount Cory, was born in Allen Town- 
shiji, this county, September 0, 1845, son of Isaac and Jane (Dorsey) Wei- 
sel, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German and English descent. They 
moved from Pennsylvania to this county about 1835. and settled in Allen 
Township, on a farm where they spent the remaining j^ortion of their lives, 
their deaths occurring in 1878, within one week of each other. John Wei- 
sel, the subject of this sketch, is the eighth in a family of ten children, 
nine of whom grew to maturity. He was reared on a farm, received a com- 
mon school education, and has been a farmer all his life. He is the owner 
of 118 acres of land in Union Township, this county, where he resides. In 
1870 he married Barbara Jane Swab, daughter of Solomon Swab, and of 
German descent, and their children are William R., Charley Otto, Parlee 
E., Oliver Earl and Nolin S. Mr. and Mrs. Weisel are members of the 
Evangelical Association. In politics he is a Democrat. 



UNION TOWNSHIP. gr^-. 






, . , :-; •— "-'ft 'ciiij rtuu litre, vv nile Mr. \\ 

out' T? d°;r o The -cWM- r:f' "'■ ^-'f '^'': '^-■^ --"^-'g -w g.™ent. 

united in marriacxe with Marv Ann ItLi, T'l. ^ '^i^^' ^°'^'" •'^^^^^J^^* ^^s 
smith. Mrs. AVhislIr was born in' p^^^^^f '" ^^ Benjamin Tobias, a black- 
The children ot thLZlZJ^^^^^ ?^'^ '' "^ ^"^"^ ^"^^^^*- 

of IrvinClymer jZT- Pb' ^ (cWsed); Kebecca, wife 

of David Milled' Scott- Adn 1^1 ^^^e son H. Clyzner; Susan, wife 

and farmers Mz and IvtsWbi^r'''' '"'^ ^^'' ^^' '^"'^^ '^^'^ ^" ^^^^ 
Mv wT- f^^.^-^^'^-^^^hislor are members of the Evangelical Asso 

has le S Z: ^^I'^^'^/^r. ^- P-l^«-- He has nf^el det?e^" 
.SIderedT^h^^J^/v fo^' "^f Pt ^f ^^ '^^^ol director, which o 
ABSALOM WK^^^^^^^^ ""^'^^ \' ^""'^ ^^^^^^^'^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^l^ool. 

,t^ t'::':^r...^R^.^?.^' f™^^- and stock raiser, P. O. Bluffton, Allen 



ciation 



office, nor has he S Tny eSt that o/l'""." r'"^^'"' """'' *^"'"^ 
County, Ohio"^ in iSr; ",''l,r, ! '«T™ »" ^^^ >«*.. --« to Pntnarn 



County, Ohio in isli „n iTpttl, " "" ''"' '"'*■ <""^« *» P"*"™ 

tion of his life n that countr ll T " w",?'. '"'"'''"« "^^ «mainiag por 
the eldest in a fli^for, f Jhilte " ^ '"""f' *'"' '"''J'"=* °* ^^^^^ ^''^h, 
agriculture all hSL except durtaJthrr"'' ," " ""f- """ ''"^ '°"°"<''' 
was drafted in TSfiO ' i ^ w^^ *'"' '™« ''e '^Pe"' "i the army. He 
Eegi»™tOhoyohnt:e\Xrfry™nrw'''' " ^°T™^ «. Twen^y.first 
Wilkins is the owner 0^113 acZ; Tl!n'-'" '"""?', «"pg'-«""'ts. Mr. 
ship, this county, whe.e he Iw "sil '"risri'""'' " ^"T ''™°- 

s,2th^^l's.eS:rt!:-^«^^^ 

^{tiitste-£^£^-iH'^- ^^"'^^'^: 

Republican '""" '" ""*' 'J'^'™'- I'^ Politics he is a 

can) Williamson, m ive i'Marlm UKiVen ",''' """ ''"*^'T', *""''■ 
ui ivxdijianti and Penusylvama, respectively, and 



872 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

who married in York County, Ponn. They lived for several years in Wash- 
ington County, Penn. , and moved, in an early day, to Ohio, settling first 
near Steubenville; from there went to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and later 
to Greene County, Ohio, where they died. They were the parents of ten 
children: William, Ann, Duncan, John S., David, Sampson S., Margaret, 
Jonathan, Essemiah and Robert. Margaret and Anna are deceased. Our 
subject's father was a sailor, but followed farming after coming to Ohio. 
He was a Whig and Repiiblican in politics. William Williamson came to 
this county in 1850, purchased land and cleared up a large farm. He mar- 
ried, first, Jane McCroskey, of Greene County, Ohio. She bore him nine 
children: Granvil L., Madison H., Joseph H., Catharine E., David R., 
Martha F., Mary I., William A. and Amanda J. The eldest two and Mar- 
tha F. and Mary I. are deceased; the mother is also deceased. Mr. Will- 
iamson's second marriage was with Hannah H. Carson, with whom he 
resides at Mount Cory, this county. Mr. W^illiamson and wife are members 
of the United Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

G. F. WONDER, farmer and stock raiser, P. O. Mount Cory, was born 
December 29, 1844, son of Mathias and Sarah Catharine (Fowl) Wonder; 
former a Pennsylvania- German and a farmer, now residing in Wyandot 
County, Ohio, latter born in Germany. They reared a family of ten children, 
all now living and doing well, G. F. being the second. Our subject was reared 
on the farm and received a good English education. The occupation of his 
life has been agriculture, in which he has met with marked success, being 
now the owner of a well improved farm of 175 acres, on which he resides. 
He came to this county in 1870. In politics he is a Republican. He has been 
school director for nine years. In 1864 Mr. Wonder enlisted in the United 
States Signal Corps; was in eighteen well fought battles, and was present 
when Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant. He was discharged from the 
service at the close of the war. He is a member of the G. A. R. In 1869 
Mr. Wonder was united in marriage with Sarah, daughter of Gideon and 
Hannah (Kremerer) Falk, Pennsylvania-Dutch, both now deceased. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Wonder have been born five children: Olive A. , Rosa J. (deceased), 
Levi Elroy, Irvin Hayes and Eva Pearl. Our subject and wife are members 
of the Evangelical Association at Mount Cory. He is class leader, trustee 
and secretary of the board, and teacher in the Sabbath -school. 

THOMAS E. WOOD, physician, Rawson, was born in Hancock County 
September 20, 1840, son of James and Hannah (Hatcher) Wood, natives of 
Ohio and of German and English descent. James Wood, who was a farmer, 
came to Hancock County in 1837, and settled on a farm; his family con- 
sisted of eight children, Thomas E. being fourth. The subject of this 
sketch was reared on the farm, attended the common school and worked on 
the farm with his father until 1862, when he enlisted in the Eighty-seventh 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company G, serving three months. He was taken 
prisoner at the battle of Harper's Ferry, and' after his exchange and dis- 
charge he re- enlisted in the Second Ohio Heavy Artillery and served until 
the close of the war. He participated in several battles and skirmishes. 
Mr. Wood commenced the study of medicine in 1867, in the oflfice of Dr. J. 
Miller, and continued his medical education at the Western Reserve Univer- 
sity at Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated in 1870. He commenced the 
practice of his profession in Rawson, this county, where he still continues 
with marked success. The Doctor is a member of the G, A. R., and was 



VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 873 

commander of a post in 1SS3 and 18S4. He is a prominent member of the 
I. O. O. F. and has filled all the offices in the subordinate lodge, and is a 
member of the Encampment. He is also a F. & A. M. In politics he is a 
Rejinblican. From 1872 to 1880 our subject was engaged in the grocery 
and drug business in Rawson. Dr. Wood is one of Rawson's best citizens, 
and has done his part toward the improvement of the town. 



VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 

AMOS B. JENNER, physician and merchant, Jenera, was born near 
Sulphur Springs, Crawford Co., Ohio, April 5, 1848, son of AMlliam and 
Catherine (Ebel) Jenner, natives of Holland, who came to America in 1830, 
and, the same year, were united in marriage in Portage County, Ohio, settling 
in Crawford County, Ohio, where the Doctor's father is still living, a farmer 
and weaver by occvipation. William Jenner, althoxigh an exacting man, is 
conscientious and is highly esteemed by his neighbors. He is the father of 
thirteen children : George; Augustus; Christena, wife of Joseph Bell ; John, 
deceased; Andrew, who died in the service of his country; William, killed at 
the battle of Pittsburg Landing; Daniel; Jacob; Amos B. ; Rebecca, wife of 
Jacob Beaver; Mary; Henry and Benjamin, deceased at the age of seventeen 
years. The subject of this sketch remained at home until he was seventeen 
years of age, when he purchased his liberty by agreeing to pay his father a 
stipulated sum of money annually until his maturity ; he worked at daily labor, 
attended Oberlin College and taught school, thereby laying the foundation for 
his prosperity in after life. In 1873 he purchased a drug and provision store 
in Sycamore, Wyandot Co. , Ohio, and there began the study of medicine with 
Dr. Bland, of Bucyrus, Crawford Co., Ohio, as his preceptor. In 1875 he 
attended a course of lectui-es at Columbus Medical College, and in June, 1877, 
graduated from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, and began the 
practice of his profession at Cannonsburgh, this county, and there continued 
until the fall of 1883, when he located at Jenera, this county, which village 
is named in honor of our subject, who has been very active in all the enter- 
prises for its advancement and improvement. The Doctor has been very 
successful in his profession, and is also doing a large business in the drug 
and dry goods line. In the fall of 1883, at a special election, he was 
elected justice of the peace. He was strongly urged to accept the nomina- 
tion for the Legislature, but declined. Dr. Jenner is a man of great popu- 
larity, natural ability and energy. He is a member of the Northwestern 
Ohio Medical Association; an elder in the United Presbyterian Church. He 
was united in marriage, December 9, 1873, with Lettie Andrews, who was 
born May 10, 1840, in Crawford County, Ohio, daughter of Robert and 
Sarah (Foster) Andrews, the former of whom, a native of Cumberland 
County, Penn. , died in 1883, aged seventy-five years. His widow, a native 
of Crawford County, Ohio, is still living, in her sixty-third year. Of her 
<'ight children five died young; the survivors are Lettie (wife of the subject 
of this sketch), Robert and Ida. To Dr. Jenner and wife have been born 
three children: Lacua G. (deceased), Trola D. and Lavesta V. 



874 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

LOUIS LUNEAOK, farmer and lumberman, P. O. Jenera, was born in 
Marion County, Ohio, October 12, 1880, son of John and Margaret (Karck) 
Luneack, natives of Germany, born near Darmstadt, and who immigrated 
to America in 1831, soon after locating in Marion County, Ohio, and about 
1840 removing to Section 9, Van Buren Township, this county, where they 
purchased a small tract of land. John Luneack died in 1851, aged fifty - 
three years. His widow, who is still living, was born May 3, 1799, and is 
the mother of nine children, live of whom are now living: Barbara, wife of 
Providence Harriman; Christine, wife of Adam Reddick; Philip; Louis (the 
subject of this sketch); Catherine, wife of Gotleib Crates; Margaret (de- 
ceased wife of Philip Heldman. (She left, a family in Van Buren Township, 
this county). The other three children died without issue. Louis Luneack 
received only a limited education, his early life being spent in the woods. 
At the age of sixteen years he started oxxt in life without a dollar, but per- 
severance and energy have placed him among the foremost men of the county. 
Having natural ability and genius, Mr. Luneack became a tradesman, and 
carried on blacksmithing and gunsmithing for twelve years. He purchased 
land, and, in company with P. Heldman, built a planing and saw-mill in Van 
Buren Township, this county. Our subject became the sole proprietor in 
1881, and is doing an extensive Inisiness in the manufacture of shingles, 
lath, etc., besides managing a highly improved farm of 100 acres of land. 
Louis Luneack served fourteen consecutive years as township trustee, resign- 
ing in 1878 to accept the office of county commissioner, to which he was 
elected by an overwhelming majority, and served faithfully during his term 
of office, but refused a renomination. He was subsequently returned to the 
office of trustee, which he still holds. Mr. Luneack was united in marriage. 
May 27, 1859, with Elizabeth Heldman, who was born in Van Buren Township, 
this county, October 25, 1839, daughter of Peter and Catherine (Kirsh- 
baum) Heldman. Our subject and wife are the parents of six children: Eva, 
wife of George von Stein, of Jenera; Margaret, wife of Adam Pifer, of Jen- 
era; Adam; Andy; Philip and Lindy. They are membei'sof the Lutheran 
Church, of whicla Mr. Luneack is one of the pillars. 

JOSEPH KOTHTROCK, farmer, P.O. Dunkirk, Hardin County, is a na 
tive of Lehigh County, Penn., born August 30, 1824, son of Samuel and 
Margaret (Eshbaugh) Rothtrock, natives of Pennsylvania. The father of our 
subject was a saddler by trade, but his later years were passed in farming 
and saw-milling. He was a son of Samuel Rothtrock, of Pennsylvania, whose 
parents came from Germany. The parents of our subject had fifteen chil- 
dren, only three of whom are now living, Joseph, Amos and Levi. The two 
latter served in the war of the Rebellion. Joseph Rothtrock came to this 
county in 1 860, after having resided for several years in the eastern part of 
Ohio, and has since resided here, engaged principally in farming and butch- 
ering. He has a farm of 160 acres. Mr. Rothtrock has been twice married, 
first to Mary Stonehill, a daughter of David Stonehill, of Stark County, Ohio, 
and there were nine children born of this union : Isaac, Eliza, William, Hen- 
ry, John (deceased), David, Hattie, George and Annie. Mr. Rothtrock' s 
present wife was Mrs. Mary (Bosserman) Bowers, widow of Franklin Bow- 
ers, by whom she had four children: William, Alonzo, Samuel and Ellie. 
By his present wife Mr. Rothtrock has four children: Isabell, Lydia, Amos 
and Clarence. Our subject and wife are members o-f the German Baptist 
Church. 



VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 



875 



CHRISTIAN SCHALLER, farmer, P. O. Jenera, was born in Lauden 
Hessen-Darmstadt April 9, 1812, son of Christian and Clmstine (Heldman) 
bchaller. both of whom died in Germany, the former in 1818, aged fiftv-two 
years, and the latter in 1840, aged sixty-six years. They were the parents 
of eight children: Margaret, deceased wife of Philip Dillman- Maria 
deceased wife of Peter Borger-she left a family in Germany; Barbara 
maiTied to Peter Horn, came to America and here died; Catharine wife of 
Phihp TraucLt, in Madison Township, this county; George, a mill owner in 
Houston County, Mmn. ; Eliza B., deceased wife of Nicholas Boro-er who is 
m Germany; Elizabeth, wife of Michael Wilch, of Van Buren Township 
^ooV^"''^,' a^f^^l^ristian. The subject of this sketch came to America in 
1 ^'^'^' ^^^^J^^^ted near Hagerstown, Md. Two years later he went to Steu- 
benville Ohio, and in 18,38 he came to this county and located 124 acres of 
and in Van Buren Township, where he now resides. Our subject be^an 
hfe in America with but |8. He has lived a quiet, industrious life, endur- 
ing the trials and hardships incident to a settler in a new country, and by 
frugal and industrious habits has become one of the most substantial and 
prominent men m his township. He has served three years as justice of the 
peace. In 1838 Mr. Schaller was united in marriage, in Van Buren Town- 
ship, this county, with Mina Bowers, daughter of William Bowers of 
German descent; she died March 15, 1863, aged forty-four years. Of 'her 
nine children four are now living: Philip; Mariah, now the widow of Philip 
St TpIv ^Tn Y^'TJ The deceased are Elizabeth (she was the 
wife of Philip 8challer) and four others who died youncr 

GEORGE STEINMAN, farmer and lumberman, P. O. Jenera was 
born in Germany March 22, 1825, and came to America with an 'elder 
brother, Michael (now deceased) and his younger sister, who is now the 
widow of Jacob Steinman, and resides in Van Buren Township, this county 
Maria, a widowed sister of om- subject, came to America with her family in 
Inrn w'> ""l \^^ ?'•""'' Towuship, this couuty. George Steinman 

learned the carpenter trade in Columbus, Ohio. On the breakino- out of the 
WnT'or' V r;'*'^ ;^ Columbus, Ohio, in Company B, Fomth Reg- 
iment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served under c4ns. Taylor and 

ihftw .^r. ""^' ''^''^*"^' *^" ^ y^^^' ^^*^ ^ ^^"' participating in 
the battles of Matamoras and Pueblo. After the war Mr. Steinman came to 

of T.ndTn^P T r^^? ^'fj''"'^' ^^' ^^^y y^'^rs. He took up 160 acres 
has?t.n f nr^*"''^*?',^^^^' ^^ ^'' ^^^^ ^^^^■^■''^^^'- Our subject now 
has a farm of 100 acres of land, with a large, improved cider-mill and scale. 
He, in company with his nephew, owns a large lumber and shingle-mill, 

Oui subject IS also engaged in farming and steam threshing. He was 
n Mpdb' T''T'r^°''^i^f ^' ^^^^' ^^^^ Catherine Hull, who was born 
Irinpm \l:S^i?' ^t"''"^'^ 2^' ^^'^^' '^^''S^^'^'' «f Henry and Cath- 

^^^hFlT'^^'f^ ^^"' '^'\ ''^'^''' "^ *^^^ «^"^t>'- To our 'subject and 
wife have been born eleven children: a son, deceased in infancv; Mary E., 

wlfrnf r •?^^^''' J^^f H.; Alice, wife of James Brooks; Caroline 
wite of Daniel Thomas; John, married to Zenobia Pugh; William F. 
Charles; Joseph; Sarah and Alpha. Mr. and Mrs. Steinman are members 
of the German Baptist Church, and are consistent Christians, much esteemed 
by their neighbors and fi-iends. 



876 HISTORY OP HANCOCK COUNTY. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 

DR. WILLIAM G. BRAYTON, physician and surgeon, Arcadia, is a na- 
tive of Wyandot County, Ohio, born April 23, 1849, one of eleven children 
born to William and Margaret (Carr) Bray ton, natives of Vermont and New 
York, respectively, former a miller by trade. Our subject's grandfather 
built the first tiouring-mill in this section at a very early date. Dr. Bray- 
ton remained in his native county until tvy^enty-four years of age. He stud- 
ied medicine under the instruction of his uncle, Dr. A. Brayton, and after- 
ward attended the Michigan University at Ann Arbor, and later took several 
courses of lectures at the Miami Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio. He 
graduated at the Medical College of Ohio in March, 1873, and subsequently 
attended the Bellevue Medical College, New York. The Doctor came to 
Arcadia in 1873, and has since been engaged in extensive pi'actice at this 
place. He married Miss Susan Zuck, a daughter of Charles Zuck, of Carey, 
Ohio, and by this union has two children: Charles W. and Genevieve. 

JOSEPH DILLERY, farmer, Arcadia, born January 13, 1823, in 
Darmstadt, Germany, is a son of Francis- and Catharine (Stires) Dillery. 
Francis Dillery, who was a gardener, directing his attention to general 
horticultural and agricultural pursuits, came to America with his family in 
1831, and in 1840 his son, Joseph, came to Hancock County, Ohio, where 
he has since resided. Joseph Dillery has been largely identified with the 
saw-mill and lumbering business of this county, but of late years has given 
his attention more to his farm interests. In 1864c he enlisted in Company 
F, One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Col. Wilcox 
commanding, and served ten months. On his way home he suffered from 
an attack of sunstroke, from the efPects of which he has never fully recov- 
ered Mr. Dillery was first married, October 23, 1845, to Catharine Peters, 
daughter of Ambrose Peters, and of the seven children born to this union 
five are now living: Mary J., William H., George W., Susan and Pruda B. 
William H. married Miss Lucy Bowman, daughter of J. W. Bowman (they 
have two children living: Zetta and Stella); George W. married Miss Ella 
Mounts (they have one child, Mary C). Our subject's second marriage was 
April 13, 1873, with Lovenia, daughter of John and Hannah (Wolf) Bow- 
man, and by this union there are three children: Dora E., John F. and 
Rolland J. Mr. Dillery has filled many offices of importance during his 
residence in this county, served several years as mayor of Arcadia, and as 
deputy provost-marshal for Washington Township, this county. He at 
present fills the position of justice of the peace, having served as such for 
six years. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. , Arcadia Lodge, No. 595. In 
faith he is a Spiritualist; in politics a Republican. His family, by his last 
marriage, belong to the Lutheran Church. 

JOHN FISHER, physician and surgeon, Arcadia, was born in Colum- 
biana County, Ohio, March 28, 1811, the second of eleven childi-en born to 
Peter and Catharine (Shepler) Fisher, natives of Lancaster County, Penn., 
former of whom was a soldier in the war of 1812. Peter Fisher's father, 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 877 

Adam Fisher, lived to be one hundred and sixteen years old, as did also his 
wife; the old people were remarkably agile and youthful in their move- 
ments in their advanced age, the old gentleman readily walking several 
miles with no uncomfortable results. Our subject left his native county at 
the age of fourteen years, coming to Carroll County, Ohio, and in the year 
1833 to this county. Dr. Fisher's early life was spent at the blacksmith 
trade, learning in connection therewith the edge tool and general gunsmith- 
iug business. With John Miller he established the first foundry in Fos- 
toria, Ohio, and built the first engine in this section of the State, and dur- 
ing the years engaged in this direction, he studied medicine, more, at that 
time, for his own gratification; but he gradually drifted into a more vigor- 
ous study and subsequent practice. He read mainly with Dr. Elias Brien, 
of this county, a physician of the Thompsonian school, and began an ex- 
tensive practice under this teaching, but soon afterward took up the eclectic 
system, under which he has since practiced with increased success. Dr. 
Fisher married Miss Rachel Heckerthorn, daughter of Christian Hecker- 
thorn, of Carroll County, Ohio, and by this union he has four children, 
three of whom are living: Eliza, Peter and Joseph; the two latter served 
in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the late civil war. 

NICHOLAS FOX, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in this county July 
10, 1847, son of William and Catharine (Males) Fox, the former a native 
of Pennsylvania. William Fox enlisted in the war of 1812, but did no 
active service; he removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, and afterward to 
Seneca County, and finally to Hancock County about 1827, and here lived 
until his death, engaged in farming. Nicholas Fox has always resided in 
this county, and has at present a farm of 160 acres of land in a high state 
of cultivation. He married, December 31, 1808, Miss Mary Gilmer, daugh- 
ter of John Gilmer, an old resident of this county; four of their eight chil- 
di-en are now living: Edward, John E., Mollie and William; those deceased 
are Myiiie, Eosa, Nettie and Minnie. Mr. Fox is a member of the I. O. 
O. F. , Arcadia Lodge, No. 595. He is one of the substantial and progres- 
sive' farmers of "V^ashington Township, this county. In politics he is a 
Democrat. 

TIPTON H. HALE, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in this county, 
July 25, 1845, son of Charles and Eliza (Swindler) Hale, natives of JefPer- 
son County, Ohio, who were the parents of nine children, eight of whom are 
now living: Grafton B., Thomas J., Ann E., James S., Tipton H., Eandle 
P. , Sarah M. and Charles W. Handle Hales (the original spelling of the 
family name was Hales, the "s" being dropped by the present generation), 
the grandfather of our subject, came fi'om Ohio to Maryland, and was one 
of the early hotel keepers in the town of Fostoria. Both he and his family 
were hard-working people, much respected in the community. Tipton H. 
Hale has always resided in this county with the exception of four years, dur- 
ing which he was engaged in the drug business in Stark County, Ohio. He 
has a farm of 100 acres, and gives considerable attention to the raising of 
fine horses. Mr. Hale married October 15, 1873, Miss Mary -R. Post, 
daughter of Charles Post, of Trumlmll County, Ohio. This union has been 
blessed with four childi-en: Franklin B., Mary A., Amelia E. and Harley G. 
Mr. Hale is a member of the Methodist Church. In politics he is a Republican. 

HANDLE P. HALE, farmer, P. O. Ai-cadia, was born in this county, 
son of Charles and Eliza (Swindler) Hale, natives of JefPerson County, Ohio, 



878 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

a 'sketch of whose family will be found in that of Tipton H. Hale, above. 
Mr. Hale has a farm of lifty acres, and gives his attention to farming and 
the raising of line horses. He married Miss Arminda Moore, daughter of 
Joseph Moore, a former resident of Hancock County, Ohio. 

HENKY HEISTAND (deceased) was one of the pioneer settlers of 
Hancock County, and his vote was one of the first seven cast in Washington 
Township. He was a son of Jacob Heistand, and came fi-om Pennsylvania. 
He resided in this county, engaged in farming, until his death, which oc- 
curred in February, 1881, at which time he had farm property to the extent 
of 400 acres. He was a member of the Lutheran Church, and a stanch 
Democrat in politics, and filled many offices in the township with great ac- 
ceptance to the people. He married Susan Welsh, and eight of their large 
family of children are now living: Mary E., Sarah A., Harriet, John, Jere- 
miah, William, Morris O. and Charles. John, the eldest son, married Miss 
Sarah Zimmerman, daughter of Andrew Zimmerman, formerly of this coun- 
ty; William married Miss Julia B. Clarke, daughter of Matthias Clark, of 
this county (they have two children. Pearl and Alda) ; Morris O. married 
Miss Lucy Brayton, sister of Dr. W. G. Brayton, of Arcadia, Ohio (they 
have one child, Clair). These three sons (John, William and Morris O.) 
reside on divided portions of the old homestead. 

WILLIAM MANECKE, farmer, P. O. Fostoria, was born near Phila- 
delphia, Penn. , November 4, 1830, son of Henry and Christina (Markley) 
Manecke, natives of Germany. The father was engaged for many years in 
the sugar refining business in Philadelphia, and later gave his attention to 
farming; he died in this county December 23, 1861, his widow following 
him January 9, 1866. They were parents of eight children, of whom seven 
are living, William being the eldest of the family. Our subject came to 
Hancock County with his parents, and has since been one of the most exten- 
sive and successful farmers of Washington Township, owning, with his 
brother Peter, 640 acres of improved land. In September, 1862, Mr. 
Manecke enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry; he received a severe wound in his right hip December 29, 
1863, at Mossy Creek, east Tennessee, which incapacitated him for further 
service, and he was mustered out in the spring of 1865. He was first mar- 
ried to Miss Susan Ernest, daughter of Jacob Ernest, an old settler of Han- 
cock County, and to that union was born one child, Delia. Mr. Manecke' s 
second marriage was with Miss Caroline Stout, daughter of Christian Stout, 
of Henry County, Ohio. There are seven children living of this union: 
Romain, Gilbert, Thomas J. , Ross, Maude, James and Emma. 

HENRY SHEETS, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in Lebanon County, 
Penn., July 26, 1824, the eldest child of Jacob and Christiana (Boher) 
Sheets, both of whom were of Pennsylvania birth and of German descent. 
They were the parents of nine children, of whom seven are now living. 
Jacob Sheets, a farmer by occupation, was a son of Matthias Sheets, w^ho 
was a blacksmith and laborer, and was brought to America in 1776 with 
the Germ&n allies of the British Army, but deserted them in New Jersey, 
safely escaping into the American lines. Henry's maternal grandfather, 
Nicholas Boher, was a private soldier in the Revolution. When nine months 
old our subject was taken by his parents to Center County, Penn. , where he 
was brought up on a farm, and in the winter seasons sent to the common 
district school. At the age of seventeen, by permission of his parents, he 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 879 

came to Ohio, locating near Arcadia. Here he worked on a farm and at 
carpentering, and also taught fourteen terms of school. In 1860 he was 
elected county auditor, and in the spring of 1861 took up his residence in 
Findlay, where he filled the offices of county auditor and school examiner. 
In 1866 he moved back to his farm at Arcadia, where he still resides. In 
1870 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the county treasurer, 
and in 1876 was elected to fill the unexpired term of representative in the 
State Legislature, to which latter position he was re-elected for a full term 
in 1877. In politics he is, and always has been, a Democrat. December 
18, 1851, Mr. Sheets married Miss Martha Campbell, daughter of James 
Campbell, a once prominent farmer of Cass Township, this county, and there 
are six children living of this union: Rufus W.. James H., Matthew, Mary 
E. . Elizabeth and Homer. Mr. Sheets has a farm of 1 55 acres of land, 
which was mostly cleared by himself, and upon which he has resided most 
of the time since 1848. Since 1849 he has been a member of the Evangel- 
ical Lutheran Church, with which most of his family is connected. In his 
own affairs he has been successful diu'ing life, having only $4 left when he 
came to Ohio; and while serving the people, in various capacities, has shown 
that integrity of purpose and fairness of action in all things that have won 
him the esteem and confidence of the entire community. , 

DAVID SICKLES, farmer. 'P. O. Fostoria. was born in Harrison 
County, Ohio, November 18, 1814, son of Elias and Margaret (Hendrix) 
Sickles, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively. Elias Sickles 
was a son of David Sickles, and during life gave his attention to farming. 
He had lived in Hancock County, but at the time of his death was a res- 
ident of Williams County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch lived in his 
native county until he was seventeen years of age, then came to Hancock 
County, and has since resided here, engaged wholly in farming, having at 
present a farm of 180 acres of land. He is a member of the United Breth- 
ren Church, Mr. Sickles married Miss Elizabeth Oler, daughter of Peter 
Oler, of Carroll County, Ohio. She died in August. 1881, leaving two chil- 
dren: Margaret, wife of John Morganthaler, and John, who is married to 
Malissa Naw, daughter of Jacob Naw, a retired farmer of this county.- 

A. O. and M. C. STONEK, farmers, P. O. Fostoria, were born July 
1, 1843, and February 22, 1858, respectively, the former in Westmoreland 
County, Penn. , and the latter in this county. They are the sons of John 
H. and Elizabeth (Overholt) Stoner, natives of Westmoreland County, 
Penn. , who came to Hancock County in the spring of 1845, locating in Cass 
Township, and here lived for nineteen years, when the farm was traded for 
the one vipon which the widow and childi'en now reside. John H. Stoner 
was a farmer and cooper, as was also his father, John Stoner, who kept a 
still -house as well in an early day. John H. Stoner filled several offices in 
the county; he was a hard working man, held in great esteem by the entire 
community. A. O. Stoner married Miss Lydia A. Hollingshead, and their 
union has been blessed with three children, two of whom survive: Emma I. 
and John C. (Clara L. , a twin sister of the latter, died when young). M. C. 
Stoner married Miss Minerva Zimmerman, daughter of Andi-ew Zimmerman, 
a farmer of this county, and by her has two children: Cora B. and Ollie D. 

ROBERT W. TAYLOR, farmer, P. O. Arcadia, was born in this county 
April 2, 1839, son of William and Casander (Bell) Taylor, former a native 
of Ireland, latter of Maryland. William Taylor, who was a farmer, came 



880 HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. 

to Hancock County about 1835 and died in 1840. His father, William Tay- 
lor, never came to America. To the parents of our subject were born eight 
children, of whom five are living: Eliza, Mark, Mary A., George, and Rob- 
ert W. Our subject has always given his attention to agricultural pursuits, 
and has at present a farm of '270 acres of land. He married, December 5, 
1805, Miss Mary Moore, daughter of John Moore, a farmer of this 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have four children: Hillery, Agnes, Howard 
and Rush. 

ANDREW WISEMAN, farmer, P. O. Fostoria, is one of the family of 
thirteen children born to James G. and Elizabeth (Summers) Wiseman, both 
of whom were born in Virginia. Oui- subject was born September 28, 1817, 
in Madison County, Ohio, his parents having removed to this State but three 
days previous to his birth. His father, a blacksmith and farmer, had served 
in the war of 1812, in a cavalry regiment under a Col. Lewis. He resided 
in Madison County, Ohio, nearly two years, then moved to Peny 
County, Ohio, and there lived until 1831, at which date the family came to 
Hancock County, where our subject has since resided. James G. Wiseman 
died in his eightieth year, chiefly from the effects of injuries received fi'om a 
runaway horse ; the mother died three years later. The thirteen children of 
the old family are John, Andrew, James G., Samuel, George W., Joseph, 
Simon O. , Margaret, Eliza, Sarah (who died in her infancy), Emily, Rebecca 
J. and Angeline. Andrew (a son of John), James G. , Samuel, George 
W. , and Simon O. served in various regiments in the war of the Rebellion, 
and all were either killed or died from disabilities received during service. 
The grandfather of our subject, John Wiseman, was a* Revolutionary soldier; 
his occupation was that of a farmer; he was also a preacher in the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. Andi'ew Wiseman, the subject of this sketch, served 
a year in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged for 
disability. (James Hale, brother-in-law of our subject, was a member of 
the Seventy-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served his full time, part 
of which was spent in Andersonville Prison.) Mr. Wiseman bought his 
present farm of 160 acres in 1848, and has resided here since 1850. Here 
he has a park of eight acres, containing at present thirteen beautiful speci- 
mens of the red deer. Mr. Wiseman was first married to Miss Louisa 
Smith, daughter of James Smith, of Perry County, Ohio. His second mar- 
riage was with Miss Ellen Lindsey, daughter of William and Margaret 
(Buck) Lindsey, of Pennsylvania, and has one child by this union, Minnie 
D. Mr. Wiseman has been a member of the A. F. & A. M. since 1847, be- 
longing at present to the Blue Lodge at Fosteria, and to the Chapter at 
Findlay. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically 
he is a stanch Republican. 



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